ORISSA
There are a number of important Orissa attractions, which are commonly visited by the tourists who come to the state from the other parts of the country. Some of the major places of interest in Orissa are Chilka, Bhitarakanika, Udayagiri Caves and mahendragiri.
JAGANNATH TEMPLE
Category: Religious
The Jagannath Temple, Puri is one of the most renowned places of interest that are situated in the town of Puri. There are a number of temples in the town, which form one of the major attractions of the place.
The Jagannath Temple of Puri is one of the most popular temples of the place.
The basic structure of the temple has a total height of about 65 meters. It is supposed to be established in the 12 century.
The Jagannath Temple in Puri is situated on the Nilgiri Hills. One of the main attractions of this temple of Orissa is the bhoga that it distributes.
The Bhoga Mandir and the Nata Mandir were put up later on in the 15th century and the 14th century respectively. This temple is one of the tallest temples that have been established in the country of India.
This temple of Puri is well acclaimed amongst the people who have faith in the religion of Hinduism in India as one of the Char Dham. The Char Dham is supposed to be four most significant centers of pilgrimage for the people following the Hindu religion in the subcontinent. The Jagannath Temple at Puri shares the name of Char Dham along with Badrinath, Dwarka and Rameshwaram.
The Jagannath Temple, Puri was established to pay homage to the Lord of the Universe. The name of the temple is derived from two different words. These are ‘jag’ and ‘nag’. The first word means ‘universe’ and the second word means ‘lord’.
Tourist Attractions in Puri
· Atharnala Bridge
· Puri Temples
· Gundicha Ghar Temple, Puri
· Jagannath Temple, Puri
· Ardhasani Temple, Puri
· Daria Hanuman Temple
· Loknath Temple
· Swargadwar
· Maths in Puri
· Jagannath Ballav Math
· Govardhana Math
· Suna Goswami Math
· Baull Matha
· Puri Ashram
· Konark
· Puri Beach
KONARK TEMPLE
Category: Religious
KONARK TOURISM
If you thought erotic adorn the temple walls only in Khajuraho, Konark would prove you wrong. The Sun temple of Konark is no less than 700 years old and is hazed in myths legends.
The temple resembles the mythical chariot of the Sun God. UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site. It is a wonderful evidence of ancient Indian architecture where the language of stone defeats the language of man.
Come to Konark during the Konark Festival every winter when the temple reverberates with the sound of ghungroos of famous dancers from all over India.
Konark derives its name from Konarka (presiding deity of the Sun temple) and is a combination of ‘Kona’ meaning corner and ‘Arka’ meaning sun. Konark with its serene ambience, majestic seashore and the heritage sites is regarded as an ideal holiday destination.
Konark is almost synonymous with the famous Konark Dance Festival which is the most popular festival in Konark. The three-day cultural extravaganza, held every year in the month of December, captivates the audience as leading Indian exponents of various Indian classical dance forms and folk dances. The best way to enjoy shopping in Konark would be a leisurely stroll through the markets of the city of Konark. Konark is famous for the exquisitely carved images of Hindu Gods and decorative items made of stone, horn and woodcarvings.
HISTORY OF KONARK
Konark derives its name from Konarka (presiding deity of the Sun temple) and is a combination of ‘Kona’ meaning corner and ‘Arka’ meaning sun. Konark was once a bustling port at the time of the erstwhile Kingdom of Kalinga, the former name of Orissa. The history of Konark shows that Konark also has good maritime trade relations with Southeast Asian countries.
ATTRACTIONS IN KONARK
The most prominent tourist attraction in Konark is undoubtedly the Sun Temple at Konark. Now designated as World Heritage Site, the Konark Temple is regarded as the finest one dedicated to the Sun God. King Narasimhadeva of the Ganga dynasty built the temple in the 13th century to celebrate a military victory. The Konark Sun Temple belongs to the Central Indian style of Temple architecture, though it does not have tall shikharas of the later temples of Orissa and Central India.
The temple, which resembles a chariot with 24 giant wheels being pulled by 7 horses, is visualized as the image of the sun god coursing through heaven on his seven-horse drawn carriage. The temple was once known as the Black Pagoda, by sailors, in contrast to the whitewashed temples of Puri and was said to contain a great mass of iron, which would draw unwary ships in to the shore. Konark is also a beach attraction with the Chandrabhaga beach rated as one of the finest on the easter coastline of India.
Other attractions include the Museum of Archeological Survey of India, which displays a collection of brilliant Oriyan architecture. Some are unique pieces like the medieval stone block called the richly ornamented Nayagraha slab originally placed over the front door of the temple.
