The Best of Odisha

OutlookIndia
OutlookIndia
  • last year
What at first glance comes across as a typical coastal state dotted with majestic temples, reveals itself to be a treasure trove of heritage, culture and nature. Dive into all that Odisha has to offer.

Video Credits:
Writer- Nikita Nikhil
Editor- Suraj Wadhwa

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Transcript
00:00 Beautiful and bountiful, Orissa is the land of temples, rivers, waterfalls, paddy fields
00:15 and palm-fringed beaches.
00:18 Formerly known as Orissa, the state has a glorious past and holds a myriad of wonders.
00:26 Sri Jagannath Puri Temple One of the most popular temples in Orissa,
00:31 Sri Jagannath Puri Temple was built in the 11th century by King Indradhumna.
00:38 The glorious temple is an integral part of the Char Dham Yatra along with Badrinath,
00:43 Dwarka and Rameshwaram.
00:47 Apart from its exquisite architecture, the temple is also known for its scrumptious Mahaprasad
00:54 cooked in earthen pots for thousands of devotees every day.
01:00 Chilka Lake A paradise for nature lovers and bird watchers,
01:04 the Chilka Lake in Puri is the largest saltwater lake in Asia.
01:10 Dotted with a few islands and fisheries, Chilka Lake accommodates a wide assortment of flora
01:17 and fauna.
01:18 The pear-shaped lake is one of the two sites in the world where the endangered Irawari
01:24 dolphins can be spotted.
01:28 Lingaraj Temple Located in Bhuvaneshwar, Lingaraj Temple is
01:32 considered to be the most ancient and largest of all the temples here.
01:38 While some parts of the temple were built in the 6th century, it was renovated in the
01:43 11th century.
01:44 With as many as 6,000 visitors daily, the temple with its intricately designed stone
01:51 walls stands as a prime example of the Kalinga architectural style.
01:57 Parashur Rameshwar Temple The Parashur Rameshwar Temple in Bhuvaneshwar
02:03 dates back to 650 AD and gleams of detailed artistic splendor reflecting the glorious
02:09 bygone era.
02:12 The most unique feature of this temple are the thousand lingas that are carved in the
02:17 northwest corner of the complex.
02:20 Konark Sun Temple The first thing that comes to our mind when
02:24 we think of Konark is the 13th century Sun Temple.
02:29 A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this architectural marvel was built by Narasimha Deva I and is
02:36 dedicated to Lord Surya.
02:39 The temple is styled in the form of a magnificent chariot and has 12 pairs of beautifully carved
02:46 massive wheels, each drawn by seven galloping horses.
02:51 Hirakot Dam Constructed in 1956 across the Mahanadi River
02:56 in Sambhalpur, the Hirakot Dam is one of the longest dams in the world.
03:02 Stretching across Lakshmi Dungri Hills on the left and the Chandili Dungri Hills on
03:06 the right, Hirakot Dam is the perfect vantage point for bird watchers.
03:12 One of the first valley projects of India, it's home to several birds like common pochads,
03:18 red-crested pochads and great-crested grebes.
03:22 Puri Beach One of the finest coastlines in East India,
03:26 the sun-kissed Puri Beach with its pristine waters is the ideal spot for those seeking
03:32 some solitude.
03:33 It is also famous for its sand sculptures made by internationally acclaimed artist Sudarshan
03:39 Patnaik.
03:40 Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves A set of deep-cut sandstone caves, Udayagiri
03:46 and Khandagiri located near Bhubaneswar are remnants of India's glorious past.
03:52 The caves at Udayagiri were excavated by King Kharavela of the Mahamegavahana dynasty.
03:58 The 32 caves were made for Jain aesthetics, with Rani Gumpha being the largest and most
04:04 beautiful one.
04:07 In Khandagiri, the Ananta Gumpha has Gajalakshmi carved on the arc of the door, which Jains
04:13 consider an auspicious symbol of prosperity.
04:16 For more information on the best places to visit in India, visit www.gurudeva.com.