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How to Get There:
By Air: Orissa has just one airport, at Bhubaneswar, which is entirely domestic. However, work is on to build it up to handle initially larger aircraft than the Boeing 737, and
subsequently, international traffic. Orissa is thus linked to New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Allahabad, Patna and other places across India. There are smaller airstrips at Jharsuguda, Berhampur, Rourkela, Bhadrak and an operational military airbase at Cuttack.
By Sea:
Paradip is a major national port in Orissa, with another coming up at Dhamara. The third is at the digging stage.
By Rail and Road:
Rail traffic is intense along the coast, connecting Northeast India to the south. Within the state, the rail network needs extension and development. As always, roadways provide the basic infrastructural support necessary for routine existence.
Demographics:
85 % of the people live in rural areas and 15 % in urban areas. Oriya (Odia) is the official language of Orissa and is the native language of 90% of the state. Other languages spoken, albeit by a minority, are Bengali, Hindi, Telugu and English. The literacy rate is 65 %. People living below the poverty line in is 45 %, nearly double the India average of 24 %. Scheduled Castes and Tribes, at 16 % and 22 % , form 38 % of the State population. Of all the states of India, Orissa has the largest number of tribes, at 62, mainly in the Eastern Ghats running north-south . More than half of their population is concentrated in the three districts of Koraput (undivided), Sundergarh and Mayurbhanj. Some of the important tribes are Santhal, Bonda, Munda, Oraon and Mahali. 94.6% Oriyans are Hindu, 2.4 Chtistian and 2.1 Muslim. |
Best Time to Visit:
Orissa experiences typical tropical weather conditions. This limits the tourist to the Orissa winter, from October to March.
What to See:
Orissa is the land of temples, built mainly in the Indo Aryan Nagara style of architecture, exhibiting distinctive features specific to this region. This state has long been famous for the magnificent Sun Temple at Konark (The legendary 'Black Pagoda' of European mariners), for the majestic temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri (renowned for the spectacular Rath Yatra chariot festival), for the 1,000 plus temples of Bhubaneswar and the famous Shiva Temple near Dhenkanal. Other cities are Cuttack and Sambalpur. Buddhist relics and ruins at the hilltop complexes of Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves still bear witness to Buddhism's tryst with this region until well into the 13th century.
Beaches include Puri, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Chandipur, Ramachandi, Balighai, Astarang and Paradeep Beach. Places to See near Bhubaneshwar include Nandankanan Zoo and a botanical garden surrounded by dense forest, famous for breeding of various endangered species, safaris and white tigers, 20 km from city centre; Hirapur with the shrine Chausath Yogini Temple dedicated to 64 manifestations of the goddess Shakti and the hot spring at Atri, near the famous Lord Hatakeswar Temple. Other fairs and festivals in Orissa include Chandan Yatra, Durga Puja Orissa, Konark Dance Festival, Puri Beach Festival, Orissa Tourist Festivals and Orissa Tribal Festivals.
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