HOW TO REACH KONARK
Konark is famous for its Sun temple, which is now a World Heritage Site.
By Air: The nearest airport is Bhubhaneswar, which is 64 km away. It is connected with Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Nagpur through direct flights.
By Train: Puri is the nearest railhead, about 31 km from Konark and 64 km from Bhubaneswar.
By Road: The National and State Highways connect Konark with Puri, Bhubaneshwar and other major places in Orissa. You can also hire taxis and private buses to get to Konark from Puri.
GUNDICHA GHAR TEMPLE
Category: Religious
Gundicha Ghar Temple, Puri is one of the most important tourist attractions that are located in the town of Puri. There are a couple of temples in the town and this temple is one of the most well known temples of the place.
To visit this temple of Puri, one has to travel to the town. The airport closest to Puri is situated in the city of Bhubaneswar.
The popularity of the Gundicha Ghar Temple of Puri can be well understood from the fact that it is often compared with the Jagannath Temple of Puri.
According to popular belief, the Gundicha Ghar Temple at Puri is the abode of the aunt of Lord Krishna, who is called Gundicha. The temple has got its name from this mythical figure associated with the religion of Hinduism.
According to the myths and legends of Hindu religion, the Gundicha Ghar Temple in Puri is the place where the lord spends as many as 9 days of a year at the time when the festival of Rathyatra is celebrated in the town of Puri.
A very popular Hindu ceremony that is associated with the Gundicha Ghar Temple, Puri is related with the celebrations of Rathyatra.
On this occasion, the images of the mythical figures of Balabhadra, Jagannath and Subhadra, who are supposed to be sivlings are carried from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Ghar Temple of Puri.
They are transported on beautiful decorated chariots, which are made of wood. It is believed that Gundicha gives a welcome to the three sivlings with a special delicacy made of rice called ‘padoapitha’.
LOKNATH TEMPLE
Category: Religious
Loknath Temple is one of the most well known places of interest in the town of Puri, Puri houses quite a few temples, which are quite popular among the tourists who come to visit this place of India.
The Loknath Temple of Puri has been put up to pay homage to Lord Shiva. Therefore, this temple of Puri is also referred to as the Shiva temple of the region.
According to popular belief, Lord Rama established this lingam with the help of a pumpkin. This temple of Orissa is supposed to have been established in the 11th century or the 12th century AD.
The believers of the Hindu religion often come to this temple to get a glimpse of Lord Loknath. It is widely believed that he has the power to cure the common people from all types of problems related to health.
A couple of festivals associated with the Hindu religion are celebrated with pomp and grandeur at the Loknath Temple.
The most important festival that is celebrated at this temple of Orissa is the Saranti Somobar Fair.
The Loknath Temple at Puri is located at a distance of about 1 km from another very well reputed temple of the town called the Jagannath Temple.
There are a number of popular mythical stories that are closely associated with this temple. The most well known of all the myths and legends about the Loknath Temple in Puri is related to Lord Rama, one of the most popular epic figures linked with the religion of Hinduism.
DARIA HANUMAN AND SONAR GOURANGA TEMPLE
Category: Religious
The Daria Hanuman and Sonar Gouranga Temple is one of the most well known attractions for the tourists who often visit the Puri town to spend a vacation in leisure. There are many well known temples in this part of the subcontinent of India.
The Daria Hanuman and Sonar Gouranga Temple at Puri is often visited by the tourists as a place of tourist interes. However, the temple is of special importance to the people who adhere to the bellefs of the religion of Hinduism.
A number of devotees who belong to the Hindu religion often come to this temple, which is considered very pious by them. The people with religious inclination must visit the Daria Hanuman and Sonar Gouranga Temple to offer prayers within the serene ambiance that is maintained within the temple.
If one wants to visit the Daria Hanuman and Sonar Gouranga Temple in Puri, then he has to first travel to the town of Puri, which is well connected to many other important places within the country.
To go to Puri by air, one must avail the airport that is nearest to the place, which is situated in the Bhubaneswar city at a distance of 65 kms.
One can also communicate to Puri by rail from many major parts of the country like Bhubaneswar, Berhampore, Kolkata, Delhi, Kochi, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Tirupati, Chennai, Varanasi and Trivandrum.
The Daria Hanuman and Sonar Gouranga Temple of Puri is one of the most frequently visited temples of the town.
ARDHASANI TEMPLE
Category: Religious
Ardhasani Temple, Puri is one of the most well known attractions for the tourists in the town. The main structure of the temple is not very big.
The temple is completely whitewashed. It is located at a distance of only 3kms away from the Jagannath Temple, which is another very important temple of the region.
