Enchanting Orissa

Arrive Bhubaneswar, the Capital city of the modern State and the ancient kingdom of Kalinga. You will be met upon arrival & transferred to your hotel. This afternoon you will proceed for the city sightseeing tour of Bhubaneswar, visit Lingaraj Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva built in the 11th century, proceed to Mukteswara temple built in the 10th century known for its sculpted tales from the Panchatantra carved on it, the temple is a magnificent example of Orissan architecture continue to The Rajarani temple set in picturesque surrounding is noted for its intricate carvings of floral, animal and human figures built in the 11th century. Rest of the evening is at leisure for individual activities, overnight at the hotel.

This morning you will visit Nandankanan Bilogical Park, The picturesque Nandankanan, or the Garden of the Gods, is a beautiful biological park, 20 kms from Bhubaneshwar, established in 1960. The park houses the very first captive gharial breeding centre of the country. The zoo at Nandakanan is world-renowned for its white tigers, enjoy an optional aerial ropeway and cable car.

Afternoon visit Caves- Khandagiri and Udaygiri hills were carved and tunneled, to create this multi-storied ancient apartment residence for Jain monks. They were the work of the first known Orissan ruler, King Kharavela, and probably begun in the first century BC Overnight at the hotel. Overnight.

This morning you will proceed for an excursion to Hirapur, famous for its 64 Yogini Temple, a 9th century temple & it is the only temple that has sculptures of female figures on its walls built with sandstones.Each figure stands on a severed human head holding a knife in one hand and a skull cup in the other. Another special feature is its entrance guarded with skeletal figures wearing garland of skulls and snake anklets. Later visit to Balakati bell metal crafts village, State and Tribal Museum and Ekamra Crafts village. Overnight at the hotel.

Today you will proceed to Puri, enroute you will visit, Dhauli-The battleground of Kalinga war during 3rd century BC, which transformed Emperor Ashoka into Dharmashoka, visit .Buddhist Peace Pagoda, built in 1970s.Famous for Ashokan Rock Edict and the Dhabaleswar Temple. Later visit Pipli village, famous for brilliant applique work known for its folk character and vitality.

Later you will visit Konarak- world heritage site -The temple chariot of the Sun God on the sands of Bay of Bengal is a 13th century architectural marvel. It is designed as a celestial chariot of Sun God, complete with twelve pairs of wheel and seven horses. This legendary temple has sculptures of great beauty covering all aspects of life. It is most famous for its erotic art. Later drive to Puri and proceed to your hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

This morning you will visit Puri-the city by the sea- is a major pilgrim center in India, founded by .Adi Shankara and is 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 Jurrernaut to the English language. The 12th century temple is known for its annual Car Festival. This afternoon you visit Raghurajpur pattachitra painting village. Raghurajpur- half hour drive from Puri.

The Patachitras- traditional folk paintings make beautiful wall hangings that lend a mystic touch to any decor. It is believed that the visit to Puri is incomplete without a visit to Sakshigopal. The temple is only 2 km away from the main road leading to Puri and is convenient to visit. A visit to Orissa would definitely be incomplete without a visit to this little village. Overnight at the hotel.

This morning you will proceed on a full day excursion to visit the famous chilka lake- the largest brackish water lake in the country spreading over 1200 sqkms and famous for its migratory birds and irawadi dolphins. . It attracts a large number of migratory birds, like the flamingo, teal, bar headed goose, shoveller and white - bellied sea eagle. For bird-lovers, Chilika is best visited in winter when the migratory populations wing in from places as far as Siberia. Evening is at leisure for shopping and individual activities, overnight at the hotel.

Today you will be transferred to airport/railway station for your onward journey.