Overview
Renowned
for its connection with the Great Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, Bhubaneswar or
Bhubaneshwar is the capital city of the eastern Indian state of Orissa. Literally
meaning the ‘Lord of the Universe’, Bhubaneswar is dotted with numerous
historic temples known for their exquisite architectural styles, related
legends or other interesting facts. Often referred to as the ‘Temple City of
India’, Bhubaneswar makes the ‘Golden Triangle’ of holy temple cities with
Konark (Sun Temple) and Puri (Jagannath Temple). Historically the capital of
ancient Kalinga state, Bhubaneswar is now a modern city and a thriving hub for
commerce and business in East India. Designed by the German architect Otto
Kongisberger in 1946, the modern Bhubaneswar harmoniously blends with the old. The
beautifully managed gardens, fun & amusement parks, and world class museums
add more charm to the historic city. Traces of Bhubaneswar’s rich cultural
heritage can be found in the traditional handicrafts like appliqué work of
Pipli, world famous Odissi dance, local delicacies, and colorful festivals and events.
Besides these, the Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves take you on an amazing journey
of rock cut structures dating back to around 1st century B.C.
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| Bhubaneshwar |
Getting There
Air: Biju Patnaik Airport is about 5 km away from the
city center. The airport is linked to Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore with daily flights. A taxi from the airport to the city costs
around Rs. 100.
Rail: Bhubaneswar Railway Station is a major railhead of the East Coast Railway and
connected to all major cities by a number of trains.
Road: The OSRTC runs frequent buses between Bhubaneswar and other places of the state such as Konark
and Puri. Private operators also offer bus services to and from Bhubaneswar.
Driving directions: From Kolkata - Start
from Jawaharlal Nehru Road and reach NH 6 after crossing Rashmoni Avenue,
Dufferin Road, Pranabananda Sarani and Vidyasagar Setu. Further take a left on
NH 60 and later on drive onto NH 5 to reach Bhubaneswar (12 hours, 450 km).
Info Zone (When,
What, ‘Wear’)
Best time to visit
(When to go)
– Bhubaneswar boasts of a tropical climate with hot summers (April to June) and
cold winters (November to March). The south-east monsoon appears in late June
and ends by September. The ideal time to visit Bhubaneswar is from October to
March.
Knapsack (What to
carry)
–
Dress up / down (Wear
what)
-
Recommended for:
Singles
/ Friends / Single woman / Senior travellers /
Family with children / Couples
Getting Around
Various
modes of local transport are available in Bhubaneswar. The government-run city
buses are the most convenient and cheap mode of transport. You can hire car or
taxis for exploring the major spots of the city. Auto-rickshaws are also
available on shared as well as individual basis in Bhubaneswar.
Must See
With
a fine collection of old and new attractions, Bhubaneswar offers plenty of
sightseeing options. Temples are the major highlight of Bhubaneswar and
thronged by devotees in large numbers. Begin you sightseeing trip from Lingaraj
Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva and dates back to the 10th century. Described
as ‘the truest fusion of dream and reality’ by Ferguson – the noted art critic
and historian, Lingaraj Temple is a rare masterpiece and known for its
excellent sculpture and architecture. Close to Lingaraj Temple is Bindu
Sarovara, a large lake, which is believed to have the drop of every holy river.
Considered the gem of the Oriyan architecture, Mukteshwara Temple dating back
to the 10th century is another important temple of Bhubaneswar. One of the
oldest temples in Bhubaneswar, Parasurameswar Mandir (650 AD) is dedicated to
Lord Shiva and also deserves a visit. Vaital Mandir (8th century) dedicated to
goddess Chamundi (Kali), Rajarani Mandir, Siddheswar Mandir and Kedaragauri
Mandir are other noted old temples in Bhubaneswar, known for their
architecture, sculptures or related legends. In addition to these, ISKON temple
and Ram Mandir, though comparatively new, have many visitors. Remember, entry
to non Hindus is not allowed in all temples, so enquire before you proceed
inside any temple. Once you cover all the temples, move further to visit the museums
of the city, namely Orissa State Museum and Tribal Museum. While Orissa State
Museum has a vast collection of archaeological objects, art and objects, and
sculptures, the Tribal Museum houses interesting items of the tribes. You can
pass a good time with your family or friends in the beautiful parks of the city
like Biju Patanaik Park, Buddha Jayanti Park, Gandhi Park, Ekamra Kanan (Cactus
Park) and Forest Park. Also visit the Regional Plant Resource Centre (RPRC),
which is known for maintaining the biggest Rose garden in India.
Must Do
When
talked about leisure, Bhubaneswar offers plenty of options to do. From well
laid-out parks to adrenaline rushing treks, Bhubaneswar has everything to
please all types of travelers. An amusement park, BDA Nicco Park offers a
variety of thrilling activities for all age groups. If you are an art lover,
then step inside Rabindra Mandap or Soochana Bhavan on Sachivajaya Marg where
dance and music programmes are organised almost every day. Visit the Regional
Science Centre to watch the ‘Lost World series’ that takes you to the ancient
world. At the Science Centre the common principles of Physics are demonstrated
through simple experiments from 10.30am to 5.30pm. Get a better understanding
about the celestial bodies and see the stars closely at Pathani Samanta
Planetarium. The celestial shows are organised in Oriya and English
alternatively. If you wish to make your trip more adventurous, then explore the
rock cut temples in and around the city on foot. Adventure freaks can explore
famous rock cut caves like Udayagiri, Khandagiri, Swagpuri and Hathi (elephant)
Gupha.
