Odisha—Land of Lord Jaganath

Odisha is one of the Indian states located on the eastern side and has a long coastline of over 485kms along the Bay of Bengal.

The state has an ancient civilization since Mauryan empire and Chola dynasty and is blessed with exotic wildlife, lush environment, ancient temples, pristine beaches and tribal culture. The state is an unexplored gem in itself.

If you are planning a trip to this state, here are few things you should keep in mind —

1. Marvel of Konark Sun Temple

• One of the renowned world heritage sites
• Constructed dated back in 13^th century
• Dedicated to Sun God and is famous for its intricate carvings and architecture
• Built in kalinga style and the sculptures are erotica and is known as Black Pagoda.
• The temple has a complex architecture and the different sections include Nata Mandir (dance hall), Bhog Mandapa (dining hall) and Jagmohana (audience hall).

2. Jagannath Temple

• Adobe in the grand shore of Puri, Lord Jagannath is still and blesses you from his famous temple
• The temple has a strong architecture of 12^th century and is a built in Hindu, Kalinga and Dravidian style.
• You will find the idol of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra inside the temple.
• Every year during the Sravan season, the popular Rath yatra starts from this temple and is said that Lord Jagannath comes out of his temple to bless us. The deity is carried out in a grand wooden chariot with enthusiastic pomp and show.
• The temple is very clean and will give you a spiritual feeling from inside.

3. Rock-hewed temples of Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves

• Famous Buddhist pilgrimage of Odisha
• Caves are both natural and manmade and are located only 6kms west of Bhubaneshwar city.
• These caves are famous for its sculptures and Brahmi inscriptions and are believed to be carved in the 1^st
• Cave of Udayagiri—Hill of Sunrise
• Cave of Khandagiri— Broken Hills
• Known as oldest group of Jain rock cut shelters
• You will find monkeys abundantly in this area.

4. Lingaraja Temple

• Dated back to 11^th century, the temple is believed to be one of the oldest and largest temples in Bhubaneshwar.
• Constructed with red sandstone and is dedicated to Tribhuvaneswar (Lord Shiva).
• The idol in the temple is 54m high and the ancient Brahma Purana is scripture here in this temple.
• The lingam is made up of Granite and is bathed every day with milk, bhang and water.
• The temple has a huge gopuram and the main gateway is guarded by 2 yellow colored lion statues. It is segregated into main sanctum, Yajna Shala, Bhoj Mandap and Natya Shala.

5. Chandipur Beach

• One of the most famous tourist attractions during ebb tides.
• The recedes as far as 5km away and you can enjoy a memorable sunset view there.
• The place is a very famous romantic gateway.
• You will be amazed to find fish market horseshoe crabs and many sea creatures over here.
• You can walk along the waves and collect the shells from there. This will be one of the cherished memories of your holiday to Odisha.

6. Chillika lake

• Largest lagoon lake of Asia and is best place to watch birds over here.
• You can easily spot white-bellied sea eagles, flamingoes, gulls, golden plovers, sand pipers and many more migratory birds over here.
• This is one of the richest eco systems of Asian sub-continent and is very important wetland of the world.
• You will definitely be amazed with the view and photography over here.

7. Tribal Villages of Odisha

• Odisha is a home to more than 62 tribal communities and is the land of largest tribal population in the country.
• Most amazing view is their lifestyle, culture, food habits and traditions.
• They worship nature and follow their own rules.
• They are basically food gatherer, hunters and fishermen.
• They are rich in artistic skills like ornament making, wall paintings, weaving and body painting.