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Bhubaneshwar
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Konark |
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Area : 156,000
sq. kms.
Altitude : 559.31 mts. above sea level
Language : Oriya
Best season : October to March
Orissa, one of the 25 states of India, ranks eleventh in population
and ninth in area. Perpetually washed by the blue waters of the bay
of Bengal, it lies on the east coast with a coastal length of 482
kms. It is bounded by West Bengal and Bihar on the north, Andhra
Pradesh on the south, the bay of Bengal on the east and Madya
Pradesh on the west. This is a coastal state; six of her 30
districts are situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. It
contains exquisite temples, superb monuments, inviting beaches,
enchanting wildlife and natural landscapes. It is a must on the
itinerary of any tourist visiting India.
Orissa is the best of ancient and modern India where people share a
strong sense of holiness, a sense of belonging with their beautiful
land and their enduring links with the past. Situated on the eastern
coast of India, Orissa, still largely unexplored, and a fascinating
state to visit. Blessed with a long and beautiful coastline that is
dotted with golden beaches and gentle sunshine, it provides
excellent opportunities for easy relaxation. Be it the orientalist,
with his avid taste for architectural monuments and historical
sites, the adventurist-the Bhubaneshwar, Puri, Konark circuit
provides an ideal package.
The tropical state of Orissa lies along the eastern seaboard of
India, on the Bay of Bengal. Its main attractions are what the
tourist authorities called the ‘golden triangle’, i.e. the temples
of the capital Bhubaneswar, the long sandy beach at Puri and the
majestic Sun Temple at Konark. Also popular these days are the Divas
(tribal) areas of the southwest and the national parks of the north.
The fertile delta on which the modern capital, Bhubaneshwar stands
was witness to an important historical event some 2000 years ago.
It was here that the great Indian emperor Ashoka renounced his
warring ways after the massacre in battle of Kalinga. He embraced
Buddhism and was chiefly instrumental in taking to the world.
Orissa is predominantly rural, with fertile green coastal plains
rising to the hills of the eastern ghats. The state is also rich in
minerals and a big exporter of iron ore. Orissa’s economy is often
destabilized by natural disasters, although flooding in the Mahanadi
delta, which used to occur regularly, has been much reduced by the
building of Hirakud dam, near Sambalpur. Orissa is also a great
place to pick up souvenirs.
Orissa ‘s beautiful hills are home to the exotic tribal people from
about 25% of the population and are as such untouched by the
progress of line. Inland Orissa ‘s beautiful hills, home to tribal
peoples, are among the least densely populated and most densely
forested regions of India.
History
Coastal Orissa a part of the ancient kingdom of Kalinga grew
prosperous through trading using its port of Kalinganagar as early
as the 4th century BC. Their colonial influence extended as far as
modern Indonesia. Although known throughout ancient world as a
formidable maritime empire, with trading routes stretching to Bali,
Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, the history of Orissa (once called ‘Kalinga’)
is a little hazy until the demise of the Kalinga dynasty in 260 BC.
History.
Orissa has a chequered history which has successfully assimilated
and synthesized the best of Buddhist, Jain and Hindu cultures.
Orissa or Kalinga as it was then called was a settlement of
non-Aryan and Aryan settlers. It was a formidable maritime empire
with trading routes stretching unto Bali, Sumatra, Indonesia and
Java. The key to international trade and immense wealth, it was
quite naturally coveted by many rulers. In fact, it was fought in
261 BC, which made the great Mauryan Kshatriya (warrior caste) king
Ashoka forsake war. He became a follower of Buddhism and spread the
spirit of Ahimsa and peace, the essence of Buddhism, to Ceylon
(modern day Sri Lanka) and the far east. Exquisite remains of the
Buddhist past still remain in the area of Uaygiri, Lalitagiri and
Ratnagiri.
Kharavela, who came to power in Kalinga, around 1st century BC, was
a staunch follower of Jainism. It is to this period that Orissa owes
its Jain art and architectural tradition.
The sophisticated style of the Jain monastic caves at Udaygiri and
Khandagiri are a story unto themselves. From the 7th to the 13th
century AD. Orissa flourished .Trade and commerce increased and
along with it evolved its art and architecture. The style of Hindu
temple construction, so unique to Orissa temples are characterized
by profuse decorations, exquisite carvings and ornamentation
covering the entire visible area with gods and goddesses, kings and
queens, animals and flower motifs ranged against each other. Orissa
is probably the only state where one can study temple architecture
in all its successive stages of development. |
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