Hills, beaches, mangrove delta, lagoon, forests and fertile plains, plus temples, art and history – all packed into an area roughly the size of Iowa.
This is the Indian state of Odisha (earlier Orissa), where we did a short driving trip. We could only take a few glimpses at some of the sights on offer, which led to another, longer trip shortly afterwards – but more of this in the future.
Here are some of the places we visited during our 12-day, 2,000 KM (1,250 mile) trip.
KONARAK – SUN TEMPLE
Konarak temple is a monumental representation of the chariot of Surya, the Sun God. It was built in the 13th century, and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site because of the architecture and art that underlies its conception, scale and proportion.
The chariot has 24 wheels (representing the hours of the day) decorated with symbolic designs. It is drawn by a team of 7 horses, representing the colours of the spectrum. Between the wheels, the plinth of the temple is decorated with reliefs of lions, musicians and dancers. It took 12 years, and 1,200 skilled workers to build this temple.
Sadly, the temple was vandalized many times between by invading armies, due to which the temple and its surroundings are in ruins now. The main sanctuary, including the roof and superstructure that was at a height of 227 ft, was demolished.
Several sections of the temple complex have been restored but most of it remain in ruins. Many sculptures and statues have been removed to other museums. Today, one cannot enter the pyramidical shaped entrance hall because the entire structure had been filled with stones and sand in early 20th century to secure the building and prevent it from collapsing.
LALITGIRI BUDDHIST COMPLEX
About a hundred years ago an enterprising government official discovered some ruins in a remote corner of Odisha. Subsequent excavations revealed a large Buddhist religious complex dating back to over two thousand years, comprising of monasteries, stupas and religious structures. It is believed to be the sacred site where one of the Buddha’s relics was discovered inside a stone casket.
On a very rainy day we walked through the expansive Lalitgiri complex admiring the excavations. To get a good view, we climbed on a large mound of earth next to the excavated ruins. To our great surprise, many stone and metal figures were embedded on the ground where we stood, with little bits of the figures showing and the rest still buried in the soil.
Was there another structure buried within this mound, waiting to be discovered?
We also visited an interesting archaeological museum attached to this ancient complex that represents the rich heritage of sculpture and architecture of post Mauryan era. The museum displays a number of images, sculptures, fragments, stone tablets, coins and potteries.
BITTARKANIKA NATIONAL PARK AND SANCTUARY
The Bay of Bengal marks the eastern border of Odisha. Two rivers, Brahmani and Baitarani, run through eastern Odisha to the sea, and in their estuaries lie a large mangrove forest, the second largest mangrove ecosystems in India (after Sundarbans that takes the first place).
The Bittarkanika National Park spreads over this mangrove forest, covering a large area, around 672 sq km (about 260 sq km). It is home to the rare white saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus Porosus) – also known as Estuarine crocodiles. Monitor lizards, spotted deer and diverse birds including colorful kingfishers are spotted here. It is a real treat for flora and fauna lovers.
We hired a boat which took us through the congruence point of the rivers and the sea, and into the dense mangrove forest. We saw many crocodiles basking in the sun, groups of deer, large lizards and birds of all description.
Within the national Park we came across a museum and a crocodile farm and breeding and research centre. Crocodile eggs are collected from the forest (not a job we would fancy) and the hatchlings are nurtured for years until they are big enough to be released back into the river.
The crocodiles here are really huge. We saw the skeleton of a giant 20-ft-long male salt water crocodile, found inside the Bhitarkanika National Park, displayed in the museum attached to the Crocodile Research Centre. The Park had also found a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the world’s largest crocodile measuring about 23 feet long.
We did just a day trip, but if you wish you can stay for days in Eco nature resorts deep within the forest. For less adventurous people, there are homestays and resorts around this sanctuary. December- January is probably the best time to visit this place. We landed there in September which was off-season.
ANCIENT TEMPLES WITH INTERESTING ARCHITECTURE
While driving around in Ganjam, Orissa, we stopped at two interesting old temples with exquisite architecture. Both the following examples are ‘living’ temples (not ruins) as indicated by flags on top of the temples.
Nirmal Jhara Temple
This 350-year-old temple is especially revered because it had been constructed around a perpetual spring of ice-cold water that runs down from a nearby mountain called Marua (Badaghati). The spring water must be very pure, because many people were filling up their water bottles.
The Nirmal Jhara temple is small but pretty, with intricate carvings on pillars and walls.
We spent an hour walking around and admiring the sculptures and carvings, which are still holding up well. Photographers and art connoisseurs will love this place.
Dakhshya Prajapati Temple
Another temple in a peaceful environment caught our attention while roaming around in Banapur in Ganjam district.
Dakhshya Prajapati Temple belongs to the Eastern Ganga period (11th to 15th century) displaying excellent examples of Kalingan art. The building technology here is ashlar dry masonry using Kondalite stone.
We walked around, admired the architecture and took photographs.
ODI ART CENTRE
Nearly a quarter of Odisha’s population comprises of 64 main tribes, plus many minor ones, too. The distinct and ancient cultures of these tribes are reflected in their myriad forms of art.
A collection of these art forms is housed in the Odi Art Centre at the Purvasha Folk and Tribal Art Museum, located near the popular Chilika Lake – actually a saltwater lagoon – which is an ecological marvel and a bird sanctuary.
