Orissa has such lovely places to offer to both, the tourists and the pilgrims. Since overcrowding has never been a problem with most of these places, barring the festive season, holiday-making can be really enjoyable and peaceful in Orissa. Situated in the bosom of nature, the picturesque fun spots of Orissa hold a prominent position in the tourist map of India.

Bhubaneswar the state capital with its over a hundred temples-provides an ideal introduction to the rich cultural heritage of the state of Orissa. Visits to the Lingaraja Temple and the Rajarani Temple (11th century AD) are a must. Those interested in ancient temple architecture may visit the temples of Laxmaneswar, Satrughaneswar and Bharateswar (6th century AD), Parasurameswar and Swarnajaleswar (7th century AD), Vaital Deul (8th century AD), Brahmeswar (11th century AD) and Ananta Vasudeva (13th century AD)

While in Bhubaneswar, the Orissa State Museum, Tribal Research Museum and Handicrafts House should also be on the visitors' lists.

Nearby excursions (8 km) to the Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves belonging to the 1st-2nd century BC, to Dhauli (8 km) with the Buddhist Peace Pagoda constructed in 1972 and the Zoo and Botanical Gardens at Nandan Kanan (120 km) cater to a variety of interests.

One of the four religious centres in India, Puri in Orissa is famous for its Jagannath Temple. Other temples of interest here are the Gundicha, Lokanath and Tota Gopinath and tanks like Sweta Ganga and indradyumna.

Puri, a popular beach resort is of special attraction for visitors fond of swimming in the sea. Excursions to Balighai (8 km), a picnic spot and Satyabadi (20 km) with its shrine dedicated to Lord Sakshigopal are recommended.

With its famous Sun Temple, Konark is the high point of a visit to the Golden Triangle of Orissa. The temple, built in the 13th century and now in ruins, is replete with stone sculptures. The temple is one of the unrivalled technical marvels of ancient India.

Beaches

Orissa has beautiful beaches where One can spend hours soaking in the sun, surfing or just frolicking in the lovely blue waters. Since overcrowding has never been a problem with any of the beaches in Orissa, the sight of holiday-makers having entire stretches of the beach to themselves is not uncommon.

Chandipur Beach

Situated 16 km from Balasore, the beach at Chandipur is surely one of the finest in India. This peaceful resort with sand dunes green with wild creepers and casuarina trees whistling in the breeze has a special secret. The sea recedes nearly five kilometres everyday with the tide - a sight not to be missed

Gopalpur Beach

One of the most pristine beaches of Orissa, this quiet beach is a splendid retreat for sea-worshippers, located about 16 km from Berhampur. Once a humming seaport, Gopalpur offers its visitors a slice of serenity in environs that are conducive to introspection and conviviality. You can still see the crumbling walls and pillars of the jetty, witness to its past glory of commercial activity. Gopalpur is a surfers delight and is excellent for sailing too.

Puri Beach

For centuries now, the beach at Puri has been the venue of countless pilgrims taking the traditional purification dip for Puri is the abode of Lord Jagannath and considered one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage destination. However, for decades now, both Indian and foreign beach lovers have made it their special haunt.

The fine white sands of Puri beach and the roar of the breakers rolling in from the Bay of Bengal have fascinated visitors throughout the ages. As it is with all the beaches of Orissa, overcrowding is never a problem and the sight of holiday-makers having entire stretches of the beach to themselves is not uncommon.

The local fishermen, with their catamarans and wide brimmed cane hats are welcomed by tourists for they not only provide you with a ride on their boats but also act as lifeguards if you wish. And yes, they are also expert masseurs.

With excellent beach facing hotels and guest houses, the Puri beach is an ideal holiday spot where you can easily spend a lot of time.

Lakes

The extremely picturesque lakes of Orissa hold a prominent position in the tourist map of India for their beauty, for enclosing an immense variety of fish, and the fact that they play host to hundreds of thousands of migratory birds during winter and are a home to a variety of flora and fauna. Just south of Puri, the sea mixes in with the 1100 sq.km inland Chilika Lake to create the largest brackish water lake in Asia, and a spot of enchanting beauty. The large fishing community adds flavour to the lakes with their traditional colourful sail boats bobbing expertly across the water, reminiscent of the ancient maritime heritage of Orissa. Various facilities for canoeing, kayaking, and boating are available at some of the lakes. Hirakud Dam on the river Mahanadi is one of the longest dams in the world and the largest dam made of earth. From horizon to horizon, the reservoir forms the largest artificial lake in Asia with an area of 746 sq km and a shore line of over 640 km. The vast blue expanse guarded by green capped soaring hills makes this lake a delightful sight - a lifetime memory.

Waterfalls

There are around eighteen known waterfalls in Orissa. The picturesque falls of Barehipani (399 m) and Joranda (150 m) situated close to the wildlife sanctuary of Simlipal are perfectly complementary to their surroundings and are a beautiful bonus to the visitors of the sanctuary. As a cool resort in the lap of nature, Harishankar is a panacea for the heat in the summer. A perennial waterfall of about 16 meters, Phurli Jharan, has a special charm of its own. The multi-coloured rainbows created by the sun-rays falling on the scattered water particles of the fall, create a thrilling and magical ambience. The evergreen forests around provide ample opportunity for picnickers.

Adventure Tourism

Orissa offers its mountain-lovers, some exotic treks of the height of around 1600 meter tall. Some of these beautiful treks are the Mahendragiri Trek, Gandhamardan Trek, and Nilagiri Trek, where on a good day, one can have a sight of the elephants, spotted deer, and even leopards. These treks definitely form a trekker's delight with their silvery streams and immense beauty. Wildlife abounds in their bounteous undergrowth. The two main places for the dare-devils of the water are Barkul and Dhabaleswar. Barkul, Rambha, Balugaon and Satpada are the bases for visiting Chilika, where boats can be hired. At Barkul, the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (OTDC) has organised a Water Sports Complex where facilities for canoeing, kayaking, and boating are available. The complex also has water scooters. Tucked in the bosom of the river Mahanadi is a idyllic island called Dhabaleswar. So called because of its presiding deity, Lord Dhabaleswar, an incarnation of Lord Shiva, the island is a place of great religious significance. With a view to promote water sports, the Tourism Department has provided two water scooters and two boats at the island.

Fairs and Festivals

A visit to Orissa will never be complete without witnessing its fairs and festivals. Besides Holi, Dussehra and Diwali, which are shared by the rest of India, there are numerous other festivals exclusive to Orissa and having their own unique myths behind them. The Raja-Sankranti or Raja Parva is observed on the first day of the solar month of Mithuna (mid-June) when the rainy season begins. The Garbhana-Sankranti is held on the first day of the solar month of Tula (November) when the paddy begins to sprout signifying fruition. On the full moon day of the lunar month of Ashwin (October), about five days after Dussehra, Orissa celebrates Kumarotsava-the 'festival of youth'. Kumara or Kartikeya, the son of Lord Shiva, symbolizes youth and is the chief deity to be worshipped during this festival. Unmarried boys and girls also worship the moon with great festivity on this occasion.

Of all the festivals of Orissa, the Rath Yatra (the procession of chariots) held in June-July at Puri is the holiest, most colourful and most important festival of Orissa. On this holiest of holy days, Lord Jagannath mounts his famous 45 feet high, wooden chariot flanked by the chariots of his elder brother, Balbhadra and their sister, Subhadra to make their symbolic tour of the universe and experience the destiny of mankind with ever faithful devotees pulling them on their way.

Besides the major festival of Rath Yatra, there are no fewer than 60 other festivals held in honour of the three deities.