Welcome to Bhubaneswar
Once dubbed the ‘Temple City’, chaotic Bhubaneswar is a worthwhile pit stop for a day or two as you take in the old city’s holy centre around the ceremonial tank called Bindu Sagar. Here once stood thousands of medieval stone temples; now around 50 remain. Temples aside, there are a couple of highly worthwhile museums, an ancient cave complex and the most varied dining scene in Odisha, along with a smattering of... Read More
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Bhubaneswar activities
Private Excursion to Puri from Bhubaneswar
Join a full day guided tour to Puri, a city 40 miles from Bhubaneswar. Puri is a city in the East Indian state of Orissa, famous for its Jagannath temple which was built in the late 11th century. One of the oldest cities in the eastern part of the country, Puri is situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal and is a popular beach resort, positioned in a unique place so that both sunset and sunrise can be viewed from the beach. The earliest history of Puri has it that it was once a thickly wooded hillock inhabited by the Sabaras, a Pre-Aryan and Pre-Dravidian tribe of the Austro-Asiatic linguistic family. The sacred Buddhist site called Dantapura (town of the tooth) may also have been here, as legend has it that Buddha’s tooth was kept here before being spirited off to Sri Lanka. Until the 7th and 8th centuries, the city was a provincial outpost along the coastal trade route linking eastern India with Southeast Asia. Shankaracharya, the Hindu reformer, declared Puri as one of his four mathas (centers for the practice of a new ascetic form of Hinduism). Learned and holy men came here to debate the new philosophies from across the whole subcontinent, a tradition that is still carried on to this day. The main temple Of Jagannath is an impressive structure constructed in Kalinga architecture with a height of 180 foot placed on an elevated platform and part of the Puri city tour you will enjoy. After your visit to Puri and its temples you will be returned to your hotel, airport or train station.
Private Tour: Full-Day Khandagiri, Udaygiri, and Dhauli Buddhist Site Tour from Bhubaneswar
You will be picked up from your hotel and depart on a full-day tour of Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves followed by Dhauli Buddhist site. Khandagiri and Udaygiri Caves are approx. 7 km west of Bhubaneswar and are the two adjacent hills as the next major Orissan historical monument after the Edits of Ashoka. The rocks of Khandagiri and Udayagiri are carved and tunneled, creating a multi-story ancient residence for Jain ascetics by the first known Orissan ruler, King Kharavela of the Mahameghavahana Dynasty. The king is known for expansion of the Kalinga Empire and his installation of public improvements, such as canal systems. His queen was a patron of the arts and had much to do with the impressive sculptures decorating the caves.Later on you will visit Dhauli, the site where the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka renounced violence and embraced the teachings of Buddha. This site is marked by a Peace Pagoda known as Shanti Stupa, built in the early 1970s by the Japanese. Afterwards you will also visit nearby two ancient rock edicts dating from 260 BC. These edicts outline Ashoka's detailed instructions for his administrators to rule with gentleness and fairness. Stop by the small-rock cut caves, Hindu temples of early medieval period and a renovated Siva temple on top of a hill. After the sightseeing, you will be transported back to Bhubaneshwar city and dropped at your hotel.
Private Tour: Konark Sun Temple and Pipli Village Day Tour from Bhubaneswar
You will be picked up from your hotel in Bhubaneswar for this full-day tour, which will start with a visit to the Chariot of the Sun God Temple, built by King Langula Narasimha Deva in 13th century A.D. during the Golden Era of Orissan art. The Sun Temple is known for its exquisite and intricate architecture and sculptures. Located on the shores of the Arabian Sea, the Sun Temple is a sight to behold especially during Sunrise. Its prominent location has guided ancient mariners for around a millennia. In order to distinguish Konark from the whitewashed Jagannath Temple in Puri, European settlers referred it as the Black Pagoda.After the temple you will continue your tour to Pipli artist village, where the locals produce applique art - a process of cutting colored cloth into shapes of animals, birds, flowers, leaves, gods, goddesses and other decorative motifs and stitching them over a piece of cloth. These creations are fabricated into lampshades, handbags, cushion covers or even garden umbrellas. A famous example is the enormous applique canopies above the reigning deity of Puri, Lord Jagannath. After the visit to the village you will be back to Bhubaneswar and dropped off at your hotel.