ORISSA GUIDE |
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Orissa, boasts a rich and cultural heritage.
Orissa lies on the eastern coast of India, with
the water of bay of bengal. It have a magical
impact of green valleys, blue hills, lush green
forests, and golden beaches. Modern Orissa is
now one of the most popular with tourists. The
hill forests of central Orissa are a tribal area
and the home of wild animals. Orissa is famous for its traditional
and religious temples. Orissa has a chequered
history of the Buddhist, Jain and Hindu
cultures.
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Guide |
Hotels |
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ORISSA INFORMATION |
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| Orissa has a long coastline
of over 480 km on the Bay of Bengal interspersed by a
couple of lovely beaches. Added to their seductive
beauty is a vast hinter land of antiquities and holy
shrines.Backed up by musical sway of Casuarina trees and
creepered sanddunes, Chandipur is one such beach, but
with a unique distinction of its own. Unlike other
beaches, the sea water here recedes away from the line about five km twice a day, an unusual phenomenon,
rarely found anywhere. You can see the sea literally
vanishing before your eyes and also watch it coming back
rhythmically at regular intervals, as if playing hide
and seek.Elsewhere, the waves come and go dashing on the
shore like madcap but here they are like a musical
fountain, soothing to the eyes and ears. Elsewhere, the
waters wait for the visitors but here the visitors have
to wait for the waters. Elsewhere, the waves go wild and
the visitors calm but here the ecstasy of visitors will
go wild while the waves remain calm.This marvel of
Nature gives the bathers an unexpected pleasure of
fearlessly walking into the sea and happily playing with
the waves. When the waters disappear, you can even take
jeep ride on the widest beach. The beauty of the exposed
bosom of the beach is further enhanced by the small red
crabs. If a beach comber, you will, be delighted with
its abundant wealth of sea shells and drift wood. |
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ORISSA FACTS AND FIGURES |
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Area:
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155,707 sq km |
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Capital: |
Bhubaneswar |
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Languages:
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Oria, Hindi, English |
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Per Capita Income: |
6,520 |
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Religion: |
Hindu |
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Main Income: |
Tourism, Agriculture, Industry |
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Total Districts: |
30 |
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Forest Land: |
58,13,547 |
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Time to visit: |
October to March |
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ORISSA HISTORY |
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| The history of Orissa makes an
interesting case-study in that it's history is in many
ways typical from that of the northern plains and many
of the common generalizations that are made about Indian
history do not seem to apply to the Oriya region. The
word Oriya is an anglicised version of Odia which itself
is a modern name for the Odra or Udra tribes that
inhabited the central belt of modern Orissa. Orissa has
also been the home of the Kalinga and Utkal tribes that
played a particularly prominent role in the region's
history, and one of the earliest references to the
ancient Kalingas appears in the writings of Vedic
chroniclers. In the 6th BC, Vedic Sutrakara
Baudhayana mentions Kalinga as being beyond the Vedic
fold, indicating that Brahminical influences had not yet
touched the land. Unlike some other parts of India,
tribal customs and traditions played a significant role
in shaping political structures and cultural practices
right up to the 15th C. when Brahminical influences
triumphed over competing traditions and caste
differentiation began to inhibit social mobility and
erode what had survived of the ancient republican
tradition. |
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ORISSA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS |
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| Jagannath Temple (Puri) » Barabati Fort (Cuttack) » Konark Temple (Konark) » Lingaraja Temple (Bhubaneshwar) » Sun Crafts Museum (Puri) » Konark Beach (Konark) » Mayadevi Temple (Konark) » State Museum (Bhubaneshwar) » Konarak(Puri)
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ORISSA FAIRS AND FESTIVALS |
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Orissa being a land of ancient and sacred temples, and a
state where three religions flourished, is thronged by
pilgrims throughout the year. There are a large number
of fairs and festivals celebrated in the state. There
are festivals relating to each religion, tribal
festivals, festivals relating to Lord Jagannath, the
presiding deity of the Puri Temple, and many seasonal
exhibitions and fairs as well as special festivals such
as the Konark Dance Festival, the Rajarani Music
Festival, the Puri Beach Festival etc.
