Orissa

Area: 1, 55, 707 Sq kms. The Capital of the state is Bhubaneshwar.

Important Cities and Towns : Sundar Ghar, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Puri, Cuttack, Bhubaneshwar, Baleshwar, Baripada.

Boundaries:To the East of Orissa is Bay of Bengal, to the Northeast is West Bengal, to the South is Andhra Pradesh, to the West is Madhya Pradesh and to the North is Bihar.

Places of Tourist Interest : Bhubaneshwar, Gopalpur on sea, Puri, Sakshigopal, Konark, Chilka Lake, Hirakud dam, Nandan Kanan, Chandipur.

Rail: Locate on the main Calcutta-China line of the South Eastern Railways, the Dhauli Express is a convenient train from Calcutta, taking 7 hrs 20 minsfor the journey.Other important trains include Neelanchal Express from New Delhi, Kalinga Utkal express from New Delhi.  

Road: Orissa State Road Transport Corporation, other sate transport corporations and private buses link the state and places in neighbouring state. There are deluxe services to Calcutta, Rourkela, Bijapur, and Visakhapatnam. Sleeper services are also available. The main bus stand is at Barmunda, 8 km from the city centre .

Puri: Just the place to witness and take part in colorful festival round the year, Puri is famous for its celebrated annual festival of chariots, the Rath yatra, which is held in the beginning of the monsoon and has been attracting pilgrims and tourists for centuries .

Abode of lord Jagannath, literally Lord of the World, Puri is one of the four holy places in India.Located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, it has one of the finest beaches in the world.This pilgrimage town is also the abode of artisans and craftsmen who produce a wide range of unique handicrafts .

Chilka Lake : This is lake which extends over 1,105 square kms. On this lake couples can have pleasant boat rides. In moon light a boat ride on this lake is wonderful and most pleasant.To this region many different species of birds comer every year; especially in the Winter season rare and beautiful birds come from long distances; here for accommodation there is Parikondu Palace.

Cuttack : This city is surrounded by the Mahanadi on three sides.The Balavathi fort here, was built in the 13^th century.Here we can do lot of shopping.From silk sarees to silver vessels we can at cheap rates if we bargain. Beautifying articles are also available.

Ratnagiri: There are many Buddhist sculptures and Buddha idols.This Ratnagiri reflects the times of the Guptas.It was once full of wealth.

Hirakud : This dam, the biggest in India is built on Mahanandi river where nature can be seen in all her beauty.There is a Sivalayam.