Bhubaneswar-the city of “Lord of Universe”

 

The city of Bhubaneswar and its vicinity is full of history and religious fervor. The city itself means the city of the “lord of universe”. There is lot to see in Bhubaneswar and its surroundings including holiest of temples, ancient caves, famous historical sites , wildlife sanctuaries, lakes and the beaches. All within 100 kilometers. I got an opportunity to visit Bhubaneswar and the traveler in me never leaves an opportunity to see the places as much as I can. It was a three day trip but I managed to see almost all the notable sites.

I started by trip with a visit to Konark, which is located at a distance of about 80 kilometers from Bhubaneswar. The Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century Hindu temple dedicated to the Sun God. Shaped like a giant chariot, the temple is known for the exquisite stone carvings that cover the entire structure. The temple is a   World Heritage Site since 1984 and is one of the most visited sites in Orissa. Tourists from every nook and corner of the country and abroad can be seen throughout the year at Konark. The temple takes the form of a huge chariot for the Sun God Surya, with 12 pairs of stone-carved wheels and a team of seven galloping horses. Only two of these seven horses is now intact. The temple also symbolizes the passage of time, which is under the Sun God's control. The seven horses, which pull the sun temple eastwards towards the dawn, represent the days of the week. The 12 pairs of wheels represent the 12 months of the year.

       The temple follows the traditional style of Kalinga architecture. It is carefully oriented towards the east so that the first rays of sunrise strikes the principal entrance. I was told that the  original temple had a main sanctum sanctorum, which was supposedly 229 feet  tall. But it has fallen off. The audience hall which is about 128 feet tall, still stands and is the principal structure in the surviving ruins. Among the structures, which have survived to the current day, are the dance hall and the dining hall.

Dhauli is the place near Bhubaneswar is the plains that bore witness to the gruesome war waged on Kalinga by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka. It was here that Ashoka, full of remorse after the Kalinga War in 261 BC, renounced his blood-thirsty campaign and turned to Buddhism. Dhauli is of great historical importance as one of the famous Rock Edicts of emperor Ashoka is located here.

A shanti stupa also known as Peace Pagoda is built at the spot where kalinga war was fought. This Buddhist structure was built jointly in 1972 by the Japan Buddha Sangh and the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangh. Situated on the opposite hill of Dhauli Giri, it was built through the Indo-Japanese collaboration and was constructed by the chief priest of Nipponzan Myohoji, who came to India in 1930 from Mt. Minobu, the original holy place of the Nichiren Sect.The stupa depicts Emperor Ashoka renouncing war by offering his sword to Lord Buddha at Dhauli Giri.

It was nice feeling to have witnessed this famous site , which I have been reading in my history books since my school days.

 Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance. The caves are situated on two adjacent hills, Udayagiri and Khandagiri. They have a number of finely and ornately carved caves. It is believed that most of these caves were carved out as residential blocks for Jain monks during the reign of King Kharavela. Udayagiri means has 18 caves while Khandagiri has 15 caves. The Hathigumpha cave ("Elephant Cave") has the famous Hathigumpha inscription, written by Raja Kharavela,  during the 2nd century BC. This inscription is the main source of information about King Kharvela. The inscription mainly mentions the various conquests of this king, starting with his fight against the Satavahana king Satakarni. The inscription also mentions that Kharavela forced the Indo-Greek  king Demetrius to retreat from Rajgir.

Chilika is located 81 kilometers from Bhubaneswar and is the largest brackish water lake in Asia covering an area of over 1,100 sq. km. It is a great attraction for the tourists for fishing, bird watching and boating. In winter Chilika is flooded with thousands of indigenous and migratory birds of many varieties from far and near - even from the distant Siberia. Kalijai Island, Honeymoon Island, Breakfast Island, Birds Island, Nalabana (Island of Reeds), Parikud Island, etc. are some of the important and interesting spots inside the lake.

The Island of Kalijai is famous as a center of religious worship due to the temple of Goddess Kalijai where a big fair is held on the occasion of Makara Sankranti. The Island of Nalabana, 8 km in circumference occupies a unique place in the vast expanse of Chilika Lake as it happens to be the central point for the migratory birds. One can view the dolphins at Chilika mouth near Satpara.

The resort at Chilka , where I stayed for a day itself is a pleasant surroundings .The mornings especially is beautiful with a view of the vast lake and the chirpy sound of the migratory birds. But a day seemed too less .I would recommend atleast 3 days to enjoy the calmness of the place and to explore the Chilka lake , which itself has many things to offer right from dolphin sighteeing to migratory birds, visits to small islands and the historical temples.

Jagannath Puri located 65 kilometers from Bhubaneswar  is the abode of Lord Jagannath (Krishna) or Purushotham, the Lord of the Universe. It is one the holiest places for the Hindus and considered as one of the four dhams or holiest places for Hindus on earth, the other three being temples at Rameshwaram, Dwaraka and Badri-Kedar. The Annual Rathayatra festival is the high point of all the Festivals celebrated in Puri and has been attracting lakhs of devotees and pilgrims since time immemorial. The temple was built in the 11th century atop its ruins by the progenitor of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva.

Lingaraj Temple is dedicated to Shiva and is one of the oldest temples of Bhubaneswar. Shiva is worshipped as Harihara, a combined form of Vishnu and Shiva. The temple is the most prominent landmark of the Bhubaneswar city. The Lingaraja temple is the largest temple in Bhubaneswar. The central tower of the temple is 180 ft tall. The temple represents the f the Kalinga Architecture . The temple is believed to be built by the kings from the Somavamsi dynasty. The temple is more than 1100 years old, dating back in its present form to the last decade of the eleventh century, though there is evidence that part of the temple was built during the sixth century as the temple has been mentioned in some of the seventh century Sanskrit texts.

 Puri Beach is another tourist attraction. The beach is the site of the annual Puri Beach Festival, and hosts sand art displays, including work by international award winning local sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik.Its on th ebay of bengal .