Ageless Explorer –   Heritage Tour of Odisha

On arrival at Bhubaneshwar airport, transfer to Puri – a coastal city and the district headquarters of Puri district. It is situated on the Bay of Bengal, 60 kilometres south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. Puri is famous for the world-famous Shri Jagannath Temple & Longest Golden Beach. It is one of the Dhamas.

En-route visit Dhauli or Dhauligiri is a hill located on the banks of the River Daya,

known for “Dhauli Santi Stupa”, a peace pagoda monument which witnesses the great Kalinga War built by Japan Budhha Sangha and Kalinga Nippon Budhha Sangha. Dhauli hill is presumed to be the area where the Kalinga War was fought. Hirapur (The Chausath Yogini Temple (64-Yogini Temple) – Also called Mahamaya Temple, located on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, Hirapur is a small town known for a hypaethral (open to the sky) temple of 64 Yoginis, called the Yogini Temple. It is said that the temple was hypaethral because the yogini cult used to worship the five natural elements: air, water, fire, earth and ether/sky. Pipli– It is famous for designing beautiful Applique handicrafts. It is a town of artisans famous for their colourful fabrics.

Transfer to hotel. Complete the check in formalities. Post lunch visit Jagannath Temple – dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu – one of the trinities of supreme divinity in Hinduism. King Indradyumna of Avanti has built the main temple of Jagannath at Puri. The present temple was rebuilt from the tenth 10th century onwards, on the site of pre-existing temples in the compound but not the main Jagannatha temple, and begun by Anantavarman Chodaganga, the first king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. Many rumours are spread about the temple but there is no solid proof of it.  The temple is one of the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavate tradition. The Puri temple is famous for its annual Ratha Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three principal deities are pulled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars, Worship is performed by the Bhil Sawar tribal priests as well as priests of other communities in the Jagannath temple.  Transfer back to hotel. Overnight stay at Puri.

Meals: Lunch and Dinner.

After breakfast, proceed Chilika Lake Satapada – Satapada is a town. In Odia sata means “seven” and pada means “village”, so Satapada means group of seven villages. It is located 50 kilometres from Puri. Satapada on Chilika is home to the Irrawaddy dolphin.

Chilika Lake is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia and second largest coastal lagoon in the world, Chilika Lake comes after the New Caledonian barrier reef. It has been listed as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent. The lake is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals.The lake is an ecosystem with large fishery resources. Enjoy a Boat Cruise to visit the Irrawaddy Dolphins – a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in scattered subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia. Rajhans Island – is located on the confluence of Chilika Lake and Bay of Bengal

Post lunch, visit Alarnath Temple or Alvarnaatha – dedicated to Vishnu and located in Brahmagiri, it becomes crowded during the Krishna Paksha of Ashadha, after the Snana Yatra when devotees are not allowed to see the central icon of Jagannath (a form of Vishnu) in his Puri temple. After darshan, return to Puri. Rest of the evening at leisure or visit the market. Overnight stay at Puri.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Post breakfast, proceed to visit – Konarak – a medium town in the Puri, it lies on the coast by the Bay of Bengal. It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple, also known as the Black Pagoda, built in black granite during the reign of Narasinghadeva-I. Visit the Sun Temple – The temple is attributed to king Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty about 1250 CE. Dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya, what remains of the temple complex has the appearance of a 100-foot-high chariot with immense wheels and horses, all carved from stone. Once over 200 feet high.

After darshan continue with the journey and visit Ramchandi Temple – a beautiful spot on the banks of the Kusabhadra River where it flows into the Bay of Bengal. Goddess Ramachandi, the deity of Konark is thought by some to be the presiding deity of this temple, while others thought it to be the temple of Mayadevi, wife of Surya (Sun God).  Chandrabhaga Beach – situated 3 Kms of the Sun Temple. Formerly Chandrabhaga was considered a place of natural cure for lepers. Chandrabhaga beach on the coast of Konark becoming India’s first to get the Blue Flag certification — a tag given to environment-friendly clean beaches, equipped with amenities of international standards for tourists. One of the finest beaches with a long stretch of clean sands & the beach has its own lovely serenity.  Chandrabhaga Coral Reef, is one of the prominent living corals reefs of India offshore from Chandrabhaga beach. It is believed that Samba (Krishna’s son) after curing leprosy worshiped the Sun God on the river mouth of Chandrabhaga, the river dried up. It is reduced to a dry bed or a narrow trickle. It has been an ideal place for religious activity.

After full day sightseeing, transfer and check in at the hotel. Overnight stay at Puri.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Check out from hotel after breakfast and transfer back to Bhubaneshwar – an ancient city in India’s eastern state of Odisha, formerly Orissa. Many temples built from sandstone are dotted around Bindu Sagar Lake in the old city, including the 11th-century Hindu Lingaraja Temple. Outside Rajarani Temple are sculpted figures of the guardians of the 8 cardinal and ordinal directions.

En-route visit Raghurajpur – A heritage crafts village, known for its master Pattachitra painters and Gotipua dance troupes. The village is also home to crafts like Tussar painting, palm leaf engraving, stone carving, wood carving, cow-dung toys, papier-mache toys, and masks. Sakhigopal Temple – formally known as Satyabadi Gopinatha Temple is a medieval temple dedicated to Lord Gopinatha. The temple is built in the Kalinga Architecture style.

Post lunch visit Lingaraj Temple – Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneswar. It is the largest temple in Bhubaneswar. The central tower of the temple is 180 feet tall.  Mukteswar Temple – A 10th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The temple dates back to 950–975 CE. Kedar Gouri Temple – Modest Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva featuring colourful sandstone structures & towers.  Parsurameswar – is considered the best-preserved specimen of an early Odia Hindu temple dated to the Shailodbhava period between the 7th and 8th centuries CE. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and is one of the oldest existing temples in the state.   Rajarani Temple – The temple is believed to have been known originally as Indreswara. It is locally known as a “love temple” because of the erotic carvings of women and couples in the temple

Check in at the hotel. Later in the day visit – Khandagiri & Udaigiri Jain Caves – Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves, formerly called Kattaka Caves or Cuttack caves, are partly natural & partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance. Iskcon Temple – Hindu temple devoted to Lord Krishna featuring a garden & a lotus-shaped shrine, plus an eatery. Return to hotel after sightseeing. Overnight stay at Bhubaneshwar.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Breakfast at the hotel. Later in the day visit Nandankanan Zoo (Monday closed) & Botanical Garden – A 437-hectare Zoo and Botanical Garden established in 1960, it was opened to the public in 1979 and became the first zoo in India to join World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2009. It also contains a botanical garden and part of it has been declared a sanctuary. Nandankanan, literally meaning The Garden of Heaven is in the environs of the Chandaka Forest and includes the 134-acre Kanjia Lake. Tribal Museum- Established in 1953, the Museum of Tribal Art and Artefacts (now known as Odisha State Tribal Museum) celebrates the life and culture of Odisha’s 62 tribal communities and is regarded as one of the best Tribal Museum in India. Ram Temple – The temple houses images of the deities Rama, Lakshman, and Sita. Kala Bhumi Art & Craft Museum (Closed on Monday) – The museum celebrates the craftsmanship of Odia artisans by putting on display their breath-taking masterpieces. Divided into 2 blocks, the museum has a display area and a live section.Return to hotel after sightseeing.  Rest of the evening free at leisure / Shopping (on your own). Overnight stay at Bhubaneshwar.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast check out from the hotel and transfer to airport to board the flight for onward journey.

Meals: Breakfast