Ever washed by the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal in the east, Orissa is bounded in the north by Bihar, in the north-east by West Bengal, in the south by Andhra Pradesh and in the west by Madhya Pradesh. This rural riverine land of multi-splendours, is watered by the rivers Mahanadi, Brahmani, and Vaitarani flowing in the south-easternly direction before merging in the Bay of Bengal. These rivers and their tributaries provide the state with rich alluvial tracts.

Orissa is possessed of an extensive plateau in the interior with sprawling coastal plains in the foreground. This plateau, an undulating upland, gently slopes down towards the Bay of Bengal. Its extensive palm fringed coast-line running to 482 kms., serene holiday beaches, pronounced rural environs, charming blue hills rising here and there abruptly from the plains and the plateau, green wood-lands, rock caves, so fascinatingly sculptured temples and other monuments , picturesque mud villages set in greens, modern industrial leviathans, colourful and gay tribals and so rich and varied handicrafts make Orissa a miniature India. Here is Bharat in a capsule.

Place to See in Orissa

Bhubaneshwar
Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, is also popularly known as the "Temple City of India". Being the seat of Tribhubaneswar or 'Lord Lingaraj', Bhubaneswar is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre. Hundreds of temples dot the landscape of the Old Town, which once boasted of more than 2000 temples. Bhubaneswar is the place where temple building activities of Orissan style flowered from its very inception to its fullest culmination extending over a period of over one thousand years.

Cuttack
Cuttack, the former capital and one of the oldest cities of Orissa is the administrative headquarters of the district. The town is situated at the apex of the delta formed by the rivers Mahanadi in the North and Kathajodi in the South. It serves as a convenient base for touring the various places of interest in the district.

Jeypore
Nature has showered its bounty on the undivided Koraput district with untrammelled joy. This district abounds in meadows, forests, waterfalls, terraced valleys and darting springs. This land of abundance is home to Orissa's vast tribal population. A real paradise for the nature-lover, Koraput offers an additional benefit to the visitor of first hand meeting with its ancient civilization. Jeypore is the commercial nerve centre of Koraput district and has all such facilities to serve as the convenient base for visiting the places of interest in and around.

Konark
The magnificent Sun Temple at Konark is the culmination of Orissan temple architecture, and one of the most stunning monuments of religious architecture in the world. The poet Rabindranath Tagore said of Konark that 'here the language of stone surpasses the language of man', and it is true that the experience of Konark is impossible to translate into words.

Puri
One of the four celebrated religious centers of India, Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath needs no introduction. According to tradition Puri was once a thickly wooded hill inhabited by the Sabaras (Pre-Aryan and Pre-Dravidian tribes of the Austric linguistic family). The sunny beach at Puri is one of the finest in the world. Watching the sunrise in a symphony of colours is a wonderful experience. It is one of the most popular sea-side resorts where visitors from any part of the globe can comfortably relax.

Rourkela
Set in the lap of nature, Rourkela has come into prominence with the establishment of the first of the three public sector steel plants set up in India in 1955. Situated in the minerally rich belt of Orissa, Rourkela marked a new era in the Steel Industry of India being the only steel plant devoted primarily to the production of flat products and sheets. Rourkela serves as the most convenient base for visiting the places of interest in the district of Sundargarh.

Access:

How to Reach Orissa by Air: Bhubaneswar , the state capital, is the most convenient point for reaching Orissa by air. Major public and private airlines operate regular flights to and from the city. The city is easily accessible from Hyderabad, Nagpur , Kolkata, Delhi, Raipur, Varanasi , Mumbai and Chennai.

How to Reach Orissa by Road: Bhubaneswar is located on the National Highway that links Kolkata and Chennai. Orissa has an extensive road network which makes it easily accessible from any part of the country.

How to Reach Orissa by Rail: Bhubaneswar is the most important Railway Station in Orissa. The city is serviced by important trains. Apart from Bhubaneswar there are several other Railway Stations in Orissa.