Cultural and Rustic Tour of Orisa
Delhi – Kolkata – Bhubansehwar – Pipli – Konark – Puri – Raghurajpur – Chilka Lake-Manglajodi – Gopalpur – Taptapani – Chatikona – Jeypore – Onukudelli – Kunduli – Vishakapatnam – Kolkata
Calcutta is a bustling and overcrowded city. Calcutta was the capital of the British East India Company until 1911, when the capital was moved to the old city of Delhi.
Bhubaneswar – Explore Ancient Jain Temples and Trails
After breakfast, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, is uniquely proud of its colorful and ethnic mosaics, brought by over 62 culturally vibrant tribes, including 13 primitive tribal groups, all scattered throughout the state. Across the Eastern Ghats, in Odisha’s hinterland, lies the home of ancient tribes: the Didayis and Bondas of Koraput, and the Kondhs of Kandhmal (formerly Phulbani). This is where the primordial heart of Odisha beats. The tribal populations display a rainbow of culture, full of oriental ornamentation, contained in a beautiful ethnic kaleidoscope. It is believed that the original inhabitants of Odisha were a primitive tribe similar to the Saoros and Juangs, groups living in the forested hinterland. Here, in dense jungles, any ambiguous essence is symbolized and transformed into objects for rituals. One discovers it in the same way as the primordial tribes of Odisha through art, dance, myths, music and the land itself.
As the seat of Tribhubaneswar or ‘Lord Lingaraj,’ Bhubaneswar is an important Hindu pilgrimage center. Hundreds of temples dot the landscape of the old city, which once boasted over 2,000 temples. It is the temple city of Bhubaneshwar that commands attention, filled with temples—large, small, and ancient. While the city bustles with modern life, the skyline arouses curiosity with a kiss from the sky from the spires of the Lingaraja Temple, Pagoda, the white Dome of Peace on Dhauli Hill, and the pink-hued Mahavira Jina on Khandagiri. The three embody the advent of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism during different periods of Orissa’s history. Later, we proceed to visit the city of Bhubaneswar, the Tribal Museum, and the Jain caves of Khandagiri and Udayagiri.
Tribal Museum
The “Museum of Tribal Arts and Artifacts,” popularly known as the Tribal Museum, is also conceptually labeled the “Museum of Mankind” and was founded in 1953. Since then, tribal artifacts have been collected and displayed in a single hall of the Institute. In 1986, five tribal huts—Santal, Juang, Gadaba, Saora, and Kandha—were built with written permission. Artifacts collected by various tribal groups and PTGs of Odisha are displayed in the tribal huts and open to visitors. The new Museum building was inaugurated on March 5, 2001. The Museum of Mankind is an integral part of the Institution because it disseminates knowledge of the human species in its entirety. It is a milestone in its history and one of the most important documents of the Government of Odisha. Odisha is renowned as a virgin blossom of tribal cultures; A living museum of diverse tribal lifestyles, this museum showcases the cultural past and present, giving due recognition to tribal genius. It is located in a sprawling land, in a welcoming tribal environment where one feels lodged in a replicated tribal matrix. The tribal museum has now become a center of anthropological interest for locals, tourists, and foreign visitors. The museum helps visitors enrich their knowledge of tribal peoples, their society, and culture.
Si scoprono le orme del giainismo che svelano la bellezza di Kalinga Jina e le grotte di Jaina monk. Per compiere la fondamentale missione spirituale si devono visitare una volta nella vita le sacre colline Khandagiri & Udaigiri per catturare i rari scorci dell’antica scuola della religione Jaina e vivere l’eco silenzioso delle magnifiche grotte, favolosamente costruite, godendo in pura estasi della gloria incontaminata di sculture Jainiste, scavate tra il II e il I secolo a.C. con il famoso re di Kalinga, chiamato Kharavela. Questa era la stazione pioggia di monaci Jainisti. Si tratta di uno dei primi esempi di architettura nelle grotte dell’India. Godetevi il bel tramonto sulla piccola collina.
Visit the most important temples: Lingaraj, Mukteswar, Parsurameswar, Brahmeswar, and Rajarani. Among its 600 temples, the finest is the Lingaraj Shiva Temple, built in the 11th century and also the largest in Bhubaneswar. The temple is dedicated to Shiva, also known as “Lingaraj.” It is adorned with beautiful sculptures carved into the spire. Bindusagar Lake, located north of the Lingaraja Temple, is one of Bhubaneswar’s famous tourist attractions. The Lingaraj Temple (Non-Hindus are not allowed inside the temple. It can be viewed from an outside platform). Mukteshwar Temple is one of Bhubaneswar’s most important temples and was built in a style very similar to that used in the Kalinga school of temple architecture.
The Rajarani Temple is one of the most famous temples in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha. It is made up of the wonderful red and gold sandstone, which is locally known as Rajarani, which is what gives it the name ‘Raja Rani’.
