Puri
Puri is famous for the temple of Lord Jagannath, built during 12th century by Chodaganga Deva. It’s a place of immense religious importance and people from all over the country come to visit the temple especially during the Rath yatra. The nearest airport is at Bhubaneshwar and takes about 1.5 hours. It’s well connected by rail and road. There are a number of hotels that offer accommodation to the tourists.
Konark
Konark is famous for The Sun temple. It’s a massive temple built as a chariot carrying the Sun God. It was built in the 13th century by King Narsimhadeva. When it was built, the sea came till its base but now it has receded quite a bit. It was refereed as the black pagoda by the European sailors. Even though it lies in ruins, it’s still quite magnificent.
Chilika Lake
The lake has natural beauty and lot of wildlife. It’s the largest brackish water lake in Asia. There are many indigenous birds and many more migratory birds come here. Birds from Siberia come here during the winter months. It covers 1,100 sq kms of area. The best time to visit is during October to June. It’s easily accessible by road, though the nearest airport is at Bhubaneshwar that is 100 kms from the lake.
Orissa is also known for its tribal culture and handicrafts. There are many tours from where the tourist can go into the tribal hinterland. The beeches of Orrissa are also very serene. |
