Ageing, dilapidated, red stone temples stand their ground next to towering, swanky new hotels that are taking over this temple city. People sitting in luxury cars drive by those riding bullock carts, wearing nothing but ‘dhotis’, and no one bats an eyelid at this stark contrast. Temple bells and chants resonate across the city, as men, women and children queue up outside various shrines, heads covered and bowed in reverence, to seek the blessings of the almighty. Green hills, still lakes and manicured lawns provide shelter and a spot to relax for weary travelers.
Bhubaneswar, capital of Odisha, is steeped in history with numerous temples, small and large, dotting this town and showing off the traditional architecture. The name of Bhubaneswar is derived from the term Tribhubaneswar, which translates into the lord of the three worlds—Lord Shiva. While this city is especially popular with residents of neighboring Bengal, people from all over the world flock here, especially during the Rath festival. Entirely lit up, teeming with people and with giant raths on every street corner, Bhubaneswar truly livens at this time.
Bhubaneswar is a popular Indian pilgrimage city, and hordes of people take days off to come and visit as many of the temples here as possible. From absolutely ancient, almost-in-ruins temples, to more recent, well-maintained ones, you are bound to find your religious fix in this temple town.
The Odishan city also boasts a rich culture, that becomes all the more apparent and vibrant during festival seasons. Apart from the well-known Rath Yatra that takes place every year, the city brightens up during Durga Puja, Shivratri, and Diwali, among other festivals.
Displaying the colorful history and heritage of Bhubaneswar are a number of museums and galleries that you can visit. There are tours of the old city you that can sign up for, just to marvel at the age-old architecture that has withstood the test of time.
If you are an adrenalin junkie or are simply looking for adventure, make friends with the locals and head out to the rural areas of Odisha; go hiking and camping, and explore the tribal villages, the stunning coastline, and the wildlife the state has to offer.
Bhubaneswar is a well-planned city, so getting around is no trouble at all. There are a number of state-run and city-wide buses that ply regularly. Hop onto one and get to your destination with ease and in comfort. Auto-rickshaws are easily available and you will also find shared rickshaws in the city. In stark contrast to auto-rickshaw drivers in most Indian cities, these drivers are said to be courteous and helpful, and make for great tour guides. You can hire a private taxi to take you around the sights in the city.
On a daily basis there are approximately 47 flights that operate at Biju Patnaik Airport.Air India and IndiGo are the most popular airline brands that fly frequently to this airport.
Besides flying you can also reach Bhubaneswar through train.Bhubaneswar, Mancheswarare some of the most popular train stations in Bhubaneswar.On an average about 200+ trains pass through Bhubaneswar on a daily basis.Khurda to Bhubaneswar, Cuttack to Bhubaneswar, Baleshwar to Bhubaneswarare some of the most popular routes to Bhubaneswar with 282, 216, 168 trains weekly respectively.
By road Bhubaneswar is surrounded by Cuttack, Jagatsinghapur, Dhenkanal which are 13.09 km, 23.16 km, 28.87 km away respectively. These places are ideal spots for people to plan their short weekend break.
Bhubaneswar has a total of 53 hotels.There are 53 hotels in Bhubaneswar with the popular ones being Mayfair Lagoon, Swosti Premium, Ginger Bhubaneswar, Trident, Bhubaneswar, Hotel Grand Central, The Crown etc.
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