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Bhubneshwar
Area : 65.03 sq km
Population : 4,11,542 (1991)
Languages : Oriya, Hindi, and English
Best time to visit : October to April
STD Code : 0674
The capital of the East Indian state of Orissa, Bhubaneswar
extends from latitude 20°15' North to longitude 85°52' East.
An important city of the temple triangle of Orissa, Bhubaneshwar
has direct air, road, and rail connection with the other major
cities of India. The best season to visit the city is during
the months of October to April.
Places of Interest
Built in 650 ad, Parashurameshwara Temple is one of
the best examples of the Orissa style of temple architecture.
This temple followed very rigid parameters set by the ritualistic
books. The temple has some exquisite carvings and sculpture.
Vaital Deul (800 ad) has a double-storied wagon roof,
which in turn is an influence of the Buddhist cave architecture.
The interior of the temple has the image of Chamunda (an incarnation
of Goddess Kali).
Mukteshwar Temple(7th–8th century ad) is one of the
most ornated temples in the Bhubaneswar. The intricate carvings
of the deities testify the influence of Hindu, Buddha, and
Jain style of architecture. The carvings on the roof are specially
striking.
The Rajarani Temple (1100 ad), which derives its name
from the stone known as the Rajarani, was built earlier in
comparison to the impressive Lingaraja. Set amongst picturesque
paddy fields, the relatively small Rajarani temple is noted
for its fascinating female figures portrayed in a stunning
variety of amorous poses and moods.
Brahmeswara Temple (1050 ad) is situated around a kilometer
east of the main road. The temple stands in a courtyard flanked
by four smaller temples.
The Orissa State Museum is one of the best places to
explore sculptures, stone inscriptions, lithic and bronze-age
tools, rare copper plates, palm-leaf manuscripts, paintings,
anthropological specimens, and musical instruments.
The Handicrafts Museum at Secretariat Road has a good
collection of folk paintings, horn toys, brass castings, and
sculptures.
The Tribal Museum deals with the various aspects of
the tribal life and culture in Orissa.
SITES NEARBY
Udaygiri and Khandgiri caves (7 km) are two of the
most important sites in the archeological history of India.
There are 15 caves in the Udaygiri, out of which Hathigumpha
(elephant cave) is the most important.
Built in 3rd century bc, Dauli has Ashoka's rock edict.
It was from here that king Ashok set out to spread Buddhism.
Situated here is also a white stupa (pillar) on top of a hill.
Situated at a distance of 25 km from Bhubaneswar, Nandankanan
has a very wide range of animals and reptiles. The main attractions
include gorillas, crocodiles, and white tigers.
Atri Springs (42 km) has sulfur springs and the famous
Hatakeshwara Temple.
The Sun Temple at Konark (65 km) is a magnificent
13th-century temple visualized as the chariot of the Sun God,
as he glides through the firmament from dawn to dusk. The
ruins have sculptures detailing every aspect of human life.
The city also has a beautiful beach.
Puri, situated at a distance of 60 km from Bhubaneswar,
is a great temple town. The drive is excellent and provides
a very good opportunity to view the rural Orissa.
WHERE TO STAY
Being the capital of Orissa, Bhubaneswar has a good choice
of accommodation to choose from. From a leisurely laid-out
resort to top-end hotels and roadside motels to middle range
accommodation, everything is available in Bhubaneswar.
HOW TO REACH
Bhubaneswar is connected to the cities of Calcutta, Delhi,
Chennai, Mumbai, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad, and Raipur through
regular flights. Biju Patnaik Airport in Bhubaneswar is the
only major airport in the state.
Bhubaneswar is directly connected by rail with Calcutta, Puri,
Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Tirupati,
and Trivandrum.
Regular buses ply regularly between Bhubaneswar and Berhampur,
Chilka, Cuttack, Konark, Paradip, Puri, Rourkela, Sambalpur
and other places. Interstate bus services operate daily between
Calcutta and Puri via Bhubaneswar and Tatanagar (Jamshedpur).
For local transport, taxis, cycle rickshaws, and autos are
available to move around in the city. Tourist taxis and deluxe
buses are also available on rent.
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