Orissa Tourism
ORISSA as early as the 5th and 4th century BC, seaports flourished in this area. The first king of Ceylon, Vijaya, is believed to have been a Kalinga prince. Colonists from Kalinga did not stop at Ceylon but went as far as Java, Sumatra, Bali and carried Indian civilization with them. And before the emergence of the Christian era, there was maritime relationship between Orissa and South East Asia. Ashok, a Mauryan king, invaded Kalinga around 261 BC and ultimately conquered it. But the terrible bloodshed changed Ashoka which took him to Buddhism and for the rest of the life preached peace.
Exotic Orissa
, on the coast along the Bay of Bengal, just grows on you. It's green valleys, blue hills, lush green forests and golden beaches have a magical impact. Orissa is also a kaleidoscope of past splendor and contemporary expression. Bhubaneshwar's 500 glorious temples today stand testimony to the glory of the prosperous kingdoms that emerged here. Konarak's stupendous Sun Temple is the crowning glory of Orissa and is one of the wonders of ancient India. Puri, on the eastern coast of Orissa, is a magnificent beach resort and is one of the four great Hindu pilgrim centres.
Places to See in Orissa
Bhubneshwar
Puri
Konarak
Udaigiri and Khandagiri
Gopalpur on Sea |
Lalitagiri & Ratnagiri
Chilka Lake
Jeypore
Calicut
Rayagada |
About Orissa
Situated on the coast along the Bay of Bengal, Orissa stands for its ancient glory and modern endeavour. Endowed with nature's bounty, a 482 km stretch of coastline with virgin beaches, serpentine rivers, mighty waterfalls, forest-clad blue hills of Eastern Ghats with rich wild life, Orissa is dotted with exquisite temples, historic monuments as well as pieces of modern engineering feat. The land, while retaining its pristine glory, also offers the visitors modern amenities.
Orissa Waterfalls
Barehipani & Joranda Falls: These picturesque falls (Barehipani - 399 metres and Joranda - 150 metres) situated in the core area of Simlipal National Park are perfectly complementary to their surroundings and are a beautiful bonus to the visitors of the sanctuary.
Orissa People & Lifestyle
Ancient Orissa was a confluence of racial streams. History tells us that the Aryans entered Orissa from the north-east, subjugated the primitive people living there and imposed on them their language and culture. The story could not be so simple; for the people then living in the land were not perhaps all of the primitive type, nor were they subjugated culturally. What might have happened in all Probability was a racial and cultural amalgamation.
Orissa Wildlife
One of the greatest benefits of Orissa ‘s vast expanses of unspoilt natural landscape has been its ability to offer a protected yet natural habitat to the state’s incredible wildlife.There are many wildlife sancturies which are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna ,bird life reptiles and water creatures.Some of the most important experiments of wildlife conservation are taking place in these natural habitat, giving the tourists an excellent opportunity to see nature’s bounty,propagated .
Orissa Buddhist Temples
Dhauli The rock outcropping on Dhauli hill at the bank of the river Daya, is a little away from the main road as one drives 8 km south of Bhubaneswar. It is the site of a set of rock edicts left by the Indian emperor Ashoka in about 260 BC.
Orissa Art & Craft
Orissa boasts of a long and rich cultural heritage. Due to the reigns of many different rulers in the past, the culture, arts and crafts of the state underwent many changes, imitations, assimilations and new creations, from time to time. The artistic skill of the Orissan artists is unsurpassable in the world. The discovery that traditional artists still live and work throughout Orissa, producing various objects in many media, is an exciting part of any visit to the state.
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