Immerse Yourself in the World of Temples and Culture: Top 10 Places to Visit in Odisha (2019)

Situated on the eastern coast of India, Odisha is rich in nature’s beauty and serene natural environments. The State of Odisha has in itself, God and spirituality. You might have read in history about the ancient kingdoms of Mauryas and the Kalinga which was later invaded by Emperor Ashoka by waging a war which is popular in history as the Kalinga War. All these places and facts belong to what we call the modern day Odisha.

The astounding historical scriptures and monuments, the age-old dance forms, the ancient temples, and rich cultural heritage glorify the land of Odisha. Odisha has the third largest tribal population in all the States of India. These tribes have been able to save the rich cultural heritage of Odisha. Many places of historical India such as Udra, Koshal, Kalinga, are a part of present-day land of Odisha. Due to all the above reasons, it will not be wrong to call Odisha the ‘soul of India’

The State boasts of the places of pilgrimage for all the religions be it Hindu, Jains, and Buddhists. The sacred land of Odisha has many Hindu temples including Taleswar, Uttreswar, Brahmeswar, Bharatimath, Papanasini, Rameswar, Puri Jagannath, Rajarani, Vaital, Satrughaneswar, Bhubaneswar, Swarnajaleswar, Tirtheswar, Uttareswar, and Gaurisankar temple. Odisha provides the country with nature’s sceneries including a 482 km of coastline with mesmerizing golden beaches, flowing rivers, mighty waterfalls, forest covered beautiful blue hills of Eastern Ghats with plenty of wildlife. The states have numerous architectural marvels to boast of such as Konark or the Sun Temple, Jagannath Temple in Puri, Rajrani temple and Khandagiri caves with Barbati Palace and the Lalit and Uday Giri.

The Britishers declared Odisha as a separate province on April 1, 1936. The Baitrani, Subernrekha and Mahanadi are the important rivers of India to name a few. Along with these, there are many other rivers in Odisha which give the state a natural environment for the existence of many wildlife areas and natural parks.

Odisha offers you everything one looks for in a tourist destination. It has mountains, beaches, the ocean, wildlife sanctuaries, the Nandan Kanan Van, the place for vanishing Olive Ridley Turtles, heaven for migratory birds and much more. Whenever you plan to go to Odisha, do not miss these places as you will love exploring these treasured places of nature.

The name of Jagannath temple in Puri, has become synonymous with the state of Odisha. The temple is an architectural marvel and has some unusual facts associated with it. The temple is very old and the history of the temple can be traced back to the year 1078. It has been observed that the flag on the top of the temple even flows in the opposite side of the breeze direction. Further, the Sudarshan Chakra at the top of the temple is always facing you in whichever direction you go. As a matter of the geographical fact, the breeze in coastal areas usually blows from the sea towards land during day time and in the evening it blows from land to sea, however, in case of The Jagannath Puri Temple, the reverse is the truth. However, no one has been able to explain this phenomenon and sometimes we have to accept nature’s miracles. The shadow of the temple is not at all visible at any time of the day. Further, when you enter the temple through the Singha dwar you will not be able to hear any ocean sound. Legendary tales explain this fact that the Subhadra, the sister of Lord Krishna wished to have peace inside the temple and therefore, the outcome is like that.

Rath yatra at Jagannath Puri is the most famous ritual happening annually attracting many people. Aren't these things enticing enough to attract you to the holy land of Jagannath Puri? Further, spiritually the place has healing ambiance and your mind gets so relaxed visiting the place and you get a new affirmation every time you visit that God is having his hand on you.

Rath Yatra is a Hindu festival celebrated in the state of Odisha and is associated with the worship of Lord Jagannath. The festival is celebrated every year on the Dwitiya of Ashadha Maah in Shukl Paksha every year. As a part of procession in Ratha Yatra, the deities/lords of Jagannath temple i.e. Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra are taken to Gundicha Temple to stay there for nine days. The procession is also accompanied by the Sudarshana Chakra. After the span of nine days, all the three deities are brought back to the main temple of Jagannath Puri. The return yatra/procession is known as Bahuda Jatra.

Three chariots are decorated to create a mesmerising breathtaking view and have the shapes of the original temple structure. People lovingly come to help the procession move forward. By touching the ropes of the chariots, they find themselves fortunate that the Lord has blessed them. There is so much crowd during Rath Yatra in Jagannath Puri that its difficult to manage. However, even after this, people keep coming every year at this time. The one who dies during the yatra is considered to be a fortunate one and will directly be landing in Baikunth as per Hindu Philosophy.

A masterpiece of architecture, the Sun Temple in Konark is world famous. Sun temple is located in Konark at about 35 km distance from the Jagannath Temple and at about 65 km distance from the capital city of Bhubaneswar. The temple design contains seven horses with twelve wheels and the Sun God on the top. Due to its unique architecture, the temple has been declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The temple has a mythological story associated with it which says that the son of Lord Krishna, Samba suffered Leprosy due to a curse. He meditated here and was able to please the Sun God who is known to be the healer of all skin problems.

