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Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar is the capital
of the East Indian state of Orissa. This city is most renowned for
changing the conqueror to the conquered. The great Kalinga War took
place here between Emperor Asoka and Kalinga (the old empire of Orissa).
Asoka was overwhelmed at the gory of blood that flowed like a river.
Asokan inscriptions still stand testimony for this. Having merged its
intriguing past so uniquely with its modern aspirations, it forms an
integral link in the Golden Triangle that incorporates the holy city of
Puri (Jagannath Temple) and Konark (Sun temple). The twin cave groups of
Kandagiri and Udayagiri are evidence of the region's antiquity, dating
to the 2nd century BC or the early Jain monastery.
Modern Bhubaneswar is a well planned city with wide roads and many
gardens and parks. The plan was made by Otto H. Koenigsberger, a German
town planner. Though part of the city has stayed faithful to the plan,
it has grown rapidly over the last few decades and has made the planning
process unwieldy.
How to get in
Bhubaneswar?
By plane
Bhubaneswar air port is well connected to most of the major cities of
India.
Air India operates daily flights to and from
Delhi- Bhubaneswar - Delhi Mumbai - Bhubaneswar - Mumbai Bangalore-
Bhubaneswar - Bangalore Hyderabad - Bhubaneswar - Hyderabad . Check
Flight Schedule
Jet and JetLite (previously Sahara Airlines) operate a direct flight to
and from Delhi and 2 flights daily from Kolkata(one in the morning and
one in the evening).
Kingfisher operates direct flights daily from Mumbai, Delhi, Banglore
and 2 direct flights daily from Kolkata(one in the morning and one in
the evening).
INDIGO Airlines operates daily to Delhi(direct) and Mumbai(via
Hyderabad).
Online booking can made from flight ticket booking engine.
By train
Bhubaneswar is the divisonal headquarters of East Coast railways. It is
situated on the main line from Kolkata to Chennai and is well connected
by direct train service to most major Indian cities. For timings and
other details check the Indian Railways website. Some major trains
connecting Bhubaneswar with:
From New Delhi
Rajdhani Express, Neelachal Express, Kalinga Utkal Express and
Purushottam Express
From Mumbai (Bombay)
Konark Express and Lokmanya Tilak Express etc.
Chennai (Madras)
Coromandel Express, Chennai Howrah mail etc.
Howrah (Kolkata)
Dhauli Express, Janasatabdi Express, Coromandel Express, Howrah Puri
Express,Shri Jagannath Express,Falaknuma Express,Howrah Chennai
Mail,Howrah Yesvantpur Express,EastCoast Express etc.
Hyderabad (Secunderabad)
Falaknuma Express, East Coast Express, Konark Express, Visakha Express
etc.
Bangalore
Prashanti Express, Yeshwantpur Howrah Express, Yeshwantpur Guwahati
Express(only on Mondays), Guwahati Express (wed,thu,fri)
By road
Bhubaneshwar is situated on the National Highway no.5 that runs between
Kolkata and Chennai. It is 480 km from Kolkata, 445 km from
Visakhapatnam, 1225 km from Chennai, 32 km from Cuttack, 130 km from
Chilika Lake (Barkul), 184 km from Gopalpur-on-sea, 64 km from Konark,
62 km from Puri.
From Bhubaneswar after traveling 20 km there is a place known as Pipili.
This place is famous for patching cloth design locally known as Chandua.
From the center of Pipili market one has to take left turn to go towards
Konark and the straight road goes to Puri.
Get around and
sightseeing around Bhubaneswar.
Getting around in Bhubaneswar does not take much time, due to the
perfect town planning and well laid roads. Travel within Bhubaneswar is
cheap even by Indian standards.
By Train : Bhubaneswar has no suburban train network.
Except for a couple of passenger trains to Naraj if you want to visit
Nandankanan by train.
By Bus : Town buses ply throughout the city. These are
government-run and extremely cheap. You can buy bus tickets enroute.
Extreme caution is advised in using these buses as typical of any other
Indian city.
By Taxi : Auto-rickshaw drivers in Bhubaneswar are
courteous and helpful. Still, negotiate a rate with the driver
beforehand, and make sure that the driver understood your destination.
For the budget traveler, Bhubaneswar offers shared autos, where you can
make journeys even for Rs. 5.
There are several taxi companies operating in Bhubaneswar. They charge
by the distance. There is a minimum fare for first few kilometres and
for every subsequent kilometre they charge in increments. Cabs are the
best choice in case you want to tour the city all day or visit nearby
places. Also, generally there is a special price ('tour package') if you
can bargain for it. Foreign nationals are advised to carry local
currency.
Place to see / Place
to visit in Bhubaneswar.
Bhubaneswar is one of three cities that make up three temple towns of
Orissa and make the golden temple triangle of Eastern India. Bhubaneswar
is a very religious center for Hindus and Buddhists. Bhubaneswar is also
known as the temple city and there are many excellent examples of Oriya
architecture in the old part of the city.
