Background: I am trying to explore India as much as I can. In my case, it cannot be done in a single mega trip. Hence breaking it down into many small trips.
State: Odisha
Towns/Cities: Bhubaneshwar, Konark, Chilika Lake, Puri, Cuttack.
Introduction to Odisha
Formerly called “Orissa”.
Known as the “Temple State” of India.
Have borders with (Clock-wise, from West):
Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand
West Bengal
Andhra Pradesh
Population: 4.2 Crore.
Area: 8th largest state in India.
My Experiences
First Impressions:
Was very impressed with how well-planned the main roads in Bhubaneshwar were. The footpaths were as wide as some of the roads in Chennai! 🙂
An Under-19 team (Not sure which sport) was also boarding the same aircraft …This trip was in March 2025. After the Pahalgam Attack in April 2025, as per my understanding, the Corendon-IndiGo deal is off the table (Due to Turkey’s support to Pakistan). Corendon Airline is out of Turkey.1st time in Odisha! 🙂The small, but functional, airport in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Biju Patnaik International Airport.Odisha trying to attract investments …A nice sand sculpture inside Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.Like the “Aah!” part … 🙂It was quite chaotic outside the Arrivals area … It was not clear as to where the Ola/Uber pickup points would be. Had to roam a bit to locate my Uber cab.Early morning view of Bhubaneswar from the rooftop of my hotel …I was very impressed by the wide multi-laned roads and wide footpaths in the main parts of Bhubaneswar.I was very impressed by the wide multi-laned roads and wide footpaths in the main parts of Bhubaneswar.Rampant advertising on Autorickshaws … Nice idea, actually.By the time one gets to the smaller highways, the road quality does come down a bit …Entering the Puri area … Regular road signs help drivers (May not be as useful nowadays with Google Maps 😉 ).As we got closer to Konark, the roads looked like this …Odia movies seem to be doing well. Saw a lot of banners on the way.Odia movies seem to be doing well. Saw a lot of banners on the way.Arrived at Konark Sun Temple around 9AM and even then it was scorching hot!“Gola Chuski”: The stalls were everywhere … Was tempted, but …The ticket counter … Was an easy enough process.All of us moving towards the checkpoint …It was a bright day and the Sun Temple was extremely impressive to look at … Very intricate architecture.A vintage map of the complex …Look closely at how intricate the work is … Amazing!The main structure … Tourists are not allowed inside. Also, some renovation work was going on.Looks like a Chariot … (Rath). Sun Temple, Konark. Built in the 13th Century. Kalinga Architecture.The wheels of the Chariot … Again, look at the rock work.Loved these souvenirs … Very reasonably priced. As stones are used, they are quite heavy.There are many souvenir shops around the Sun Temple.During the drive from Konark to Puri, it was beaches galore …During the drive from Konark to Puri, it was beaches galore …It was nice to drive with land on one side and beach/ocean on the other side …Chilika Lake: The entire area is very green, with water all around. The lagoon is not the cleanest, for sure. And man, was it hot! As usual, I reach around noon!? Hardly any tourist around. They were offering Dolphin Boat Tours at 5000Rs, which I felt was waaaay overpriced. I did not opt for it. By the by, the entire lagoon only has a handful of Dolphins … And the chances of seeing one are pretty slim, unless the cunning Tourist Department (And the Boating Vendors) have limited these Dolphins to a smaller area 😉It was really HOT! And I was pretty much the only tourist around. All the small boats were lying vacant. The lagoon’s water was quite dirty and the banks had the usual plethora of plastic and other junk.There was this walkway along the lagoon … I walked along this path for a couple of kilometers.There was this walkway along the lagoon … I walked along this path for a couple of kilometers.They have different kinds of boats …One gets to see these local artworks on walls … Very common.One gets to see these local artworks on walls … Very common.The entire Konark-Puri-Chilika area has a lot of small ponds, pretty much one every 2-3km.Near the Puri Jagannath Temple … Not sure what this is. Along the street, kept open in the dust and fumes, and handled with bare hands? No thanks.Puri Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha. Did not enter the temple. But walked around it. The visitor parking structure is 2km away. Had my driver park the vehicle in the structure and walked over. There are paid Autorickshaw rides available, if needed.Puri Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha. Did not enter the temple. But walked around it.Puri Beach … Very long! Could not see the end.Time to try Odia food 🙂Time to try Odia food 🙂A Chicken dish … An appetizer.The main course … Chakuli with Mutton curry.The restaurant I tried, based on online reviews.Barabati Cricket Stadium, Cuttack, Odisha.The playground inside Barabati Fort was full of people, (The weekend crowd).It was nice and peaceful to walk through the streets of Barabati Fort …With some well-maintained gardens. It was quite a sunny and hot day.Mahanadi River … During Summer time, the water level was quite low.View of the Mahanadi River, from the pedestrian hanging bridge which connects Shree Shree Dhabaleswara Mahadev Mandir.The temple area was crowded with devotees …Amarabati Fort … Very underwhelming, to say the least. Nothing to see here 🙂 Obviously, I was the ONLY tourist here.The Bindu Sagar lake, from Ananta Vasudeva Temple.One of the countless Temples in this part of Bhubaneshwar.Walking along the narrow streets of the old city was very peaceful …There were some nice artwork on the walls …There were some nice artwork on the walls …A residential neighborhood …Dhauli Shanti Stupa, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. It is on a hill and needs a little bit of climbing. The views are decent from here.View of the Bhubaneshwar area from Dhauli Stupa.View of the Bhubaneshwar area from Dhauli Stupa.Udhayagiri and Kandhagiri Caves. Well worth a visit, though the ticket counter is a mess with poor crowd control.Udhayagiri has 18 cave structures and Kandhagiri has 15 of them. From the 1st Century!Udhayagiri has 18 cave structures and Kandhagiri has 15 of them. From the 1st Century!Cut into the rock! Amazing …Views are pretty nice …Some of the caves are for Royalty (E,g, Queen).Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok forms the “International” part 🙂