The Europeans in their era named the temple as ‘The Black Pagoda’ due to the black colour of the temple visible from far off in the sea. The temple is dedicated to the worship of the Sun God. It is believed that the first ray of the Sun falls every day of the Konark Temple.

Spread over 1100 km, Chilika is the largest brackish water coastal lagoon in India and the second largest in the world. The lake Chilika provides winter home to many species of migratory birds. It is also home to many of the threatened species of birds in India. If you love watching birds, this is the best place to be. This lake is around 13 km away from Bhubaneswar Airport and you will find several taxis that ply there. Hire a boat once there to go around the lake and view the unique flora and fauna of this ecosystem at close quarters. If you are lucky, then you can catch sight of the elusive Irrawady dolphins at Satapada. Additionally, there are several islands you can visit that have their own specialty such as Kalijai Island which is the site of a popular local temple.

The Museum of the Tribal Arts & Artefacts is located at a distance of seven kilometres from the capital city of Bhubaneswar and is one of the best tribal art museums located in India. From traditional costumes of tribes to agricultural tools to architectural creativity, this museum has it all at one place. Entry to this museum is free. It is a must visit place being declared the best of all the Indian Tribal Museums by UNESCO.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Hindu Temple is among the oldest temples of Bhubaneswar. The medieval era architecture of Kalinga dynasty is visible in its shape and composition. The temple has four structures of prominence viz. Vimana, Jagmohan, Naatmandapa, and Bhog-mandapa. The temple traces its origin to the eleventh century. Lingaraja means the supreme Linga i.e. the iconic form of Lord Shiva. According to mythology, the underground river fills the Bindusagar Tank and the water filled in it is known to heal physically, mentally and spiritually. Shivaratri festival in the month of Phaguna as per Hindu calendar is the time when people consider it significant to visit the temple. Otherwise, throughout the year, devotees of Lord Shiva keep coming for darshanas.

Located at the outskirts of Odisha are the Udaygiri Caves which are twenty in number and are of historical importance as well as a tourist attraction. Udaygiri caves are full of inscriptions and engraved paintings of Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shakti. There is a sculpture of Varaha avatar of Lord Vishnu which is a must-see. Udaygiri or the Sunrise mountain is known to be of religious importance for both Hindus and Buddhists.

Historically, it is known that there used to be an iron pillar at Udaygiri which was brought to Delhi to be kept at Qutub Minar, by the Delhi Sultanate. Most of the caves do not appear to be natural and are rock cut by humans having a square shape. It appears that the caves were cut for the purpose of meditation by monks of various religions.

Chandipur beach is located in the Balasore district of Odisha stretching for a length of about 16 km and is considered to be one of the most unusual beaches in the world. The phenomenon of vanishing sea is known just because of Chandipur Beach. Here, the sea appears to be vanishing by 5-6 km every day during low tide and then reappear during high tide. This unusual event occurs about twice a day. During this event, when the sea vanishes to a certain extent, you can have walked almost inside the sea which may appear to be magic to you.

From prawns to a variety of fishes, the restaurants around the beach serve many mouth-watering seafood dishes. The beach has picturesque scenic beauty and the sunset is amazing. Further, the beach offers a close look at the biodiversity of flora and fauna. Rarely found Horse Shoe Crabs and Red crabs can be found here.

The first ever river valley project of our independent India is the HIrakund Dam located 15 km upstream in the Sambalpur district of Odisha. It is categorized as the longest dam in the world stretching over 26 km without a break. Mahanadi is one of the largest rivers and it was named s the Sorrow of Odisha as every year floods used to take away thousands of villages. With the construction of Hirakund Dam on Mahanadi, these floods could be controlled and now people of the State feel blessed to have it. The project was proposed by Sir M. Visveswaraya and was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.

The dam reservoir is used to supply water for irrigation for agricultural purposes to various parts of the state. One must visit such a giant structure on the river which will make you feel proud about the country.

In the pilgrimage center of the Odisha, the Puri Beach does not require any introduction. The spellbound beauty of the sands of the beach and sea stretches for about 7 km. The beach also features a lighthouse and is a perfect place to enjoy the sunset, sunbathe and bask in the serene environment. For foodies, there are many seafood offerings lining up near the beach, where travellers can enjoy fresh seafood. The beach lies towards the Bay of Bengal and the tourists flock to visit the place. The most unique attraction of the Puri beach is the sculptures and handicrafts by famous artist Shri Sudarshan Patnaik.

The state of Odisha has some really interesting facts which make it a popular place for travel.

• Our planet is around 4.5 billion years old. So considering this fact, historians believe that the ancient rocks of Mayurbhanj date back to 3 million years. With some of the best views, this place is highly reviewed by travellers.

• The capital city of Bhubaneswar capacitates more than 600 temples. These temples are based on different religious beliefs, from Hindu, Jain to Buddhist temples. Some of the famous temples are Lingaraj Temple, Mukteswar Temple, Rajarani Temple and Ananta Vasudeva Temple.

• The famous Jagganath temple in Puri has one of the biggest kitchens in the world. It is believed that Lord Jagannath redeems the devotees by partaking in his Mahaprasad and Darshan.