:: Wellcome to Bhubaneshwar :: Bhubaneshwar Tourism, Bhubaneshwar Tourism in India, Lakesparadise !

Bhubaneshwar (Bhuban being world and Iswar God) once the ancient capital of the Kalinga empire and now the capital of Orissa is a town of temples and tanks with a rich history. Temples in Bhubaneshwar are built on a common plan as prescribed by Hindu norms and it is believed that the beauty of this place inspired Rabindranath Tagore to write poetry in the praise of Bhubaneshwar.

Attractions In & Around

Bindusagar Lake :- Situated to the north of the Lingaraja temple is a lake called the Bindusagar lake adding grace to Bhubaneshwar and attracting many tourists. Once a year the Lingaraj temple deity is brought out for the ritual bath in the centre of the tank and it is believed a dip in the holy tank at Bindusagar washes away all the sins.

Dhauli :- Dhauli hill is on the bank of the river Daya, about 8 kms south of Bhubaneshwar. In the year 272 B.C., the Kalinga-Nippon-Buddha Sangha established a peace pagoda (Shanti Stupa) at Dhauli along with the construction of a monastery called Saddharma. "Ashoka the Great" transformed totally and changed his mind in favour of spiritual conquests.

Lingaraja :- TempleIt is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the Lingam here is unique which is a hari hara lingam -half Shiva and half Vishnu. The temple is about a thousand years old and dominates the skyline of Bhubaneshwar from as far as 15 kms. away and exhibits the skill of the Orissan temple architects.

Mukteswara Temple :- This temple is often referred to as the "gem of Orissan Architecture" and has been built on the lines of the Kalinga School of temple architecture. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva - Mukteswara and is carved with figures of ascetics in various poses of meditation. A dip in a sacred well to the east of the temple is said to be a cure for infertility.

Nandankanan :- Nandankanan literally means the 'Garden of Pleasure' or 'Garden of Gods'. It is in Chandaka forest, 25-kms from Bhubaneswar and is famed for its white tiger population. It houses a variety of mammals, reptiles and various species of birds. The zoo enjoys an excellent reputation internationally, for successfully breeding black panthers and gharial crocodiles.

Rajarani Temple :- Rajarani temple got its name from a red- gold sand stone used, which is called Rajarani locally and the temple has no presiding deity. The temple has intricately carved figurines in various stages of daily chores. The Orissa state museumIt houses 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.

Udaygiri and KhandagiriThese are the twin hills 7 kms. from Bhubaneshwar. The 135ft high Udaygiri and 118ft high Khandagiri hills have ancient caves. Khandagiri means "broken hill" and Udayagiri means "hill of the sunrise." The caves on the two low hills of Udayagiri and Khandagiri give ample proof of Jain and Buddhist occupation.

Getting in, Around & Away
AIR : Bhubaneswar has an airport with regular flights to Mumbai, Calcutta, Delhi, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Varanasi, Raipur and Visakhapatnam
RAIL : Bhubaneshwar is directly connected by rail with Calcutta, Puri, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Tirupati and Trivandrum.

Tourist Information Center
1 Tourist Information Centers(Govt)
Orissa Tourism Development Corporation, Panthniwas, Lewis Road, Bhubaneshwar, Tel : 55512.

The Director,
Department of Tourism,
Govt. of Orissa
Paryatan Bhawan, Near State Museum,
Bhubaneswar.
Tel: 91-674-432177
email: ortour@sancharnet.in