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The state of Orissa has much to offer in terms of sightseeing and activities. Along the 480 km coastline of Orissa are pristine beaches at Puri, Chandipur and Gopalpur. The state has low mountain ranges, waterfalls, hot sulphur springs and thick forests.
Chilka Lake is a birdwatcher’s delight with migratory birds stopping over for the duration of winter. Bhubaneshwar, Konark and Puri are the three temple towns.
Of all the places to see, Konark is famed for the magnificent stone chariot that is a temple dedicated to the Sun God. Visitors tavel to the shores of the Bay of Bengal to catch the first rays of the morning sun as it falls on the Sun Temple. Though the temple is not in use, it is believed that the first rays fell on the idol of the Sun God as it stood in the garba griha, the sanctum sanctorum. Each year a dance festival is held in temple precincts - it is an exquisite experience to see classical Indian dances performed against the temple, much the same way as must have been in the temple's heyday.
Orissa is equally well endowed with wildlife, some of which can be seen at Nandankanan Zoo which houses the rare white tiger; the Simlipal National Park, once the hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Mayurbhanj is today a picturesque tiger reserve traversed by twelve rivers, also home to leopards, elephants, gaur (Indian bison), mouse deer, flying squirrels, mugger crocodiles; the Bhitarkanika National Park with its variety of birdlife including storks, egrets, six species of kingfishers, white ibis and migratory ducks from Siberia; the Gahirmatha coastal region where the giant Olive Ridley Turtles come in their thousands each year all the way from the Pacific to breed; the hot sulphur springs at Atri, Taptapani, Deulajhari and Tarabalo believed to have medicinal properties are popular places to visit in Orissa. Rock caves in the twin hills of Khandagiri and Udaygiri were once functional monasteries for Jain monks make popular destinations for visitors to Orissa.
Go on a tribal sightseeing tour or explore the rock caves, where monks lived in splendid solitude. Do a bit of tiger spotting, bird watching, turtle peeping or simply soak away your aches and pains in sulphur spring spas; get religious and tour the temple towns or handicraft shop till you drop while in Orissa.
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