Fast Facts
Location : Orrisa
Popular As : Capital City of Orissa
Attractions : Lingaraj Temple, Vaital Deul Temple,
Parasurameswar Temple, Mukteswar Temple, Rajarani Temple, Orissa State
Museum, Tribal Research Museum etc.
Best Time To Visit : October to March
Introducing Bhubaneshwar
If
you are looking for a vacation alongwith spiritual touch, then Bhubaneshwar
may be a right place for you. Once the capital of Kalinga Empire,
Bhubaneshwar is now Orissa's capital and a bustling centre for commerce.
Basically a 'temple town', Bhubaneshwar derives its name from
Tribhuvaneswara or Shiva, the "Lord of the Three Worlds."
Bhubaneshwar is one of three 'Golden Triangle sites of Orissa', other two
cities are Puri and Konark.
The Kalinga empire and successive rulers build over 7,000 temples here
which are famous for their design and marvellous architecture. The temples
of the city dating back to over 25 centuries have witnessed the glorious
history. The city is home to numerous temples and shrines and its skyline is
dominated by some spectacular modern engineering wonders. Every year
thousands of tourists visit the city to pay their homage to the religious,
cultural and natural wonders. So, plan a trip to this temple town, enjoy a
pleasant vacation and clean your soul and body by paying visits to temples
and shrines.
How to Reach Bhubaneshwar
By Air : The Biju Patnaik Airport at Bhubaneswar is 4 kms
from the city centre. Domestic Airlines such as Indian Airlines, Jet Airways
and Air Decan operate daily flights to Bhubaneshwar from Delhi, Kolkata,
Nagpur, Varanasi, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other
important cities of India.
By Train : Bhubaneshwar is
an important rail-head on the East Coast Railway. Several express and super
fast trains Bhubaneshwar to Kolkata, Guwahati, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad,
Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and other important places
of the country and within the state as well.
By Bus : National highways and state roads connect
Bhubaneshwar to major places of the Orissa, West Bengal and rest of the
country. Bhubaneswar's new bus stand is on National Highway 5, at Baramunda
at a distance of about 6 km from town centre. Buses leave for Puri and
Konark at regular interval from Bhubaneshwar. Volvo bus service is available
from Puri to Kolkata (12 hrs) via Bhubaneswar.
Places Where You Can Stay
Bhubaneshwar is a temple town and offers a wide range of hotels to
visitors. From luxury to budget, you may chose hotels in Bhubaneshwar
according to your budget. Some of the famous hotels of Bhubaneshwar include
:
Five Star Hotels : Hotel Oberoi.
Four Star Hotels : Hotel Sishmo, Hotel Swosti, The Marrion
Three Star Hotels : Hotel Kalinga Ashok, Hotel Swosti
Plaza, Hotel Keshari, Hotel Siddhartha International, The Garden Inn.
Tourist Attractions in Bhubaneshwar
Lingaraj Temple : Situated south of the Bindu Sagar,
Lingaraj Temple is an important temple of the town. Built during the 10th or
11th century, the temple is dedicated to Tribhubansehwar, the Lord of the
Three Worlds. Bindu Sagar Lake is a sacred lake and it is said that the it
contains the waters of all the sacred rivers, streams and pools of the
country. Every year in April, during the chariot festival of Ashokatami the
deith of the Lingaraj temple is brought to the lake for annual dip. Lingaraj
Temple is closed for the non-Hindus but they may visit the outer compound
and see the superb architecture and sculptures.
Vaital Deul Temple : An interesting temple, Vaital Deul
Temple lies close to the Bindu Sagar.Built in 800 AD, the temple shows
evidences of the Buddhist cave architecture. Vaital Deul Temple is dedicated
to Goddess Chamunda, a destructive incarnation of Goddess Kali. In this
temple you will see some of India's first erotic carvings, suggesting that
tantric beliefs may have been first propagated here.
Parasurameswar Temple : Constructed in 650 AD the Shiva
temple is known for its beautiful carvings and sculptures. Set under the
canopy of a huge Banyan tree, the temple has beautifully decorated panels.
The temple houses friezes of Lord Shiva, Paravati, Shiva's elephant-headed
son, a row seven Mother Goddesses with Chamunda to the right, an rare
depiction of Ganesh and other interesting structures. In the far corner of
the courtyard, there is an intriguing Shiva lingam, the Sahasralingam which
is decorated with a thousand miniature versions of more lingams.
Mukteswar Temple : Constructed between 7th and 8 th
century, the temple is famous for its architecture. The temple architecture
represents a fine blend of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain styles. You would be
certainly amazed after seeing it's carved ceiling which is master-piece of
famous temple architecture of Orissa.
Rajarani Temple : An exquisite temple, Rajarani temple is
flanked by well-maintained grounds. Dikpalas (the Guardians of the Eight
Directions) are the deities who protect the main shrine of the temple. Yama,
Nritti, Varuna, Kubera, Ishana and Indra are the prominent Dikpalas.
