Carved wheel of the Sun Temple at Konark.

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Odisha

A favourite destination for adventurous travelers, Odisha (Orissa) rewards those who make the effort to stray off the beaten track with an intricate patchwork of archaeological wonders, fascinating tribal culture, and natural beauty, along with an old-fashioned sprinkling of sun and sand.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Carved wheel of the Sun Temple at Konark.

    Sun Temple

    Odisha

    Conceived as the cosmic chariot of the sun god Surya, this massive, breathtakingly splendid temple was constructed in the mid-13th century, probably by…

  • Large saltwater crocodile basking on an estuarine mudbank, Bhitarkanika National Park.

    Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary

    Odisha

    Three rivers flow out to sea at Bhitarkanika, forming a tidal maze of muddy creeks and mangroves. This is India’s second-largest mangrove region, and most…

  • Jagannath Mandir

    Jagannath Mandir

    Puri

    This mighty temple is home to Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), an incarnation of Vishnu. Built in its present form in 1198, the temple – closed to non…

  • Ratnagiri

    Ratnagiri

    Odisha

    Ratnagiri is the most interesting and extensive among the three Pusphagiri sites. Two large monasteries flourished here from the 5th to 13th centuries…

  • Udayagiri

    Udayagiri

    Odisha

    Udayagiri's two monastery complexes were active between the 10th and 12th centuries AD. At the first one, there’s a large pyramidal brick stupa with a…

  • Chatikona Market

    Chatikona Market

    Odisha

    The weekly Chatikona market takes place at Bissamcuttack (about 40km north) and is mostly attended by the Dongria Kondh and Desia Kondh villagers from the…

  • Onkadelli Market

    Onkadelli Market

    Odisha

    Onkadelli is a particularly popular tribal produce market, with Bonda, Mali, Kondh and Paraja people attending to buy and sell fruit, vegetables, dried…

  • Satkosia Tiger Sanctuary

    Satkosia Tiger Sanctuary

    Odisha

    Made up of the Satkosia and Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuaries, this 964-sq-km forested tiger reserve, 125km northwest of Bhubaneswar, is straddled by a…

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Odisha and beyond

Beyond Odisha
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