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Lingaraj Temple |
Bhubaneswar, the
capital of Orissa, is also popularly known as the "Temple City of India". Being
the seat of Tribhubaneswar or 'Lord Lingaraj', Bhubaneswar is an important Hindu
pilgrimage centre. Hundreds of temples dot the landscape of the Old Town, which once
boasted of more than 2000 temples. Bhubaneswar is the place where temple building
activities of Orissan style flowered from its very inception to its fullest culmination
extending over a period of over one thousand years.
The new Bhubaneswar with its modern buildings and extensive infrastructure perfectly
complements its historic surroundings. With facilities to cater to every type of visitor,
Bhubaneswar makes an ideal tourist destination.
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Bhubaneswar Airport |
Approach:
Bhubaneswar is well connected by air, rail and road to the rest of India. The modern Biju
Patnaik airport is being extended to receive wide bodied aircraft, and one may well see
international charters landing here soon.
Best time to visit: Bhubaneswar can be visited round the year, but the
ideal time, especially for visitors from colder climes, would be from October to March.
Stay: With numerous hotels as well as the Orissa Tourism Development
Corporation's Panthanivas, Bhubaneswar is well equipped to
accommodate every type of visitor. The list of the major hotels with their phone numbers
is here.
Handicrafts of the Region: Silver filigree,
Stone and Wood carving,
Patta paintings, Tie and Dye textiles, bamboo basketry, brass and bell metal work, horn
work, and many other famous handicrafts of Orissa can be selected as souvenirs from
the local markets. Purchases can be made from Utkalika (run by the Department of
Handicrafts) or at the many privately run shops.
Some of the other important tourist spots of Bhubaneswar are:
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The twin hills of Kumargiri and
Kumarigiri known as Khandagiri and Udaygiri contain
varieties of rock-cut caves, built mainly for the jain monks around 1st - 2nd century
B.C.#The thirteen years lithic record of King Kharavela engraved in Hatigumpha (elephant
cave) is a magnificent specimen of Pali records so far found in India. |
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Khandagiri and Udaygiri |
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Cactus Garden |
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Cactus garden situated close to the 'Ekamara Kanan' in Bhubaneswar, the Cactus Garden, with its huge collection of Cactii should not be
missed. |
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Ancient Temples |
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RAJARANI TEMPLE |
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MUKTESWAR TEMPLE |
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Ananta Vasudeva
(c. 13th century A.D.) |
Bharateswar Temple
(c. 6th century A.D.) |
Bharatimath |
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Bhaskareswar Temple |
Brahma Temple |
Brahmeswar Temple
(c. 11th century A.D.) |
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Chandana Temple |
Chitrakarini |
Daiteswar Temple |
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Dwarabasini Temple |
Gosagareswar Temple |
Kainchi Temple |
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Kedareswar Temple |
Kotitirtheswar |
Laxmaneswar Temple
(c. 6th century A.D.) |
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Lingaraj Temple
(c. 11th century A.D.) |
Makarewswar |
Markandeswar Temple |
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Mukteswar
(c. 10th century
A.D.) |
Mohini Temple |
Papanasini |
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Parsurameswar
Temple
(c. 7th century A.D.) |
Rajarani Temple
(c. 11th century A.D.) |
Rameswar Temple |
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Satrughaneswar Temple
(c. 6th century A.D.) |
Subarneswar |
Swarnajaleswar Temples
(c. 7th century A.D.) |
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Taleswar Temple |
Tirtheswar Temple |
Uttareswar Temple |
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Vaital
Temple
(c. 8th
century A.D.) |
Vimaleswar / Gaurisankar |
Vishnu Temple |
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Khandagiri &
Udaygiri caves (c 1st century B.C.) |
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Modern Temples |
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Baya Baba Matha |
Ram Mandir |
Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir |
ISKCON Temple |
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Parks |
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IG PARK |
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EKAMRA KANAN |
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Biju Patanaik Park |
Buddha Jayanti Park |
Ekamra Kanan / Cactus Garden |
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Forest Park |
Gandhi Park |
I.G. Park |
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IMFA Park |
Kharavela Park |
S.P. Mukherjee Park |
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Subas Bose Park |
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Shopping |
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EKAMRA HAAT |
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Boyanika |
Ekamra Haat |
Kalamandir |
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Sambalpuri Bastralaya |
Satyam Shivam Sundaram |
Utkalika |
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Priyadarshani |
Bazar Kolkata |
Vishal Garments
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Other Landmarks |
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Nicco Park |
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Pathani Samanta Planetarium |
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BDA Nicco Park |
Fortune Tower |
Info City |
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Kalinga Stadium |
Pathani Samanta Planetarium |
Science Park |
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Fairs and Festivals of the region :
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Fairs
/ Festivals
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Place
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Period
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Shiva Ratri
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Bhubaneswar,
Atri
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February
- March
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Khandagiri
Mela
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Khandagiri
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January
- February
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Ashokastami
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Bhubaneswar
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March-April
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Ramanavami
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Odagaon,
Bhubaneswar
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March
- April
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Jhamuyatra
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Kakatpur
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April
- May
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Anla
Navami
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Sakshigopal
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October
- November
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Dhauli
(8 km)*
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Surrounded by paddy fields, the Dhauli hill brings back memories of the historic
'Kalinga
war' which was fought around here. It is here that Ashoka, the terrible, was transformed
into Ashoka, the compassionate and championed the cause of Buddhism. On the foot of the
hill one can see the Rock Edicts of Ashoka and the forepart of a skillfully sculpted
elephant hewn out of a huge rock. Dhauli has gained prominence due to the establishment of
a Buddhist Peace Pagoda, popularly known as Shanti Stupa, built in the early seventies by
the Japan Buddha Sangha and Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha. An old temple of Lord
Dhavaleswar, reconstructed in 1972, also stands on the hill-top.
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Sisupalgarh
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Just two km from the famed Lingaraj
Temple of Bhubaneswar lie the ruins of Sisupalgarh.
Dating back to the third or fourth century BC, these ruins show that even at that early
date there was a well fortified city here, and establish the fact that the Orissan
civilization has very ancient roots.
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Hirapur
(15
km)*
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Hirapur has the 11th century
Hypaethral temple of sixty four Yoginis. It is second of
its kind in Orissa and one of four such unique temples in India.
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Atri
(42 km)*
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Situated amidst greenery and famous
for the hot sulphur water spring, Atri, 42 km. from Bhubaneswar and 14 km. from
Khurda, is
also a holy place with the shrine of Hatakeswar. A bath in the spring water is reputed to
cure skin diseases apart from being a pleasant experience.
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Nandankanan
(20 km)*
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Picturesquely carved out of the
Chandaka forest, Nandankanan is a Biological Park where animals
are kept in their natural habitat. A centrally located lake divides the Zoo from the
Botanical Gardens. Tigers, Lions, Clouded Leopards, Black Panthers, European Brown Bear,
Himalayan Black Bear, Gharials, Rosy Pelican, Grey Pelican, Indian Python, King Cobra,
etc. are among the attractions of the zoo, which is famous for its White Tigers. The
exotic Botanical Garden on the other side of the zoo preserves varieties of indigenous
plants. Regular bus services are available to reach the place.
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* Distance from Bhubaneswar |