Other Temples : Besides above mentioned temple,
Bhubaneshwar has a number of important temples. Siddeshwara Temple and
Brahmeshwara Temple are other famous temples of the town.
Orissa State Museum : One of
the major attraction of the city, the museum has a good collection of
illuminated manuscripts, native artefacts, lithic and bronze-age tools, rare
copper plates, palm-leaf manuscripts, paintings, anthropological specimens,
musical instruments and archaeological finds like Jain and Buddhist
sculptures.
Handicrafts Museum : During you Bhubaneshwar trip, do pay
a visit to the Handicrafts Museum. The museum has a fine collection of folk
painting, brass castings and sculptures and horn toys.
Tribal Research Museum : Situated on CRP Square, the
Tribal Research Museum provides a better understanding of state's tribal
life and culture. Tribal Research Museum provides a glimpse of Orissa's
tribal art, handicraft, dance form and festivals.
Tourist Attractions Around Bhubaneshwar
Udaygiri and Khandgiri : Just 8 kms from Bhubaneshwar are
twin hills of Udaygiri and Khandgiri. Both these hills are important
archaeological sites of India and served as the site of an ancient Jain
monastery. In Udaygiri there are 15 caves, amongst them Hathi gumpha
(elephant cave) is most important. One can see a 117-line inscription on the
cave walls related to the exploits of King Kharvela who ruled over Orissa.
The Rani Gumpha ( Queen's Cave) is another important cave. A double- storied
cave, the Rani Gumpha is ornately embellished with beautiful carvings.
Khandgiri is predominantly influenced by Jainism and here most of the caves
have a Jain influence. From the hilltop you may get a breathtaking view of
Bhubaneshwar.
Dhauli : Situated 8 km from Bhubaneshwar, Dhauli is noted
for its connection with Mauryan emperor Ashoka and has the 3rd century BC
Ashoka's rock edict. Dhauli is the very place where Ashoka renounced his
bloodthirsty campaign in the 3rd century Band set out to spread Buddhism. On
the opposite hill, a Shanti Stupa or peace pagoda has been built through the
Indo-Japanese collaboration.
Nandankanan Sanctuary : Nandankanan Sanctuary is situated
25 km away from Bhubaneshwar. Originally a Biological Park, Nandankanan was
declared a sanctuary in 1979. Gorillas, crocodiles and white tigers are the
main attractions of Nandankanan.Nandankanan is the place, where first ever
White tigers and Gharials were bred in captivity. Breeding of Gharial was
one of the important projects launched at Nandankanan and till date over 200
crocodiles have been produced. You may go for tiger and lion safari at
Nandankanan.
Atri Springs : Atri Springs lies at a distance of 42 km
from Bhubaneshwar. It is believed that the hot sulphur spring have medicinal
properties. A famous outing spot for vacationers, Atri is also home to a
temple dedicated to Lord Hatakeswar.
Puri: A temple town Puri
is situated at a distance of 60 km from Bhubaneshwar. One of the three
'Golden Triangle sites of Orissa',Puri is famous for Jagannath Temple and
the annual Raht Yatra.
Konark : Situated 65
kms away for Bhubaneshwar, Konark is another important temple town of
Orissa. Sun Temple is main attraction of Konark. Designed as a chariot of
the Sun God, the sun temple houses a number of interesting structures. The
temple museum, beach and Chandrabhaga Mela are other attractions of Konark.
Chilika Lake : Chilika Lake lies at a distance of about
100 km from Bhubaneshwar. Asia's biggest brackish water lake, Chilika
spreads over an area of 1,100 sq. km. In 1987, Chilika was a declared a
sanctuary. During winters thousands of migratory birds come to the sanctuary
from Siberia and other parts of the world. For its varied flora and fauna,
the lake's Nalbana Island has been declared a sanctuary. Kalijai Island is a
famous island in the lake and it is home to Goddess Kalijai. You may hire
boats at Barkul, Balugaon, Rambha and Satapara to explore the beautiful
lake.
Shopping in Bhubaneshwar
If you are looking for curios and traditional fabrics, then you must go for
shopping in Bhubaneshwar. Here you will find a number of government and
privately runs shops offering typical Orissan items. Some of the must buy of
Bhubaneshwar include woven ikat fabrics, appliqué worked fabric,
Sambalpuri silk and cotton, tussar silk and gold embroidery. While shopping
in Bhubaneshwar you will be certainly amazed by the the wide range of metal
ware-silver filigree jewellery or tarakash, amazing metal sculptures and
figurines known as dhokra. Bhubaneshwar is also famous for its woodcarfts
such as lampshades, fruit-baskets and jewellery boxes. You will also find
stone sculptures of gods and goddesses and seashells of different shapes in
markets of Bhubaneshwar.
