Best Time to Visit Orissa

The best time to visit Orissa is between November and May when all the festivals take place. Luckily this period also coincides with the coolest weather the year round. Makar Sankranti which is celebrated around mid January with harvest festivals in all the villages, is a particularly nice time to visit the state. Other festivals are Adivasis Mela the tribal fair from Jan 26 to Feb 1, Magha Saptami in Jan/Feb at Chandrabhaga beach, near Konarak, Panashankanti held in early April all over the state, Chaitra Parba in mid-April when the Santals perform Chhou dances at Baripada and Ashokastami in April/May besides Puri’s Rath Yatra held in July.

Climate

The climate is usually temperate leaning towards warm and humid. In May, the hottest time of the year, average temperatures range from 27° to 38° C while the average winter (December) temperatures range from 16° to 28º C. Unfortunately, winter is also the time of the year prone to cyclones.

The annual rainfall is about 150 cm with most rain falling in the north and over the Eastern Ghats. The pre monsoon showers in the month of April cause extensive damage to the crops before the monsoons arrive by mid-June, when it really rains in this coastal state with southwest trade winds lashing the region.