Bhubaneswar the capital of Orissa in India , was once the capital of ancient Kalinga. It became the modern capital of the state in 1948, a year after India gained independence. 'The Abode of the Lord of the World- God Shiva' is the literal meaning of Bhubaneshwar. It is one of the least expensive destinations in the country. It is situated in the eastern coastal plains of Orissa and south-west of the river Mahanadi. Languages spoken here are Hindi, Oriya, Bengali & English.
Best For: Bhubaneswar's skyline is dominated by the most spectacular engineering and artistic feats of ancient heritage. The Silver filigree work, hand woven textiles, tie n dye fabrics and bamboo articles are famous..
The best time to visit Bhubaneshwar is September to March. The average temperatures is between 15°C to 25° in the winter and 40°C to 45 °C in the summer. The monsoon appears in June. It is better to avoid visit in summer. The recommended clothing for summers is light cottons and woollens for winters.
A visa to India for foreign tourist is valid all over India. Visa exemptions include Bhutanese and Nepalese who are staying for less than 3 months and special restrictions apply to Pakistani and Afghan nationals. It is advisable to check updated visa requirements prior to travel.
Indian Rupees is the acceptable form of currency.
By Air: All the major airlines like Indian Airlines, Airdeccan, Sahara Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines fly to Bhubaneshwar from the metro cities. An updated schedule of flights can be obtained from the airport.
By train: Bhubaneswar is situated on the East Coast line from Kolkata to Chennai and is directly linked by rail to all major places in India.Express and super fast trains pass through Bhubaneswar.
By Road: Bhubaneswar is on NH 5 which links Kolkata with Chennai and is well connected to all the major cities of the country. The Orissa State Road Transport Corporation buses and other private buses operate daily between Bhubaneshwar and its neighbouring towns/cities.
Bhubaneswar is known as the temple city. There are excellent examples of Oriya architecture in the old part of the city. To the east are the famous Sun temple of Konark and the Jagannath Temple of Puri. The most important is the Lingaraja temple which is a masterpiece and rated as one of the finest examples of a purely Hindu temple in India by Ferguson, the noted art critic and historian. The 55 mt-high Lingaraja temple is covered every inch with elaborate carvings. Foreigners are not permitted inside. However there is a viewing platform next to the boundary wall. Pilgrims who wish to go to the Jagannath temple at Puri, must first offer prayers at the Lingaraja temple.
SriSri Krishna Balarama Mandir(ISKCON temple) allows Non-Hindus to visit here. A reasonable vegetarian restaurant is also there in the premises.
Bindu sarovara: The significance of this lake is that there is a drop(bindu) of every holy river in this lake.
The Rani Gumpha (Queen's Cave) is ornately embellished with beautiful carvings. In the Hati Gumpha (Elephant Cave) King Kharavela has carved out the chronicles of his reign.
Dhauli Giri: The rock edicts of Dhauli is 8 km from Bhubaneswar. The place witnessed the gruesome war waged on Kalinga by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka. It was here after the Kalinga war in 261 BC, King Ashoka renounced his blood-thirsty campaign and turned to Buddhism. He erected two main edicts in Kalinga-one in Dhauli and the other in Jayagarh.
The Tribal Research Institute Museum created by the tribal craftsmen offers an insight into the State's tribal heritage.
Utkal University, Vanivihar-The leading university of the state had once the distinction of largest university in the world in terms of the number of colleges affiliated to it.
Among the other numerous temples, some more famous ones are the Mukhteshwara Temple , Siddeshwara Temple, Marichi Kund , Brahmeshwara Temple Rajrani Mandir & Vaital Deul temple.
Where To Eat:
Oriya cuisine includes seafood dishes like prawns, pomfret, crabs, sweet and salt water fish. Many Oriya dishes are cooked in yoghurt giving a thick consistency and sour taste. The most popular vegetarian dish in Orissa is dalma (vegetables cooked in dal). Also typical is the coconut milk served fresh by the street vendors. Milk preparations like rasgulla, rasmalai, khirmohan, rasabali, kalakand are dessert delicacies.
Where To Stay:
The Trident Hilton & Swosti Plaza Limited (5 star's ), Quality Inn Crown , Hotel Sishmo, The Marrion , Hotel Kalinga Ashok & the The Garden Inn are some of the good places to stay.
At the end of January comes Adivasi Mela, a fair that displays the art, artifacts, tradition & culture of the tribal inhabitants of Orissa.
On Ashokashtami in the month of March, the image of Lingaraja and other deities are taken in a procession from Lingaraja Temple to the Rameshwara Temple. Hundreds of devotees participate in pulling the chariot that carries the deities. The deities remain in the Rameshwara Temple for four days.
During Durga Pooja, another Important festival, various pandals are constructed throughout the city.
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves: Situated on the hills of the same names, these Jain heritage sites, dates back to the 2nd century BC.
Puri: An Important religious destination for the Hindus.
Konark: A widely appreciated historically significant place.
Bhitarkanika National Park: Home to the largest population of Saltwater Crocodiles in India and largest known living crocodile at 23 ft long.
Bhubaneswar is a religiously significant site for the Hindus. It is however home to a lot of other significant religious & historical places.
