CUISINE :

The large part of orissan food tastes sharp and mild, and the rice forms the staple food. Dalma is the speciality of orissa (odia) cuisine.

Besara : it forms another typical culinary taste also known as ghanta or mahura. The daily fare also consist of dahi baigono, bhaji, aloo bharatha .

Pakhal : cooked rice soaked in water overnight is a widely prevalent common person meal. Cake are prepared specially at the festive occasion from rice power and Dal named as Kanika or Khechudi, payas, Padaitha, Arisa, Chitau, Manda and Kakara.

The food cooked in the temples (mahaprasad) is prepared without onion and garlic by a unqiue steaming process food item are preaped in mass scale in the kitchen of temples.

The sea food consisting of fresh prawns, crabs and the pamphlet fish abundant in coastal area.

The delectable sweet meants of orissa are chennapoda (baked cheese cake), chenajhilli (sweet preapered from wholesome cheese), rasabali, pitha, kheri (dish similar to rice pudding) and other local delicacies also include dhanmuan, khai (puffed paddy sweetened by jaggery) and the kora.

Among the beverages, tea is more common, fresh fruit juices, coconut milk, lassi are freely available.

INFRASTRUCTURE :

The road,rail and air connectivity is almost at par with the best in the country.BBSR is the major airport,orissa has 3194km length of national highway & 4825 km of state highway.(OSRTC) & private buses connect.Paradeep is a major port in the eastern coast & two more ports DHAMARA & the other an all weather port at GOPALPUR ( to be operatinally by 2010).

Orissa is a power surplus state with the present coal based plants of NTPC at Takher & Ranipur-Hingir and the hydel power projects at Hirakud, Machhkund, Rengali, Kolab & Indrawati & the first to privates the power distribution.

A deemed university KIIT & score of quality technical institutes dot the educational landscapes of the states.Orissa has nine universities, 39 degrees Engineering colleges, comptures education centers and 176 poly techniques and ITIS.

SAMBALPUR

AN ancient centre of diamond trade, Sambalpur is famous for its tie and dye textiles; folk dance and music; and also for the Hirakud Dam, one of the longest mainstream dams in the world.
Ushakothi Wildlife Sanctuary : This 130 sq. km forest has wild elephants, leopards, bisons, black panthers and many more species of animals and birds. There are watch-towers for visitors for viewing the animals. The sanctuary is 48 km east of Sambalpur on N. H. No. 6.
Huma’s Leaning Temple is 32 km from Sambalpur. It is a Shiva temple on the bank of Mahanadi.
Nrusimhanath : Famous for its 15th century temple, Nrusimhanath is 164 km from Sambalpur via Bargarh. The place is also known for its waterfalls. There is a Panthasala ( Tel. No . 72436) for accommodation.
Pradhanpat : The Pradhanpat hill with its pictursque waterfall offer a rare scenic beauty. These falls are close to Deogarh, a district headquarters town- 96 km from Sambalpur.
How to get there : Sambalpur has direct train links and bus services.

PURI

PURI, the city by the sea, is a major pilgrim centre in India. Adi Shankara founded one of the Peethas here. Puri is also famous for its Golden Beach, ideal for swimming and surfing.
But the fame of Puri emanates most from the Jagannath Temple, which contributed the word ‘Juggernaut’ to the English language. This 12th century temple is known for its annual Rath Yatra or Car Festival. Within its precincts are the smaller temples of Vimala, Lakshmi, Vishnu and innumerable Gods and Goddesses and the Ananda Bazar, the world’s biggest food market. Gundicha Ghar is a small sanctum about 2 km from the main temple, where the idols are taken during Rath Yatra for a week’s sojourn. On the outskirts of the city is Shri Lokanath, an honoured shrine of Lord Shiva.
The grand road called Bada Danda is a shopper’s delight. It offers typical Puri handicrafts like miniature stone sculptures, wood carvings, sea-shell items, patta-paintings on cloth and applique work. Shoppers have another avenue at Swargadwara at the southern end of the beach. The atharnala Bridge near Puri spans seven centuries. Built in the 13th century A. D. this engineering marvel over the Madhupur stream is still is use. Talking of beaches, never miss the Balighai. This is an estuary of the river Nuanai, 8 km north of Puri. A famous picnic spot, it abounds in deer and colourful birds.
Brahmagiri, 25 km from Puri, is known for the Alaranath shrine. The Baliharachandi shrine is nearby. Only 27km from Brahmagiri is Satpada, an ideal place to enjoy Chilika and to have a glimpse of cavorting Dolphins. The Sakshigopal Temple, with a life-size image of Lord Krishna and the Artists village, Raghurajpur are 25 km and 15 km respectively from Puri.