Old Town : Almost all the famous temples of Bhubaneswar are
located here most of which were constructed in the 11th to 13th century
period. Around 400 temples of varying sizes are located here. Be sure to
visit Traffic Mahadev, a small temple which acts as a road divider. edit
Lingaraj Temple : The 10th or 11th-century Lingaraja temple
of Bhubaneswar has been described as "the truest fusion of dream and
reality". A rare masterpiece, the Lingaraja temple has been rated one of
the finest examples of purely Hindu temple in India by Ferguson, the
noted art critic and historian. Every inch of the surface of the 55
m-high Lingaraja temple is covered with elaborate carvings. Sculpture
and architecture fused elegantly to create a perfect harmony. Non-Hindus
are not permitted inside. However there is an elevated viewing platform
next to one of the boundary walls. To reach the platform, face the
temple's main entrance and walk around to the right. There is a laneway
leading to the back of the temple and the platform. edit
Bindu Sarovara : This large lake near to Lingaraj and Ananta
Vasudeva temples keeps a drop (bindu) of every holy river in it. edit
Khandagiri & Udayagiri : 8km from Bhubaneswar. These twin
hills served as the site of an ancient Jain monastery which was carved
into cave like chambers in the face of the hill. Dating back to the 2nd
century BC, some of the caves have beautiful carvings. The Rani Gumpha
(Queen's Cave), one of the largest and double-storied, is ornately
embellished with beautiful carvings. In the Hati Gumpha (Elephant Cave),
King Kharavela has carved out the chronicles of his reign.
Dhauli Giri : 8km from Bhubaneswar. Looking down on the plains
that bore witness to the gruesome war waged on Kalinga by the Mauryan
emperor Ashoka, stand the rock edicts of Dhauli. It was here that King
Ashoka, full of remorse after the Kalinga War in 261 BC, renounced his
blood-thirsty campaign and turned to Buddhism. The edicts are a living
testimony to the King's change of heart. He urges his administrators to
rule the land with justice and compassion. The edicts are so remarkable
that they have been excellently preserved, despite the fact that they
date back to the 3rd century BC. A sculpted elephant, the symbol of the
boundless powers of Lord Buddha, tops the rock edicts. The Shanti Stupa
or the peace pagoda, built through the Indo-Japanese collaboration, is
located on the opposite hill.
Mukteshwara Temple : Dating back to 10th century this temple
marks an important transition point between the early and the later
phases of the Kalinga architecture. The highlight is the magnificent
torana - the decorative gateway, an arched masterpiece, reminiscent of
Buddhist influence in Orissa. This temple is considered to be the gem of
Orissan architecture. The beautiful sculptures eloquently speak of the
sense of proportion and perspective of the sculptor and their unique
ability in the exact depiction of the minutest objects. Mukteswara means
"Lord of freedom".
Rajarani Temple : This temple got its name from a red-gold
sandstone used, which is called Rajarani locally. It has no presiding
deity but many intricately carved figurines in various stages of daily
chores.
Orissa State Museum : Housing a rich collection of
sculptures, coins, copper plates, stone inscriptions, lithic and bronze
age tools, rare manuscripts written on palm leaves, traditional and folk
musical instruments. Rare epigraphic records are preserved in the
Epigraphy Gallery.
Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir : on NH5 (ask the
autorickshaw drivers, about Rs40 from town). Non-Hindus and foreigners
who desire to visit a Hindu temple can go to this temple - the devotees
are friendly and there is a cheap and clean vegetarian restaurant.
Nandankanan Zoo : about 15km outside of Bhubaneswar (large
numbers of buses ply from Acharya Vihar Square or by auto-rickshaw). The
zoo has some rare species of animals and is particularly well known for
white tigers. There is a nice lake inside for boating, a ropeway, also
the Botanical Garden is adjacent to the zoo.
Museum of Tribal Art & Artefacts, CRPF Square : The museum
gives an impressive insight into the culture of the many different
tribals living in and around Orissa. Tools, clothes and artwork is
presented over several halls. In every area a guide of the museum will
take care of you and give you extensive explanations - you really get to
know something about the things you see. Anyway there is no entry fee.
Hotels and place to
stay in Bhubaneswar.
| City Lodge : 55 Janapath,
Ashok Nagar, Bhubaneswar 751009 (From the circle in front of
train station, face the station and walk along the road to the
right for some 500 metres.), (0674)2531393, . checkin: 12.
Hotel Janpath (Hotel Janpath) : 29 -
Janpath, Bapuji Nagar (Near the Rajmahal Square), +91 -
9337046699 . A Budget Hotel In Bhubaneswar Rs 450–1,200.
Ginger Hotel : Ginger probably gives the
best value for money in Bhubaneswar. Book online (but change
into a package price during check-in to get breakfast
included!). Buffet breakfast and dinner. In-house Coffee-Day and
ATM. Wireless may work. Rs 2000 |
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