Bhubaneswar is a Major City in the eastern coast of India, near to Bay of Bengal. It is the capital of Odisha state. Bhubaneswar is popular known as "Temple City", a nickname earned because of many temples which are standing there. In contemporary times, the City is a hub of Sports, Tourism and IT Industry in the country. Although the modern city of Bhubaneswar was formally established in 1948, History of the areas in and around the present-day city can be traced to the 1st century BC.
There are many temples of historical importance in Bhubaneswar. Out of them, two of the most prominent are Lingaraja Temple and RajaRani Temple. Lingaraja Temple is a 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 (55 Metres) tall. It was built in Kalinga-style architecture during 11th Century AD. The Temple Complex has about 108 Shrines and is enclosed by a large compound wall.
RajaRani Temple is an 11th Century AD Hindu Temple. Like Lingaraja, this Temple is also believed to be devoted to Lord Shiva. The shrine is called RajaRani because it is made of yellow and red sandstone, and the two colors are locally called ‘Raja Rani’. The temple is believed to have been known originally as Indreshvara. It is locally known as a "Love Temple" because of the erotic carvings of women and men and couples in the Temple. There are no images of any Deity inside its premises, and hence it is not associated with any sect of Hinduism, but is broadly classified as Shaivite based on its niches.
While in Bhubaneswar, one must pay a visit to Tribal Museum in the city. It was established in 1953 by State Government of Odisha. It portrays the life and culture of Odisha’s 62 Tribal Communities and is regarded as one of the best Tribal Museum in India. Showcasing the rich cultural past and present of Odisha’s tribes, the Odisha State Tribal Museum is a living museum. The Museum’s primary role is to represent the richness of indigenous Tribal Cultures, and the mutlifaceted Religious, Cultural and Social systems followed by tribal communities. It also organizes several Training Programs, Workshops and Seminars for the conservation of tribal culture and the development of tribal communities.
On the outskirts of Bhubaneswar are located Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves. They are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance, located 7 KM (12 Minutes drive) from the heart of the city. The caves are situated on two adjacent hills, Udayagiri and Khandagiri from where they get their name from. Most of those caves were carved around 1st century BC. Udayagiri has 18 caves while Khandagiri has 15 caves. Rani Gumpha is the largest and most popular cave among the caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri. It was a double-storeyed Jain Monastery in ancient times.
Nandankanan Zoological Park is about 12 KM (30 Minutes drive) from Bhubaneswar. It is a 437 hectares (1080 acres) zoo and botanical garden located in Barang village of Odisha. It was opened to the public in 1979. The zoo is home to about 1660 individual Animals, representing 166 Species, including 67 Mammals, 81 Birds and 18 Reptiles. About 3 Million Visitors visit the zoo every year.
Bhubaneswar is well-connected by Road, Rail and Air. It is 441 KM from Kolkata via NH16 and 430 KM from Vizag (Visakhapatnam) on the same highway. Buses (both State Transport and Private) operate from Bhubaneswar to all districts in Odisha and to neighbouring state's cities like Hyderabad, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Raipur and Ranchi. Bhubaneswar Railway Station has rail connections to several cities in Eastern, Southern and Central India. Bhubaneswar's sole Airport is called Biju Patnaik International Airport. It is nearly 8 KM (about 22 Minutes drive) from the heart of the city. Indigo, Air India and Akasa Air have connections from Bhubaneswar to other cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad etc.
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