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Places To See

Orissa, the lush green state, girdled by the Bay of Bengal, has seen some of the best fusion of traditional Indian art in its many temples and monuments, and has been able to preserve much of it, in an environment natural to its wonder and attractions. It was in Orissa, that Buddhism found some of its strongest exposure, and cult following. However, it was Hindu art that dominated the landscape, eventually, and resulted in the profusion of temple traditions, that have endured till now.

Heavily forested, and isolated, Orissa was once famous for its majestic battle elephants. But life in Orissa revolved around temples, and that the Oriyas lived lives free of strife, is evident from the fact that the state has few forts or fortified palaces to its credit, indicative of centuries of peace and harmony.
Most of the state's attractions are close to each other, and convenient access is provided out of the state capital, Bhubaneshwar. The capital itself is an intriguing amalgam of the old and the new, an emerging modern Indian city, that is steeped in the roots of the traditions of its glorious past, without being overwhelmed by it.

Tribal Fair at the end of January.

Feb.to March Shivaratri is held at the Lingaraj Temple, Hatakeswar Temple Atri and throughout Orissa.
Magha Saptami is held at Khandagiri outside Bhubaneshwar.

April to May Ashokastami at Lingaraj temple with a chariot festival.

Panashankanti (fire-walking) takes place in different regions on the first day of Baisakh.

June-July is the occasion for Rath Yatra at Puri, Baripada and other parts of the state.

Oct.-Nov. Dussehra and Diwali is celebrated with great fervour all over the state.

By Air: The most convenient access into Orissa is a flight to Bhubaneshwar. Indian Airlines has flights from Hyderabad, Nagpur, Calcutta, Delhi, Raipur, Varanasi, Mumbai and Chennai.

By Rail: Train connections from all parts of the country exist, but are usually long and the non - availability of air-conditioned class travel is a constraint.

By Road: Once in Bhubaneshwar, road travel is the best option, to visit the other attractions in Orissa.

Orissa Tourism Development Corporation, Swosti Travels and Hotel Toshali Sands of Orissa and Pugmarks of Calcutta, organise package tours in important circuits covering wildlife, architecture, ethnic places, places of historical importance and beaches. For details contact :

Manager ( Transport ), Panthanivas,
Bhubaneshwar 
Tel : 55515 

Swosti Travels, Bhubaneshwar
Tel : 404178 

Hotel Toshali Sands, Puri
Tel : 2888 ( Puri ), 50074 ( Bhubaneshwar ) 

Pugmarks, Calcutta
Tel : 471408