Orissa Tourism Guide

History of orissa -

The history of Orissa is 2000 years old. It has no resemblance with the history of northern states of the country. Orissa was home to the Kalinga and Utkal tribes who played significant roles for the narration of this great history. This fact is evident from the writings of Vedic chronicles.

In second century BC Orissa was known as Kalinga. It was a powerful kingdom during the period. The Magadha Empire (the present day Bihar) was growing powerful in the same era. Neither Chandragupta Maurya nor his son Bindusara tried to bring back Kalinga to the Magadha Empire. It was Asoka, the son of Bindusara who invaded Kalinga in 261 B.C. and succeeded in occupying Kalinga. As many as 1, 00,000 were killed and 1, 50,000 were taken captives in the historic Kalinga War. Asoka was deeply moved by the terrible bloodshed caused by this war and thereafter adopted Buddhism.

The state was then influenced by the rule of Kharabela in the early second century AD followed by Guptas, which continued till fourth century AD. Bhoumakara and Soma dynasty started to rule over the region after the Guptas. The dynasty came to an end in the late 13th century AD. Post 13th century saw the Mughal Raj which continued till the demise of Aurangzeb.

As early as 1633, the British established a trade centre at Hariharpur, one of their first settlements in India. Their subsequent establishment at Baleshwar (or Balasore) on river Burhabalanga and at Pipili on river Subarnarekha developed into flourishing centres of trade as well as of power. According to William Wilson Hunter, the English historian, it was those two Orissa harbours which became the basis of the future greatness of the British in Bengal.

The Battle of Plassey and Buxar helped the British to establish their colony in India; Thereafter they acquired as much of Indian territories as possible, and Orissa being close to Bengal automatically came under their control.

The leaders of Orissa had taken active participation in the freedom struggle of India. The eminent political leaders like Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das, Harekrushna Mahtab, Gopabandhu Choudhury, Nabakrushna Choudhury and others promoted the Congress Movement in Orissa. They demanded for a separate provincial status to the state. The demand was fulfilled in 1936.

Although Orissa province came into existence on 1st April 1936 but it was declared as a separate state of Indian Union only after India’s independence i.e. in 1949. Modern Orissa, with its potential economic resources in the form of abundant minerals, extensive forests and fertile lands, is making great stride towards develpment.
How To Reach Orissa

How To Reach Orissa

There is just one airport in Orissa at the capital city - Bhubaneswar. With a commercial port at Paradeep, Orissa has also opened its doors via waterways to the nearby countries. Moreover the state capital is directly linked to New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Allahabad, Patna and other places across India.

Reach Orissa by Rail - There is a good train network also that connects Calcutta, Puri, Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Tirupati and Trivandrum to Bhubaneswar by express and super express trains plying to and fro on a daily basis.

Orissa by Road - Orissa is well connected to its neighbouring states through a good road network.

Reaching Orissa by Airport - Regular flights landing at the only major airport of the city namely Biju Patnaik Airport connect it to all the major cities of the country such as Calcutta, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Raipur.

Location of Orissa

- The State of Orissa is located on the eastern coast of India at 17° 49' North - 22°0 34' North Latitude & 81° 29' East-87° 29' East Longitude. Carved out of Bihar in 1936, Orissa is located on the eastern coast of India. Bordered by Madhya Pradesh in the west, Andhra Pradesh in the south, West Bengal in north-east, Bay of Bengal in the east and Bihar in the north, the state extends to an area of 1,55,707 Sq. Km.

Climate in Orissa

Climate in OrissaStanding on the coastal belt, the weather in Orissa is greatly influenced by the sea. The climate of the region is tropical resulting in very high temperature in the months of April and May. On the contrary, the Eastern Ghats of the state experience an extremely cold climate.

Climate in Orissa - There are three major seasons - Summer (March-June), Rainy Season (July-September) and the Winter (October-February). Orissa lying just South of the Tropic of Cancer, has a tropical climate. It is warm almost throughout the year in the Western districts of Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Baragarh, Bolangir, Kalahandi and Mayurbhanj with maximum temperature hovering between 40-46° C and in winter, it is intolerably cool. In the coastal districts, the climate is equable but highly humid and sticky. The summer maximum temperature ranges between 35-40° C and the low temperatures are usually between 12-14° C. Winter is not very severe except in some areas in Koraput and Phulbani where minimum temperature may drop to 3-4° C.

The average rainfall is 150 cm, experienced as the result of south west monsoon during July-September. The month of July is the wettest and the major rivers may get flooded. The state also experiences small rainfall from the retreating monsoon in the months of October-November. January and February are dry.


Orissa Tourism Guide -

Stretching for 320 km against the shores of the Bay of Bengal, the eastern state of Orissa is a treasure trove of intricately carved monuments and temples, robust wild life, pure white beaches and intriguing tribal country. A tour to Orissa is a pilgrimage to the Sun God at the Sun Temple in Konark and homage to Lord Jagannath at Puri. The Lingaraj Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva completes the Golden Triangle, but definitely not the sights in Orissa.

Take a tour to the interiors of Orissa, where the tribes cling to their age-old traditions, and live in harmony with their environment. Travel to Orissa's sanctuaries at Simlipal, Chandaka, Debrigarh, Nandankanan and Ushakothi for a close up of Indian wild life. Or the Bhitarkanika sanctuary where Olive Ridley turtles is being carefully nurtured. Discover the marine and avian wonders at the Chilika lagoon - a marine, brackish and freshwater eco-system off the east coast to round off your tour to Orissa. Come and explore tourism in Orissa with us.

Orissa Tourist Spots -

The land is famous for its temples, monuments, beaches, lakes, hills etc. Orissa’s famous sights are clustered together in a compact triangle. In the eastern coast are the 13th century Konark temple, a UNESCO world heritage site and other magnificent temples at Puri and Bhubaneswar.

The beautiful temples and Boudh caves near Bhubaneswar are silent witnesses to the indigenous culture of Orissa. People from the whole world come to the pristine beaches and lakes and also to have the divine blessing of the Lord Jagannath.

Orissa is gifted by the nature with long and beautiful coastline, dotted with golden sand beaches and gentle sunshine. It provides excellent opportunities for easy relaxation. The beaches of Puri and Gopalpur are fringed by coconut groves and fishing villages. There are numerous natural sites which are quite enchanting. The chirping of birds, flowing of streams and meandering paddy fields all add to the natures charm.