BHUBANESWAR

CAPITAL city of the modern state and the ancient kingdom of Kalinga, Bhubaneswar is known as the Temple City of India. Among the finest of its 600 temples is the Lingaraja Temple of Shiva, built in the 11th century. It is also the biggest in Bhubaneswar.
No less famous is the Mukteswara Temple which was built in the 10th century. It is well known for its stone arch at the entrance and is richly sculpted. With the tales from the Panchatantra carved on it, the temple is a magnificent example of Orissan architecture. The Rajarani Temple, set in picturesque surrounding, is noted for its intricate carvings of floral, animal and human figures. Constructed in the 11th century, it has an unusual tower. More interestingly, the temple has no deity.
Close to the Mukteswara Temple is the Parsurameswara Temple, a small but richly decorated shrine of Shiva that was built in the 7th century. It is one of the best preserved. It has sculptures featuring amorous couples, animals and floral motifs. The Svarnajaleswara Temple located a little south of Parsurameswara Temple has beautiful depictions from the epic Ramayana. Vaital Temple is architecturally striking. It is a temple for Goddess Chamunda (Kapali) and has a tantric influence. About 15 km from Bhubaneswar is the Yogini Temple at Hirapur. One of the four Yogini Temples in India, it has beautiful Yoginis carved from black chlorite.
The Buddhist influence is spread all over Bhubaneswar. Ashokan Rock Edict is situated at Dhauli, 8 km south of the city. The sculpted elephant atop the edict signifies the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism after his Kalinga victory. This is said to be the earliest rock-cut sculpture in India.
On the Dhauligiri Hills, where the great Kalinga war was fought, stands a very modern monument to world peace, the Vishwa Shanti Stupa. This magnificent Buddhist Temple was built by Indo-Japanese collaboration. Below the Dhauligiri Hills, the river Daya flows peacefully.
Rock-Cut Caves are also seen on the hills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri which are about 8 km from Bhubaneswar. The double-storeyed Rani Gumpha (Queen’s Cave) is the largest cave with ornate carvings.
The Hati Gumpha (Elephant Cave) has the Chronicle of King Kharavela carved on it.
The excavated ancient township Sisupalgarh lies a few kilometers southeast of the city towards Puri. A fortified town surrounded by a natural moat, it was probably the capital of Kalinga in the 2nd century B. C.
Bhubaneswar has three museums, one celebrating Orissan heritage and the others; the handicrafts and the tribal research museum. The Orissa State Museum in the city has a rich collection of sculptures, coins, copper plates, stone inscriptions, lithic and bronze-age tools, rare palm leaf manuscripts and traditional folk and musical instruments. The Handicrafts Museum has a handsome collection of stone sculptures, patta-paintings, brass castings, horn toys and silver filigree.
While the temple and monuments and redolent with the culture of a hoary era, the vibrance of life throbs in the sprawling Nandan Kanan Zoological Park. Endowed with a natural lake, it is known for the rare white tigers and migratory birds which nest here during winter. It has also the country’s largest Lion Safari Park and White Tiger safari with Ropeway and Toy Train. The park is located 20 km from Bhubaneswar but it is closed on Mondays.
Another attraction is the Atri Hot Sulphur Spring. 42 km from Bhubaneswar, near the famous Hatakeswara Temple. It has a Bathing Complex for tourists.