The ideal time to visit the Ardhasani Temple at Puri is during the celebration of Rath Yatra. It is widely believed by the followers of the Hindu religion that Lord Jagannath halts at this temple of Puri, while coming back from the Gundicha Temple. He comes to this temple to enjoy a special preparation made out of the rice, which is termed ‘poda pitha’.
The Ardhasani Temple of Puri was put up to pay homage to the mythical figure of Subhadra. According to the myths and legends that are related to the religion of Hinduism, Subhadra is well known for having saved the entire town of Puri.
She saved it from the floods by drinking half the total amount of flood water. This story is particularly related to the Skanda Purana.
The Ardhasani Temple in Puri houses an image of this legendary figure. This image is regularly worshipped at the temple.
Ardhasani Temple, Puri is located on the Grand Road. If one wants to visit the Ardhasani Temple in Puri, then he has to reach the town of Puri.
The airport nearest to this place is situated at Bhubaneswar, which is located at a distance of 65 kilometers
CHILKA
Chilka is one of the Orissa attractions, which is visited by many tourists who come to the state on a vacation. The beautiful natural surroundings of Lake Chilka in Orissa make this place one of the most commonly visited tourist places of Orissa.
Chilka of Orissa is actually the biggest salt water lake of the entire country of Inida. It is situated towards the south-west of Puri, which is one of the most prominent tourist spots of the state. The Chilka Lake of Orissa is quite shallow. The length of the lake is 70kms, while its width is 15kms.
One of the main attractions of the Chilka Lake is the variety of birds that come here during the months of winter. These different species of birds mainly come from Siberia.
BHITARAKANIKA
The Bhitarakanika is one of the most important tourist attractions that are located in the state of Orissa. This place is a must-visit for the nature-lovers. It houses a wide range of plant and animal life.
It is home to about 170 different varieties of migratory birds. Some of the most well known birds that are found here are kingfishers, sea eagles, open-billed storks, sand pipers, kites, whistling teals, darters and sea gulls.
The Bhitarakanika provides shelter to a variety of wild animals. Some of the major wild animals found here are crocodiles, pythons, king cobras, rhesus monkeys, wild pigs, spotted deer and sambars. There is a farm for breeding crocodiles in Bhitarakanika. The white crocodile sankhua, a rare species of crocodile is found here.
MAHENDRAGIRI
One of the prominent Orissa attractions, Mahendragiri is situated in the Parlakhemundi area of Gajapati district. Placed at an altitude of 5000 feet above the sea level, Mahendragiri offers a breathtaking view of the picturesque surrounding regions.
Exotic mountain ranges, lush evergreen forests, the swift flowing rivulet of Mahendra Tanaya and the pleasant weather represent the beautiful place of Mahendragiri bears relics to the rich religious and mythical history of the region. The legendary poets, Radhanath Ray and Kalidas composed several poems in praise of the beauty of the high mountains of Mahendragiri.
The ancient site of Mahendragiri boasts of several archaeological relics that reflects the antiquity of the beautiful place. Far from the hustle bustle of the maddening crowd of the cities, the serene and calm surrounding of Mahendragiri relieves the tourists from the stress and strains of daily mundane life.
KHANDAGIRI CAVES
Khandagiri caves of Orissa bear relics to the rich religious history of the ancient times. Located at a short distance of just six kilometers from Bhubaneswar, the Khandagiri caves are notable Orissa attractions that offer the tourists to experience the archaeological remnants of the bygone era.
The fifteen caves of Khandagiri were used to be inhabited by Jain scholars and hermits during the ancient periods. A perfect example of rock cut temples the walls of the caves of Khandagiri are exquisitely designed with beautiful paintings and motifs. Some of the walls bear inscriptions from the holy texts of the Jain religion.
UDAYGIRI CAVES
The Udaygiri Caves comprise of eighteen rock cut caves that depicts the unique religious legacy of the ancient times. Located at a height of 135 feet, the Udaygiri hills were commonly referred to as Kumari Parvata during the ancient period.
The caves of Udaygiri were constructed to accommodate the Jain hermits and scholars who had renounced the worldly pleasures in search of truth and place. The walls of the Udaygiri caves are decorated with beautiful paintings of human beings and animals. Some of the walls of the caves have inscriptions from the sacred texts of Jain religion carved on them.
Each of the caves of Udaygiri bears a distinct name. The double storied cave of Rani Gumpha is the most impressive of all the caves. Also known as Queen Cave, the walls and doorway of Rani Gumpha cave are extensively decorated with excellent carvings. Most of the carvings portray the victory of their native kings over the enemies.
