ORISSA TRAVEL

ORISSA Bhubaneswar

Orissa is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It was established on 1 April 1936 as a province in British India. and consists, predominantly of Oriya speakers. 1 April is therefore celebrated as Utkal Divas.

Orissa is the ninth largest state by area and the eleventh largest by population.Oriya is the official and most widely spoken language. Orissa has a relatively unindented coastline 480 km long and lacks good , except for the deepwater facility at Paradip.

Orissa is home to the , one of the longest dams in the world. Orissa has several popular tourist destinations.Puri, with the Jagannatha's temple near the sea, and Konark, with the Sun Temple, are visited by thousands of tourists every year. The Lingaraja Temple of Bhubaneswar,the Jagannatha Temple of Puri, the Sun Temple of Konark and the Barabati Fort of Cuttack are important in the archaeological history of India.

Orissa is also well known as a Buddhist and Jain pilgrimage destination.North-east of Cuttack, about 100 km from Bhubaneswar, there are Buddhist relics and ruins at the three hilltop complexes of khandagiri Lalitgiri and Udaygiri, which still bear witness to Buddhism's fruitful tryst with this region until well into the 13th century.

Bhitar Kanika National Park is famous for its second largest mangrove ecosystem. The bird sanctuary in Chilika (Asia's biggest brackish water lake) and the tiger reserve and waterfalls in Simlipal National Park are integral part of any eco tours in Orissa, arranged by Tourism of Orissa. The Gharial Sanctuary at Tikarpada and the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in Gahirmatha turtle sanctuary also feature on the list of avid nature watchers. The city wildlife sanctuaries of Chandaka and Nandan Kanan are a must visit for the lessons they teach is conservation and revitalization of species from the brink of extinction.

Chilika, Asia's largest brackish water lake, not only provides a haven for millions of birds, but is also one of the few places in India where one can view dolphins.Orissa beaches include Puri,Gopalpur-on-Sea,Chandipur,Ramachandi Beach,Balighai Beach,Astarang Beach,Paradeep Beach.