Hirapur 64 Yogini Temple
A reflection on the strong tantric traditions prevalent in the Indian subcontinent since the 7th century BCE, nine Yogini temples have been discovered in the country to date, of which only four survive. Odisha has two of these amazing temples, one in Hirapur and the other in Ranipur Jharial in the Bolangir district. Turn left from the Bhubaneswar road and take the Puri road to Uttara Chhak, which is on the outskirts of the city. A winding road then takes you from Balakati village, crossing the Bhargabi River, to Hirapur in half an hour’s drive.
Bhubaneswar – Pipli – Konark – Puri
Durante il tragitto visita al villaggio Dhauli, Pipli e Konark. La Shanti Stupa a Dhauli Hills è un simbolo significativo di amore e pace. Il pellegrinaggio è significativo perché qui il re Ashoka si è dimesso dalle guerre violente. Dopo aver assistito a devastanti scene di sangue, la terra e il fiume Daya hanno ottenuto un colore rosso a causa della macellazione spietata di circa 150 000 guerrieri. Il re Ashoka era pieno di sofferenza, è proprio per questo motivo che ha deciso di rinunciare completamente alle guerre per tutto il resto della sua vita. È a Dhauli che Ashoka è ricorso al buddismo e ha presentato la sua spada davanti a Buddha.
Pipli è un centro per il lavoro di applicazioni, che descrive l’essenza della cultura Oriya. È noto anche per le tende da sole colorate e originali, tettoie, giardini e ombrelloni, e borse anch’essi altrettanto colorati. L’effetto cocktail dei colori è certamente una festa per gli occhi. Pipli, la capitale per le applicazioni di Odisha, si annuncia con forti macchie colorate e brillanti nelle vetrine dei negozi.
Konark – The third link in the golden triangle of Orissan
Konark è il luogo di uno dei più spettacolari esempi di architettura religiosa in tutto il mondo. Il Tempio del Sole a Konark è concepito come un carro enorme, con 24 ruote, tirante il Dio Sole attraverso i cieli con la forza di sette cavalli splendidamente scolpiti. Esso simboleggia la marcia del tempo e si trova in un solitario splendore, circondato da sabbia alla deriva a tre chilometri dal mare, ma in origine è stato segnalato per essere più vicino per cui è stato utilizzato come punto di navigazione dai marinai europei, che fa riferimento ad esso come il ‘Black Pagoda’. Questa meraviglia architettonica del XIII secolo è uno dei più grandiosi monumenti del mondo e anche un patrimonio mondiale dell’UNESCO. Il Premio Nobel e poeta Rabindranath Tagore ha detto: – Qui la lingua della pietra sorpassa la lingua dell’uomo-. L’esperienza di Konark è impossibile tradurla in parole.
Visita al villaggio locale di pescatori e interazione con la comunità locale.
We proceed to Puri.
For centuries, Puri Beach has been home to countless pilgrims taking the traditional purifying dip. However, for decades, both Indian and foreign beachgoers have made it their special retreat. Puri’s beautiful golden sands and the roar of the surf rolling in from the Bay of Bengal have captivated visitors for centuries. As with all beaches in Odisha, overcrowding is never an issue, and the sight of vacationers having the entire stretch of beach to themselves is not uncommon. Local fishermen with their catamarans and wide-brimmed cane hats are welcomed by tourists.
Later in the afternoon, we continue with a visit to the Jagannath Temple in Puri, one of India’s holiest pilgrimage sites. This 12th-century temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath—”The Lord of the Universe.” The wooden figures of the three deities, Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra, stand in the sanctorium, garlanded and decorated by the high priests. The extraordinary form that Jagannath takes, according to legend, is the unfinished work of the craftsman god Viswakarma, who angrily left this portrait of Vishnu unfinished. This majestic temple and its chronicles draw devotees from all over the world. The wide Bada Danda, the road leading to the majestic temple, offers a glimpse of the scaled grandeur that characterizes Puri. This is also the path to Nirvana, where the chariots of the beloved divine brothers, Jagannath, Subhadra, and Balabhadra, roll down in the famous annual Rath Yatra, which inspires awe and draws riotous crowds. In Puri, everything is meant to be grand. The main road is called Bada Danda, or Great Road; the sea is Mahodadhi, or the widest ocean; the bhog is called Mahaprasad, or the great Prasad.
(Non-Hindus are not allowed inside the Jagannath Temple, and to see it, one must go to the Raghunathan Library platform. This platform is closed on Sundays, but it can be viewed from another platform outside the temple.)
Puri -Raghurajpur-Chilka Lake-Manglajodi – Gopalpur
Gopalpur – Taptapani -Rayagada
Rayagada- Chatikona – Jeypore
Jeypore – Onukudelli – Jeypore
Kundumi – Vishakapatnam
Vishakhapatnam – Kolkata