Orissa Tourism

Orissa

Odisha is known as "The Soul of Incredible India". It has land of paddy fields and palm fringed silver beaches, temples, rivers, waterfalls and tribal people, Odisha's major attractions are the temples of Bhubaneshwar and Puri, miles of clean silver beaches and the magnificent Sun Temple of Konark. 

Odisha, Inhabited by tribal people and not so developed state of Odisha must be visited to experience the myriad wonders of this beautiful state. Also known as the soul of India, Odisha is a place where you can relax on beaches, visit the famous temples and explore the beauty and bounty of nature and wildlife. You can also find various monuments which gloriously stand to remind you of the history of the state.

Geography of Odisha 

It is situated in the eastern part of India, shares its borders with West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. With a blend of several physiographical features in Orissa, the state is divided into five morphological units which are mountainous and highlands region, coastal plains, western rolling uplands, central plateaus and flood plains. Some of the rivers which have their mouth in the Bay of Bengal flow through the state of Odisha like the Brahmani and Mahanadi. Chilika Lake also runs through Odisha which is a home to some endangered and rare species of aquatic plants and animals. Bhubaneshwar is the capital of the state located in the eastern part. The other main cities are Puri, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Jeypore, and Brahmapur. 

History of Odisha 

Odisha was earlier known as Kalinga. Kalinga is related to the greatest Mauryan empire ruler Ashoka, who embraced Buddhism and abandoned warfare on seeing the loss to people because of the Kalinga War fought in 261 B.C. In the second century AD, Kharavela established a firm rule over this region. The Guptas dominated in about the 4th century AD. Till the 10th century, Orissa witnessed the rule of the Bhaumakara dynasty, followed by the Soma dynasty. The Muslims Sultanate had their influence on Orissa during the 13th and 14th centuries, which continued until 1568. This was followed by the rule of the Mughals, which lasted until the death of Aurangzeb. After this, the Nawab of Hyderabad and then Marathas ruled Odisha until they ceded this territory to the East India Company in 1803.

What's Great?

Serene beaches. Abundant natural beauty. 

Not so Great?

Scorching summers. Incessant rains and humid weather in monsoons. Prone to cyclones.

Festivals of Orissa

Dance Forms of Odisha All the forms of dances are rich in culture and heritage of Odisha. Odissi is a typical dance form which has its origin in the temples. The postures in the dance convey different messages. Odissi dance deals largely with the love theme of Radha and Krishna. 

Chhau Dance is a form of tribal martial dance. There are three subtypes of the dance, based on the original places where the subtypes were developed. Seraikella Chau was developed in Seraikella, Jharkhand and Purulia Chau in Purulia district of West Bengal and Mayurbhanj Chau in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. 

Dalkhai Dance is most common as it is performed at festivals like Bhaijiuntia, Phagun Puni and Nuakha. It is mostly performed by young girls while men beat drums and play music. The one dance form which is performed by a single young boy is called as the Gotipua Dance. 

Karma Naach is performed for worshipping the god of fate since Karma means fate in Kosli Oriya. Festivals of Odisha The festivals celebrated in Odisha are a blend of its history, traditions and rich culture. Some of the famous festivals of the state are-Kalinga Mahotsavwhich is held in January on the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar, at Dhauli Shanti Stupa. It is celebrated to pay tribute to Kalinga, a major part of modern Odisha. Various audacious martial acts are performed on this day which is worth witnessing.Chandan Yatra,a twenty one day festival, takes place at Puri. Deities are taken out in the water on beautifully decorated boats. Many devotees come together to worship their lords.Durga Pujatakes place in September-October with great pomp. Huge pandals are decorated, and Durga Maa is taken all around. In the processions, mantras are chanted, and loud music is played. Finally, the goddess is immersed emerged in waters.

Konark Dance Festival calls together the eminent classical dancers from all over the country. To witness them performing traditional dance forms of Odisha is truly a feast for eyes.Puri Rath Yatra,held in June-July is celebrated in the honor of Lord Jagannath. The huge deities of Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra are taken for a religious yatra on the chariots.Puri Beach Festivalis held at Sea Beach in Puri. You can enjoy the sand art, fashion and rock shows, delectable food and adventure sports. 

Culture of Odisha

Oriya is the primary language spoken in this state, though the people also use Munda and Dravidian languages. Hindi and English are also understood and spoken in the bigger towns of the state. While the significant population of Odisha follows Hinduism, there are practitioners of Islam as well. 

Orissi is the traditional dance form of Orissa while other dance forms include Danda Dance, Chhau Dance, Animal Mask Dance, Ghoomra Dance, Kathi Dance, Kedu Dance, Ranapa Dance, Paika Dance and various Tribal Dances. There are also some theatrical performances like Daskathia, Pala, and the circus-like Baunsa Rani that form an intrinsic part of rural/tribal Orissa. Silver filigree, locally called tarakasi is the unique and the finest of all the handicrafts of Orissa while Dhokra or brass & bell metal craft is perhaps the single most relevant art. Sambalpur, Berhampur, Cuttack, Nuapatna and Mayurbhanj are some of the famous handloom centres as Orissa produces a wide variety of fabrics.

Food of Odisha

The Local Food and Cuisine of Odisha is simple in taste and style. Rice, Coconut and Curd are the staple items of the platters here You will find a number of versions of these making the platter rich, colorful and delicious. The food is mostly vegetarian but a number of areas have rich seafood added to their staple meals. The food here is prepared without using any oil and is hence considered to be quite natural and healthy. 

The popular delicacies of Oriya cuisine include Pakhala (a preparation of rice), Dali, Mandia Jau, Dahi Machha, Dahi Baigana, Dahi Bhindi, Khatta, Aludum, Chungdi Malai, Baddi Chura as well as beverages like Bel Pana, Nabata Pana, both prepared with seasonal fruits. Other than these, the essentials in sweets are a variety of Pithas, Dahi Badi, Chhenapodapitha, Rasgulla, Gulab Jamun and lots more. Also, while in Orissa, do not miss the Mahaprasad of Jagannath Temple, which houses the largest kitchen in the world, and the grandeur of its servings add another dimension to Orissa's cuisine. The food offered in temples as 'Prasada' is often locally known as Abadha.