Bhubaneshwar - Temple City of The East

Visit the ancient city of Bhubaneshwar (Bhuban being world and Iswar God) and it is a walk down centuries of temple architecture, With 600 temples still extant, temples are to this ancient city as forts are to Rajasthan. It is probably the only city in the world that enables an authentic over-view of the stages of development of Hindu religious architecture. In the fast moving world of today these temples are a gentle reminder of the splendour, the heritage that was once India, It is not hard to imagine what a temple would have been at the time of its patron ruler. Regular dances by the ’Devadasis’ or divine servant girls, rituals and rites, recital of hymns were all an integral part of temple culture. Temples in Bhubaneshwar are built on a common plan as prescribed by Hindu norms. The structure is divided into four distinct parts connected to each other. The external part or the outer chamber is the ’Jagamohana’. The Garbhagriha is the inner sanctum sanctorum of the presiding deity. There is also a conical beehive shaped tower which forms the third part – the Nata Mandap and the fourth is the Bhoga Mandap. All visible parts of a temple are sculpted with motifs of priests, kings, courtiers, pilgrims, celestial dancers, couples in embrace, birds, animals or scenes from religious epics and legends.

Area: 65.03 sq km.
Altitude: 45 metres (146 ft.)
Temperature (°C):
Summer: Max 38, Min 27.1
Winter: Max 28.2, Min 15.2
Rainfall: Mid June-September 60 inches (152 cms)
Languages Spoken: Oriya, Bengali, Hindi, English etc.
Best season: October to March

How to get there

	Air: Indian Airlines and Vayudoot connect Bhubaneswar with Mumbai (Bombay), Kolkata (Kalkutta), Delhi, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Varanasi, Raipur and Visakhapatnam.
	Rail: Bhubaneshwar is directly connected by rail with Kolkata (Kalkutta), Puri, Chennai (Madras), Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Bangalore, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Tirupati, Trivandrum.
	Road: Bhubaneshwar is situated on the national highway no.5 that runs between Kolkata (Kalkutta) and Chennai (Madras). It is 480 kms from Kolkata (Kalkutta), 130 kms from Chilika Lake (Barkul), 32 kms from Cuttack, 184 kms from Gopalpur-on-sea, 64 kms from Konark, 1225 kms from Chennai (Madras), 62 kms from Puri.
	Local Transport: Orissa State Transport operates regular buses between Bhubaneshwar and Berhampur, Chilika, Cuttack, Konark, Paradip, Puri, Rourkela, Sambalpur and other places. Inter-state bus services operate daily in between Kolkata (Calcutta) and Puri via Bhubaneshwar and Bhubaneswar-Tata Nagar. Unmetered taxis, cycle rickshaws and autos are available. Tourist taxis and deluxe buses are available on rent from Transport Manager, Orissa Tourism Development Corporation, Panthniwas, Lewis Road, Bhubaneshwar, Tel : 55512.

Excursions

Dhauligiri (8 kms) has Ashokan edicts carved on rocks. These date back to 2nd century BC. Also has Buddhist temple built with Japanese collaboration.
Udaygiri, Khandagiri 7 kms from Bhubaneshwar are the twin hills of Udaygiri and Khandagiri. Built by Kharavela around 1st - 2nd Century BC for Jain monks, they are excellent examples of Jain Cave art. The famous caves of Hathigumpha (elephant cave) in Udaygiri, RaniGumpha (Queen’s cave) also in Udaygiri, with upper and lower stories, spacious courtyards and extremely delicately designed friezes bear witness to the sophistication the architectural styles had attained as early as the first Century BC.
Nandan Kanan Zoo (25 kms) for viewing the Royal Bengal Tiger and white tigers.
Chandipur (16 kms) is a seaside resort with one of the finest beaches in Orissa.
Pipli (29 kms) is a village famous for its appliqué work, originally only made for the temple Gods.
Atri Springs (42 kms) has sulphur springs and the famous Hatakeshwara Temple.
Sun Temple, Konark (65 kms) 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.

The Region