Bhubaneshwar Travel Guide

The city of Bhubaneshwar is the capital of the coastal town of Orissa and is well known for its ancient temples and beautiful architecture. For example, the Ling Raja temple is a 10th-century temple. It is described as a dream come true and a feeling which can be experienced only by availing an Orissa Spiritual Tour Packages.The history of the city shows that the conqueror has always been conquered here. The Kalinga war took place to hear and Ashoka the Great, won the battle. Ashoka was besieged with the horrors of war. After the war, he converted to Buddhism and preached peace. His inscriptions are still proof of this. Kandagiri and Udaygiri also stand testimony to the antique status of the city. Kandagiri and Udaygiri are a set of twin caves, which are as old as the 2nd century, or the early part of the Jain monastery.

Bhubaneshwar today is a modern city with every trait of a well-developed city. The city has everything from wide roads to lush gardens, and beautiful parks. The city was planned by a town planner of German descent called Otto H. Koenigsberger laid down the plan of the city. Though the city is almost the same as it was planned, some part of the city has developed more over the years Apart from the enthralling scenic beauty, Bhubaneswar is also host to numerous temples. It is also known as the Temple City of Orissa. The old part of the city presents an excellent example of the Oriya style of architecture. Some of the places that capture the imagination of most of the tourists visiting Bhubaneshwar are as follows:

Lingaraja Temple: The date of the foundation of the Lingaraja temple is not known but it is estimated that it was built as early as around the 10th or 11th century.

Sri Krishna Balram Mandir: This temple is run by ISKCON and any non-Hindu or foreigner can visit this temple.

Bindu Sarovara: It is a large lake near the Lingaraja temple.

Nadankanan Zoo: This is a large and very beautiful zoo and is one of the attractions of Bhubaneshwar city.

Kandagiri and Udaygiri: This twin group of caves is very ancient and it served as an ancient Jain monastery. This place is also among the most frequented place in Bhubaneshwar.

Dhauli Giri: This is the place where Ashoka denounced warfare. The stone edict by Ashoka still stands tall in Dhauli Giri.

Bhubaneshwar offers a plethora of tourist delights. It is a unique blend of age-old culture and modern values. There is one thing that one can be certain of, a trip to Bhubaneshwar would never be disappointing.

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Hotels in Bhubaneshwar

Bhubaneshwar is the capital of the Orissa state and it is the most significant commercial trade center of the state. Orissa is also famous for its temple and architecture. Orissa offers the most fascinating glimpse of the unique Oriya architecture to tourists. Each year Orissa not only attracts a number of tourists but is also frequently visited by business travelers.

The various hotels in Bhubaneswar provide the right kind of accommodation service for tourists and business travelers of all classes and financial groups. Bhubaneshwar has everything from a five-star hotel to an economy hotel matching the requirement of the tourists and travelers. The entire rooms are extremely well furnished and the services provided here are a remarkable source in making the Bhubaneshwar trip worth it. Here are the names of good hotels in Bhubaneshwar –

5 Star Hotels:

1) Trident Hilton Bhubaneshwar

Trident Hilton Bhubaneshwar is the only five-star hotel in the capital city of Orissa. This hotel is set up on 13 acres of lush greenery and is highly known for its premium hospitality. There are a total of 62 elegantly furnished rooms in this hotel and all are adorned with every kind of modern facility. The service provided is above par and its location which is only 9kms from the airport makes it quite a viable option for business travelers as well as tourists of higher economic class.

4 Star Hotels:

1) Hotel Marion

Hotel Marion is a four-star hotel spiced up with state-of-art interiors and luxurious rooms. There are altogether 60 centrally air-conditioned rooms in this and all of them epitomize comfort and luxury. The location of the city is also very good as it is only 3kms away from the airport and one km away from the railway station.

Some other good four star hotels are:

2) Hotel Sishmo

3) Hotel Swosti

3 Star Hotels:

1) Hotel Keshari Hotel Keshari is located only 0.2kms from the railway station and 2kms away from the airport. Hotel Keshari is a three-star hotel with 54 rooms for comfortable accommodation. Its close proximity to the airport and the railway station makes it highly preferred by international as well as domestic tourists.

Some other good 3 star hotels are:

• The Crown
• The Mayfair Lagoon

Bhubaneshwar also has good economy class hotels. These hotels make sure that the tourists are provided the most right kind of accommodation matching their budget. Some good economy class hotels are.

• The Royale Mid Town
• The Triumph Residency

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Places to Visit in Bhubaneshwar

Bhubaneshwar is a very interesting city from a historic as well as religious point of view. With the various temples, Bhubaneswar is a perfect example of the intricate Oriya style of architecture. In addition to the temples, there are other interesting places also which one may fancy to go. Here is a list of a few places worth visiting in Bhubaneshwar:

1) Lingaraja temple

Lingaraja temple is the finest example of the Oriya architecture. The age of the temple dates back to as early as the 10th or the 11th century.

People have described the Lingaraja temple as “the truest fusion between dream and reality.” This temple is a piece of art architecture and is a true masterpiece. Noted art critic Ferguson has described it as the finest and the best example of a pure Hindu temple. Foreigners are not allowed inside the temple premises. However, there is a viewing platform for foreigners near to a boundary wall.

2) Sri Krishna Balram Mandir

This temple is owned by the ISKCON and anyone who desires to visit this temple can get in. the temple authorities are tolerant towards every religion and caste.

3) Bindu Sarovara

Bindu Sarovara is a beautiful natural lake situated near the Lingaraja and the Anant Vasudeva temples. It is said that this lake contains a drop of water from every river in India and therefore holds a place of Holy importance.

4) Khandagiri and Udaygiri:

These twin hills are around 8kms away from the Bhubaneshwar city. This place was used as the site of a primeval Jain monastery. The monastery was engraved as cave-like chambers and faces the twin hills. The largest cave that is there is Rani Gupha or the queen’s cave. It is a double-storied building and is opulently embellished with splendid carvings. Another cave called Hati Gupha or the elephant cave contains the carved-out chronicles of the period of King Kharavela.

5) Dhauli Giri:

Dhauli Giri is around 8kms away from the city. After the grisly and gruesome war of Kalinga waged by Ashoka, the King repented for his actions after witnessing blood and gore in the war. It was here that King Ashoka converted to Buddhism. Here stands the rock edict, which is a full testimony of the repentance of the king and his change of heart. The edict appeals to the administrators of the Ashoka kingdom to be compassionate and practice justice in its true spirit.

Reaching Bhubaneshwar

Bhubaneshwar is the capital city of Orissa and is well linked via airways. Major airlines connect the Bhubaneswar city to the important cities all across India. Indian airlines, Sahara Airlines, Air Deccan, and Kingfisher are the major airlines that connect Bhubaneshwar to cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, etc. The number of trains coming to Bhubaneshwar from the many parts of India is also not less. It is connected to Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, etc via the rail route. Bhubaneshwar is located on the national highway 5. This highway connects Kolkata with Chennai and hence is quite accessible from the west and south of the country via a road route.

Climate Condition of Bhubaneshwar

Bhubaneshwar is the capital of Orissa and is famous for its temples. This old city has a very pleasant temperature. The average temperature can be as high as 40’c but the temperature can also fall as low as 16’c in the summers making the atmosphere quite lovely and enjoyable. The monsoon brings with it heavy rainfall. The approximate rainfall received by this city during the monsoon season is around 1450 mm. of rainfall. The most alluring time for the tourists to visit this ancient temple city is between the month of October and April when the climate of Bhubaneshwar is very pleasant and enjoyable.