Eat
From
exotic seafood to lip-smacking sweets, Bhubaneswar offers a lot to satisfy the
taste buds of die-hard food lovers. Despite being a temple town, Bhubaneswar
offers plenty of options for non-vegetarians as well. The local markets in
Bhubaneswar sell freshly caught lobsters and crabs each morning. Most
restaurants in Bhubaneswar offer fresh seafood along with vegetarian dishes. ‘Dalma’
and ‘pakhal’ are the most famous traditional delicacy of Bhubaneswar and a must
try. After spicy fast food like ‘chaat’, ‘dahi bara’, ‘aloo dum’, ‘gol gappas’
and ‘rolls’, try some sweets such as ‘rasagolla’, ‘chennajhilli’ and
‘rasabali’. In addition to traditional Oriyan cuisine, you can find delectable
North Indian, South Indian, Chinese, Thai and Continental cuisines in the
eating joints of Bhubaneswar. Also enjoy the ‘prasad’ offered by the major
temples on daily basis to devotees.
Shop
Bhubaneswar
is a mainly known for locally manufactured handicrafts including stone and wood
carvings, silver filigree work, tie and dye textiles, bamboo basketry, horn
work, paper mache mask, brass and bell metal work. Appliqué craft of Pipli and
Patta paintings are other must buys of Bhubaneswar. Also buy colourful wooden
icons of Lord Jagannath to keep as a souvenir of the trip. Utkalika (a
government owned shop run by the Department of Handicrafts) as well as many
privately run shops offer the local handicrafts at reasonable rates. Besides
the handicrafts, you can buy other interesting items in the local markets of
Bhubaneswar. Ekamra Haat, Boyanika, Kalamandir, Sambalpuri Bastralaya, Satyam
Shivam Sundaram, Bazar Kolkata, Priyadarshani and Vishal Garments are the
popular shops in Bhubaneswar. Haggling is common in local markets, but don’t
try in fixed-price shops.
Nightlife
Usually
temple towns in India offer nothing special in the name of nightlife. However,
Bhubaneswar differs from other temple towns and doesn’t disappoint nightlife
lovers. You can visit the bars attached to the major hotels and enjoy
exhilarating drinks till midnight on the beats of thumping music. Some hotels also
offer interesting options and organise special programmes to make the nights
happening.
Events
A
culturally rich city, Bhubaneswar celebrates a number of festivals every year
that showcase the art, artifacts, culture, music and rich tradition. Most of
the festivals in Bhubaneswar are connected to the temples. Ashokashtami
Festival is an annual temple festival celebrated at Lingaraj Temple in March /
April. During the festival the deity is taken out in a massive procession on a
huge ‘Ratha’ (chariot) for a ceremonial dip at Bindu Sagar Lake. Bhubaneswar is
an abode of Shivite belief of Hinduism, hence Shivaratri (February / March) is
an important festival for the temples and people of the city. Ramanavami (March
/ April), Jhamuyatra (April / May), Anla Navami (October / November), Makal
Mela (January), Megha Mela (January / February), Khandagiri Mela (January /
February) and Taratarini Mela (March / April) are other noted festivals and
events of Bhubaneswar. Besides regional and temples festivals, Bhubaneswar also
celebrates religious festivals like Dussehra (Durga Puja), Deepawali, Lakshmi
Puja, Christmas and Eid-ul-Fitr.
Excursions
After
exploring the temples and other tourist spots of Bhubaneswar, you can take
short excursions to nearby places. Just 2 km from Lingaraj Temple lie the ruins
of Sisupalgarh dating back to the around 3rd century B.C. The ruins of
Sisupalgarh indicate that the Orissan civilization has ancient roots and there
was a well-fortified city at the site. Situated 8 km from Bhubaneswar, Dhauli
hill is a quaint place and reminds about the historic ‘Kalinga War’ that was
fought here between the Mauryan emperor Ashoka and the state of Kalinga. You
can see the rock edicts of Ashoka on the foot of Dhauli hill. Shanti Stupa and
the old temple of Lord Dhavaleswar are other attractions of Dhauli. Hirapur,
approximately 15 km away from Bhubaneswar is known for the 11th century
Hypaethral Temple of 64 Yoginis, only second of its type in Orissa and one of
the four such temples in India. Further move towards Nandankanan (20 km) Park
to see a wide variety of floral and faunal species. Carved out of the Chandaka
forest, the biological park houses tigers, bears, crocodiles and varieties of
indigenous plants. Renowned for its hot Sulphur water spring, Atri (42) is a
holy place and home to the shrine of Hatakeswar. Devotees take a dip in the water
of the spring, which is believed to have the potential to cure skin diseases.
Top 5 Must See
- Lingaraj Temple
- an ancient temple dating back to 7th century AD
- Bindu Sarovara -
a sacred lake located close to Lingaraj Temple
- Mukteswara
Temple – a real and rare specimen of Kalinga School of architecture
- Dhauli Hill – the
historic site of Kalinga War
- Khandagir &
Udaygiri hills – home to rock cut caves carved out around 1st and 2nd
century B.C.
Top 5 To Do
- Watch celestial
show in Pathani Samanta Planetarium
- Attend demonstrations
at the Science Centre
- An excursion to Dhauli,
Hirapur, Sisupalgarh, Atri and Nandankanan Park
- Attend tribal
fairs (mela) especially Adivasi Mela in January / February
- Attend a show of
world famous Odissi dance