Apart from its display of folk art, the Odi Art Center, set in a creative and green surrounding, has nine amphitheatres for performing arts and exhibitions.
We were delighted to find that this centre complex also has comfortable accommodation, and a restaurant, to cater to art lovers who would like to spend more time here to admire the art.
We spent hours walking through the sixteen separate galleries displaying quintessential rural, folk and tribal paintings, sculptures and artefacts. What really caught our eye were some uniquely creative models of animals (like the lion image above) built using colored pencils which were totally unique!
That was just a short trip, meant for us to get back to doing longish road trips within India, and we really enjoyed a variety of Orissa’s gems.
We are looking forward to exploring more of this interesting state in India!
It’s amazing that you can just explore and interact with ancient temples and artifacts in this part of India! I have never been to India but I’m excited to visit. Did you feel safe driving around on your own?
Hi Felicia, Yes, road safety – we have to be cautious and defensive drivers. 🙂
So many interesting places with lots of history and special meaning in India. I can’t wait to visit.
Orissa looks like such a dream! I have to return to India again soon, to see more of this beautiful country. All of the temples there are so stunning, and I love being able to explore them. Not to mention all the wonderful food options!
What a cool opportunity to get so up close to history. The temples are beautiful.
Odisha is a very beautiful place with beautiful beaches and temple architecture. We visited Odisha few years back and covered the Puri beach, lord Jagannath temple, the Sun temple and Lake Chilika. We would love to visit the Nirmal Jhara temple, the Dakshya Prajapati temple and the Bittarkanika wildlife sanctuary as well next time.
The temples in Orissa look amazing–would love to spend time wandering around and exploring them.
I would love to do this roadtrip. Ancient temples and nature is such a good combination.
The architecture/ruins are stunning, it’s a magical and almost otherworldly looking place. Thanks for sharing so much information I’d never heard of it before now.
The architecture and history is truly inspiring. Thank you for such beautiful photos and detailed information.
Orissa looks like an interesting part of India. The architecture of the temples is amazing, especially the Dakhshya Prajapati Temple. Will consider visiting on my next trip to India.
Oh, these landscapes are so lovely & it’s good to know that there are a lot of excursion possibilities too.
Looks like an interesting place! Lovely photos!
This Odisha (Orissa) area of India looks like an interesting spot to visit. We would certainly not miss the Konarak temple UNESCO site – even if much of it is now in ruins. I am sure we would learn much about the local history exploring the Lalitgiri complex. Relaxing at the Bittarkanika National Park would give us the relaxing break we like to find on our travels too. We too might hire a boat but hope we do not find any crocodiles! Lots to see on a visit for sure.
I’ve only been to India once, and that was in the south. I had to look up where Orissa is, but I’m fascinated by the mix of history, archaeology, and nature the region offers. As someone very interested in Buddhism, I’d love to visit the Lalitgiri Buddhist complex someday. Thanks for introducing me to this part of India!
Orissa looks like a very interesting place to explore. The Sun temple is fascinating, with such intriguing sculptures – and so many of them! It’s such a shame that the temple has been vandalised to the point that now it’s unsafe to go inside. Bittarkanika National Park looks like a peaceful oasis where you can observe the wildlife up close from a boat trip. I would be terrified to see those crocodiles so close to me.
Your very first line drew me in – there is apparently so much of interesting things adorning Orissa. The National Park is awesome ; I was spooked to read about the size of the salt water crocodile! The Konarak Sun Temple well deservedly got into the Unesco Heritage list – what intricate carvings . Really sad to read about the state of vandalism though. All in all a very good read.
The state of Odisha is new to me. In fact, this is my first time to hear about it.
Happy to know that the Konarak has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The intricate details are fascinating and it would be nice to see Konarak temples up close.
I would also love to visit the other temples. There is so much to learn about this place.
Hopefully, we get a chance to visit in the future.
It’s amazing how much you can see on a relatively short road trip through Orissa. With all the temples and wildlife, certainly it is worth spending a few days seeing all that it has to offer. I would also enjoy seeing the art exhibits. Glad that there are places to eat nearby — to allow for more time seeing the art and savoring local cuisine.
I’ve been fortunate to visit India three times, but I haven’t made it to Odisha yet. Reading about its incredible mix of temples, nature, and history has inspired me to add it to my list. Your trip sounds absolutely incredible with such a variety of experiences packed into one journey. The Sun Temple at Konarak sounds like an architectural marvel—its symbolism and intricate carvings must be breathtaking in person. The Lalitgiri Buddhist Complex and its rich history are equally intriguing, especially discovering the hidden artifacts still embedded in the ground. And exploring Bittarkanika National Park by boat must have been such a memorable experience—those saltwater crocodiles sound amazing to see in their natural habitat!
Odisha is one of the places I loved during my weeklong visit there and I can definitely visit again, there’s so much more. I spent hours at just Konark Sun Temple – it is such a marvel! Each and every sculpture here is just mind blowing. I was just mesmerized here. Ooooh. You brought back some very fond memories of Odisha. Lalitagiri was nice too. Did you also visit Ratnagiri & Udayagiri? I didn’t have time to visit Bittakanika. That’s a good reason to head back to Odisha!