A travel Guide to Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar Tourism

Bhubaneswar is known as India’s temple city, which also happens to be the capital of Odisha. While taking a tour of the place, you’ll find temples at every turn. The carvings on the temple walls, stone pillars, ancient coins and heritage monuments are an important part of Bhubaneswar tourist attractions and will help you revisit the past of this sacred land. This city is widely known for its architectural marvels and grand temples. Bhubaneswar India is a huge and important Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain pilgrimage centre for tourists coming from different parts of the world. Among others, the Lingaraj temple and the Parasurameswara temple are a significant part of Bhubaneswar tours.

Bhubaneswar is a bustling city with a variety of modern conveniences for tourists to visit. The progressive and modern presentation of this city is in perfect balance with its rich history and culture. The temple city is also endowed with a green canopy of forests and natural beauty, making it an appropriate place to visit for people who love to explore nature.

It’s effortless to find hotels in Bhubaneswar. With a prior booking of accommodation and proper planning, you’ll get to enjoy a smooth trip and enjoy the holidays to the fullest. This Bhubaneswar travel guide will help you plan your entire trip to this ancient city in an organised way.

Places to visit in Bhubaneswar

1. Lingaraj Temple

Lingaraj Temple is the finest example of “a purely Hindu Temple in India” and a significant part of Bhubaneswar tourism. It’s an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and was built back in the 11th century AD. This temple is widely famous for the Linga, which is the phallic form of Lord Shiva. It also signifies the syncretisation of Vaishnavism and Shaivism Sects in Odisha. In addition to this, the Odissi-style architecture and intricately designed stone vaults make this destination top the list of must-visit among Bhubaneswar tourist places. The Lingaraj temple is also famous for its Mahashivratri celebration, when the whole sanctum gets decorated with flowers, lanterns, and lights. On the north side of the temple is the Bindusagar Lake, which serves as a hub for temple festivities.

2. Tribal Museum of Odisha

The museum, with a rare collection of clothes, jewellery, musical instruments, weapons, tools, and other historical items, offers a clear glimpse of the culture and livelihood of the tribal people of Odisha. There are five life-sized huts built by the local tribal artists, representing the dwellings of Juang, Santal, Saora, Gadabadi, and Kandha tribes. Additionally, the place also displays personal adornments, personal belongings, art, photographs, weapons, agricultural instruments, hunting & fishing implements, housing objects, dhokra items and musical instruments belonging to the tribes in 5 different halls.

3. Rajarani Temple

Coloured with red and yellow sandstone, this 11th-century marvel is locally known as the "love temple" in Bhubaneswar. It's believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva at some point in time. Rajarani temple is famous among tourists for the fine details and the use of Pancharatha style. As per the niches, people believe that it's a part of the Saivite tradition of Hinduism. What's unique about this temple is that there are no images inside to describe which sect of Hinduism it belongs to. Interestingly, the Rajrani temple has also been an inspiration for many other temples in Central India.

4. Nandankanan Zoological Park

It's the first-ever zoo in India with a white tiger safari. Established in 1960, this is a unique zoo that is set inside a forest. Nandankanan Zoological Park is the first-ever zoo to breed Melanistic and White Tigers successfully. It's also the only conservation in the world that breeds Indian Pangolins. The place was built in a forest to protect flora and fauna in their natural habitat. On prior reservation from the Deputy Director’s office, you can find accommodation during the day time in the tourist cottages inside Nandankanan. This zoo is an interesting place among other Bhubaneswar tourist places to enjoy the wilderness.

5. Parasurameswara Temple

A unique site that was built in 650 A.D. with Oriyan style of architecture. The carvings and the detailed sculpture of the Parasurameswara temple depict the artistic splendidness of Bhubaneswar's past. This temple is adored for the beautiful carvings of Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, and Goddess Parvati. The significant attraction of this place is the presence of one thousand lingas in the temple’s northwest corner.

Things to do in Bhubaneswar

There’s a long list of things to do in Bhubaneswar. Check out the following to get going:

Fun activities at Jhoom Sports Club

The Jhoom Sports Club in Bhubaneswar is a place equipped with facilities like Go Karting, ATV biking, horse riding and swimming, besides a variety of indoor and outdoor activities. The club is spread across 2 acres of land equipped with hi-tech sporting vehicles. For sports lovers, this place definitely tops the must-visit list of Bhubaneswar attractions.

Visiting Regional Science Park

This is the best place for tourists with children. Spread across an area of 8 acres, the park consists of 84 mind-stimulating collaborative exhibits, allowing visitors to understand the role of science at a global and local scale. With very cheap entrance fees, this place offers three-dimensional figures and interactive programs ensuring proper knowledge.

Shopping

While travelling, collecting souvenirs is a must. There's a range of items that you can buy in the markets of Bhubaneswar, which includes items like handloom, handicrafts, local artist products, traditional jewellery, traditional dresses, whiskey bottle paintings, and Sambalpuri sarees. The famous shopping places for visitors are Ekamra Haat for wooden items, Saree Mandir for famous cotton Ikkat and Sambalpuri sarees, and Station Square.

Best time to visit Bhubaneswar

Travellers and devotees visit Bhubaneswar throughout the year. The time span between October to February is pleasant with cool weather, with the temperature hardly crossing 28 degrees Celsius. This is the best season to visit Bhubaneswar. As summer takes over from March, the heat and humidity levels in Bhubaneswar starts moving towards the rising point. The mornings and afternoons are harsh during this time, but the evenings can be cool. In the monsoon season, rainfall is pretty heavy, which can hinder your tour of Bhubaneswar tourist places. The air during this season is sweet and fresh and the entire city blooms. Considering everything, the best time to visit Bhubaneswar for tourists is the winter season.

How to reach Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, is an important Indian city and is well connected with other major cities via airways, roadways, and railways. Here’s a complete guide on how to reach Bhubaneshwar:

By Airways: Biju Patnaik International Airport is the only international airport, which is located at a distance of 3km from Bhubaneswar. There are frequently available flights to Bhubaneswar from the rest of the country. You can get a flight here from major cities of India.

By Roadways: Bhubaneswar is well connected with the National Highway network. You can drive along NH5 and NH203 to reach Bhubaneswar. There are private deluxe buses, AC buses, Non AC buses, and state-owned transport services made available. The Baramunda bus station is only 5 km away from the city centre, providing transport services to take you to other parts of the city.

By Railways: Situated at a distance of 5 km from the city centre, the Bhubaneswar Railway Station is well connected with several cities in the country. Important trains including Falaknuma Express, Visakha express, Howrah Puri Passenger, and the Howrah mail puff will help you reach this station. There are great taxi and auto services available outside the station, which will take you to your hotels or destination.