Odisha is located on the eastern coast of India. Odisha is famous for the temple city Bhubaneswar, Silver city Cuttack, Spiritual city Puri for Jagannath Temple. It neighbours the state of West Bangal and Jharkhand to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the south and Chhattishgarh to the west. Odisha has a coastline of approx. 485 km along the Bay of Bengal. The Bay of Bengal is the north eastern part of the Indian Ocean.

The state has the third largest population of Scheduled Tribes in India. Odia formerly known as Oriya, now Odia is the official and spoken language in the state. The ancient kingdom, which was invaded by the Mauran emperor Ashoka in 261 BCE resulting in the Kalinga War, coincides with the borders of modern-day Odisha. The Modern state of Odisha was established on 1st April, 1936, as a province in British’s time in India. 1st April is celebrated as Utkala Dibasa in Odisha. Odisha is also known as Utkala and is mentioned in India’s National anthem.

Undoubtedly Odisha is pretty place with lot of history and diversity. Odisha have many temples, ruins, wildlife and beaches.

Bhubaneshwar:

While planning a tour to Odisha, people never skip to visit Bhubaneshwar. Bhubaneshwar is the capital of Odisha. It is the largest city in Odisha and home to many temples. Bhubaneshwar means “lord of the world”. Here mostly temple are devoted to Lord Shiva including the Lingaraja Temple. The Lingaraja Temple is one of the most impressive and beautiful temple in India. The main tower is 55m in height. The present temple was built between 1090 to 1104, but other parts of the temple are over 1400 years old.

Classical Dance :

Odissi is a classical dance that originated in Odisha. Odissi dance is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. Its theoretical base trace back to “ Natya Shastra”, the ancient Sanskrit Hindu text on the performing arts. We can take you to show the Odissi classical Dance performance during your tour.

Odisha Cuisine:

Rice is a major crop of Odisha and lentils are another crops in the region. Compared to other regional Indian cuisines, the dishes of Odisha are generally less spicy and less oily and cooked in typical way which gives it distinct flavour. Rice is a staple food of Odisha. Mainly mustard oil is used to cook dishes as the cooking medium and Ghee ( made of cow’s milk ) is preferred in temples.

In old times food was traditionally served on banana leaves or disposable plates made of sal Leaves. Mostly vegetables used in Odia cuisine are pumpkin, Jackfruit, plantains and Papaya. Mostly people are non-vegetarians in this region. Fish and other sea foods are eaten mainly here like other coastal areas. Many types of curries are prepared from lobster and prawn with spices. It is a paradise for sea food lovers. Chicken and mutton are consumed occasionally here in Odisha.

You must taste local odia cuisine during your tour to Odisha.

Puri :

After 2 hour driving from Bhubaneshwar you will be reaching to the most famous place of Odisha, Puri.

Puri is attracting to Indian Tourist as well as Foreign tourists. Puri has several temples and beaches. Nobody want to miss to visit the Shree Jagannath Temple and Puri Beach. The Shree Jagannath is an important Hindu Temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu. The temple is an important pilgrimage destination. It is one of the char Dham. The image of Jagannath is made of wood and is ceremoniously replaced every twelve or nineteen years by an exact replica. Jagannath temple is famous for its annual Ratha Yatra. Round the year, the Jagannath temple is open only for Hindus. Non-Hindus are allowed to have glimpse of Shree Jagannath during Rath Yatra which take place every year in the month July or August.

And same time the puri beach will greet you with white sand and the roar of the waves. There are several fishing villages along the coast of this beach. You can see the local fishermen wearing their triangular straw hats and dhoties on the beach and can enjoy memorable boat ride with them. The annual puri beach festival held every November, is making this place a favourite haunt for Indian and foreign tourists.

Other than Puri beach, you can visit a Balghai beach which is just 8 km from Puri. It is pristine beach along the cost of Bay of Bengal on Puri-Konark Marine drive road in Odisha. Comparatively to puri beach Balghai beach is undiscovered that’s why it attracts lots of tourists who are craving for some relaxing quite time. You can enjoy and experience a magnificent view of sunrise and sunset from this beach. Surely you will create an unforgettable memories here on this beach.

Here water skiing, boat riding and parasailing facilities are available for tourists.

At the distance of just 11 km from Puri, you can visit the Sundarshan Craft Museum. It was established in the year 1977 by Shri Sundarshan Sahoo. This museum exhibits a beautiful collection of artistic work done by Sundarshan Sahoo. He had done carvings in woods, stone and fiberglass, paintings and many handicraft items. You can witness a Buddist temple in a Japanese style , workshop and a library too within the premises of this Craft Museum.

Art lovers should keep this museum in the list of must visit place during visit to Puri. Display items are rare works of art. All are the gems of tradition and culture of the nation. This museum provides a platform for budding artists to showcase their work to the world. Please make a note, Museum is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Another attraction for tourists is Raghurajpur heritage crafts village near to Puri. Raghurajpur village is famous for its world famous Pattachitra paintings and people keep this village in their must visit place list during tour to Odisha. In 2000, Raghurajpur was recognized as Odisha’s first heritage Craft village. This Craft village is famous for Gotipua Dance troupes too. This village is also the birthplace of legendary Odissi dancer Kelucharan Mohapatra. The village also creates the crafts like Tussar paintings, stone and wood carvings, papier mache toys and masks.

Gundicha temple is one of the most renowned Hindu temples in Puri. This temple is a common place of the festivities during the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri.

Tribes of Odisha:

All over the states of India, Odisha has the largest number in tribes. Odisha is the home land of 62 types of tribes. Every tribe in India has its own indigenous culture, cuisine and customs. Tribal economy is mostly subsistence based on primarily revolving around hunting and fishing. There are popular tribes include Bagata, Bonda, Bathudi,Dal Kotia Mankidi, Bhuiyan, Saora Dharua and Santal. Tribal women are seen wearing heavy aluminium and brass made necklaces. The weekly markets or Haat is like a life line for Tribes where they shop for their weekly needs.

It will be a better choice to go for tribal tour in Odisha whoever interested to know more about their life, culture and customs. While taking you on tribal tour in Odisha, you will travel to little villages in the valley, their aged old customs and the amazing hikes on the spectacular landscape.

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