Durga Puja : Durga
Puja (September-October) symbolises the commemoration of
good over evil. Life comes to a stand-still in the city
of Cuttack as crowds pour over the Puja Mandaps to enjoy
the festivities. On the day succeeding 'Vijaya Dasami',
the last day of Dussera, the images are taken in a
spectacular procession for immersion in the river
Kathajodi.
Rath Yatra : The most famous Orissan festival
is of course the Ratha Yatra or Car Festival (June-July)
which attracts pilgrims and visitors from all over the
world. On the full moon day of the month of Jyestha
known as snana Purnima, the idols of Jagannath,
Balabhadra slid Subhadra are brought out and bathed on a
pendal known as the snarlamandap according to religious
rites.
Dola Purnima ( Holi ) : Dolapwnima or Holi is the
most famous spring festival of India. Usually celebrated
in March. It has special properties in its celebration
in Orissa where it is a five day affair, especially in
the rural areas. The images of Krishna are worshipped
form Dashami (10th day of the bright fortnight) to the
full moon day. |
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HOW TO REACH |
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By Air :
Chandipur is well connected by an excellent all-weather
road. 16 km from Balasore on N.H. 5, 230 km from
Bhubaneswar and 314 km from Kolkata. Regular bus
services are available. Taxis and Auto rickshaws are
also available from Balasore.
By Rail :
Nearest railhead is Balasore (16 km) on
the S. E. Railway served by a number of fast trains from
Kolkata, New Delhi, Chennai, Puri, Tirupati, Bhubaneswar
etc.
By Road : Nearest airport is Bhubaneswar (230 km) and
Kolkata (314 km). |
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ORISSA MAJOR CITIES |
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| Bhubaneswar » Puri » konark » Cuttack » Baripada » Phulbani » Sambalpur » Cilika |
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ORISSA WILDLIFE AND BIRDS |
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The state of Orissa has a geographical area of 155,707
sq. km.. The recorded forest area is 52,472 sq. km. but
the actual forest cover is 47,033 sq. km. as per the
State of Forest Report (SFR 1999) of Forest Survey of
India. In order to provide proper protection to the
wildlife and their habitat, a total of 18 sanctuaries
(Protected Areas) including Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife
Sanctuary, one National Park (Bhitarkanikaj, one
proposed National Park have been notified under the
provisions of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972.These Protected Areas constitute 10.37% of the
total forest area and 4.1% of the total geographical
area of the state. Besides, one Tiger Reserve
(Similipal), one Biosphere Reserve (Similipal), one
closed area (Chilika), one Game/Wildlife Reserve
(Bppadar - Bhetnoi), one Zoological Park and 8 deer
parks (mini zoos) have been notified for both in-situ
and ex-situ conservation and management of wildlife.The
state has the singular distinction of having 3 mass
nesting beaches of endangered olive ridley sea turtles
including world's largest nesting ground of olive ridley
sea turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea. Itches many natural
wetlands including largest wetland of Asia (Chilika) now
designated as a Ramsar site.A total of 19 species of
amphibians, 110 species of reptiles including three
crocodilian species, 473 species of birds and 86 species
of mammals have so far been recorded in the state which
include 54 species of threatened animals (17 species of
reptiles, 15 species of birds and 22 species of mammals)
as per the definition of IUCN Red Data Book.The state is
implementing several research and conservation projects
viz; thp Project Tiger (1972-73), Integrated Crocodile
and Sea Turtle Project (1975-76), Project Elephant
(1991-92), Aquatic Bird Project (1992-93) and Blackbuck
Project (1994-95). |
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ORISSA ARTS AND CRAFTS |
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Age has not withered the beauty and dynamic diversity of
Orissa's traditional arts and crafts Stemming from
centuries of exquisite craftsmanship, they are a
colourful testimony to the nterred life force amongst an
ancient people.Cross-cultural influences in religion and
tilitarian trades have produced a range of gorgeous
crafts that add colour and creativity to their
lives.Orissa's religious heritage has played one of the
most dynamic roles in fashioning the infinite variety of
crafts available in the numerous stores lining the city
streets and the artists' villages.uddhism, Jainism,
Shaivism and Vaishnavism movements have left their
imprints on Orissa's ancient arts and crafts, as have
its strong tribal traditions. Its sea-faring history has
brought in influences from Indonesia and China. |
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