The Best of Odisha

OutlookIndia

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  About OUTLOOK TRAVELLER: India's best travel magazine, travel guides, and the only narrative travel writing website.  #Travel #OutlookTravel #OutlookMagazine #OutlookGroup

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.

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