Orissa

Orissa

ORISSA

AREA :1,55,707 SQ. KM
POPULATION : 36,804,660
CAPITAL: BHUBANESHWAR
PRINCIPAL LANGUAGES: ORIYA

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY

The name Orissa is derived from Sanskrit word “Odra Vishaya” or “Odra Desa”. The ancient province of “Odra desa” or “Or-desa” was limited to the valley of the Mahanadi and to the lower course of the Subarnarekha River. It comprised the whole of the present districts of Cuttack and Sambalpur and a portion of Midnapore. It was bounded on the West by Gondwana, on the North by the wild hill states of Jashpur and Singhbhum, on the East by the sea and on the South by Ganjam.

The Orissa state, which was once a land of Kings and Kingdoms, now boasts of being rich source of natural resources. Its people, temple architecture, classical dance, religions, fairs and festivals, unique handlooms and handicrafts, green woodlands, rock caves, charming blue hills have always attracted historians, tourists and travelers from all over the world. Its rich history, revolutionary freedom movement, fascinatingly sculptured temples and monuments, tribal life characterized by dance, music, rituals, hunting, gaiety and wild ways have become important topics of research for great historians and scholars.

PLACES TO SEE

ROURKELA: Set in the lap of nature, Rourkela has come into prominence with the establishment of the first of the three public sector steel plants set up in India in 1955. Situated in the minerally rich belt of Orissa, Rourkela marked a new era in the Steel Industry of India being the only steel plant devoted primarily to the production of flat products and sheets. Rourkela serves as the most convenient base for visiting the places of interest in the district of Sundargarh.

BARIPADA: An excellent base for touring the Mayurbhanj region and also the district headquarters, Baripada is an ideal place to pick up handloom products of Chandanpur and stone carving of Khiching. A must buy is the tusser fabric of Bangiriposi.The ancient capital of the Bhanja rules, Khiching lies about 205 Km away from Balasore and 150 km from Baripada. Scores of temples dominate the place, some of which are still in active worship. The predominant deity of Khiching is Kichakeswari, the most scared Goddess of the Mayurbhanj chiefs.

SIMILIPAL : Thick and green forests, extensive grassy lands and meadows, cloud kissing peaks, precipitous and sparkling waterfalls, meandering rivers, roaring tigers and trumpeting tuskers, fleeing deer and flying squirrels, talking myna and dancing peacocks et al make Similipal a dreamland of Nature in the wilderness and an irresistible destination. Covering a vast are of 2750 sq. km out of which 303 sq. km from the core area, thick biosphere reserve is a sanctuary and one of the Tiger Projects and National parks of India. About 1076 species of mammals, 29 types of reptiles and 231 species of birds are the proud possession of this plateau.

SAMBALPUR : Sambalpur, the gateway to the bewitching western zone of Orissa abounding in lush green forests, colourful wild life, captivating waterfalls; rich tribal culture, folk songs and dances and a variety of monuments finds mention in the works of Ptolemy (2nd century A.D.) as “Sambalaka”. Associated with the celebrated name of its ruler Indrabhuti, the teacher-propounder of the Vajrayana Buddhism, Sambalpur has earned a place in the cultural history of India. Here, one can visit the temples of Samaleswari, Patneswari, Budha Raja, Brahmapura and the Gopaljee monastery.

BALASORE: Balasore, the headquarters of the district, was an important maritime town in medieval times through the river Budhabalanga. Some portions of the town were occupied by the French and the Dutch which were named as “Farasidinga” and “Dinamardinga”. The ruins of the foreign possessions still exist. Balasore serves as the most convenient base for touring the various places of interest in the district. The Temple of Mahadev Baneswar is one of the main places of tourist interest in Balasore.

KEONJHAR: Keonjhar, the district headquarters of the district of Keonjhar offers varieties of attractions to the tourists. It is the most convenient base from where visitors can plan their visit to various places of interest in the district.

BOLANGIR: A WELL laid out town from the time of the Maharajas; Bolangir still possesses the charm and serenity of the old day’s fashion. It is one of the major commercial towns in the western part of Orissa.Ranipur- Jharial, 104 km from Balangir, houses one among the four existing Hypaethral Temples, dedicated to sixty-four Yoginis in lndia – a wonder in the world of archaeology and a cluster of other temples.

DHENKANAL: It is the gateway to one of the most ancient forest covers of Orissa which shelters the elephants, tigers and numerous species of birds and beasts. The broad plains of the river Bramhani were the dwelling place of early homo-sapiens who lived on the berries and wild fruits before the advent of rice on these heavily watered expanses. The surrounding Sal forests come ablaze with the changing seasons making this district headquarters town focal point of trips to beautiful interiors.

CUTTACK: The former capital and one of the oldest cities of Orissa is the administrative headquarters of the district. The town is situated at the apex of the delta formed by the rivers Mahanadi in the North and Kathajodi in the South. It serves as a convenient base for touring the various places of interest in the district.

PHULBANI: Phulbani is the Headquarters of the Kandhmal district which has a variety of attractions including a rich tribal culture and colourful flora & fauna for the tourists as indicated below. Phulbani is the most convenient base for touring the various places of interest in the district.

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.

BHAWANIPATNA: the headquarters of Kalahandi District is a town of numerous temples dedicated to different deities of Hindu pantheon. Named after its presiding deity ‘Bhawanishankar’, it is the most convenient base for touring various places of interest in the district and the nearby district of Nawapara.
Phurli Jharan, a perennial waterfall of 16 mtrs. High has a special charm of its own – 15 km. The old capital of the ex-State of Kalahandi, Junagarh was a well built fort with Oriya inscriptions on its temple walls- 26 km.

PURI: One of the four celebrated religious centers of India, Puri, and the abode of Lord Jagannath needs no introduction. According to tradition Puri was once a thickly wooded hill inhabited by the Sabaras (Pre-Aryan and Pre-Dravidian tribes of the Austric linguistic family). The sunny beach at Puri is one of the finest in the world. Watching the sunrise in a symphony of colours is a wonderful experience. It is one of the most popular sea-side resorts where visitors from any part of the globe can comfortably relax.

KONARK: The magnificent Sun Temple at Konark is the culmination of Orissan temple architecture, and one of the most stunning monuments of religious architecture in the world. The poet Rabindranath Tagore said of Konark that ‘here the language of stone surpasses the language of man’, and it is true that the experience of Konark is impossible to translate into words. The massive structure, now in ruins, sits in solitary splendour surrounded by drifting sand.

CHILIKA: Queen of natural beauty, Chilika, the largest brackish water lake in Asia covering an area of over 1,100 sq. km is a great attraction for the tourists for fishing, bird watching and boating. In winter Chilika aflutters with thousands of indigenous and migratory birds of many varieties from far and near – even from the distant Siberia. The atmosphere is just serene and undisturbed amidst the blue expanse of water on one side and an evergreen range of hills on the other. Dotted with a host of islands with romantic names, a cruise in Chilika will be a life-long memory.

BERHAMPUR: Famous for its silks, Berhampur, the major commercial town of the district of Ganjam, is a convenient base point from where a tourist can plan his visit to various places of interest in the area.

JEYPORE: Nature has showered its bounty on the undivided Koraput district with untrammeled joy. This district abounds in meadows, forests, waterfalls, terraced valleys and darting springs. This land of abundance is home to Orissa’s vast tribal population. A real paradise for the nature-lover, Koraput offers an additional benefit to the visitor of first hand meeting with its ancient civilization.