Bhubaneswar is the capital of the East Indian state of Odisha (formerly known as Orissa).
About
Bhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Orissa, officially spelled Odisha. The city has a history of over 3000 years starting with the Mahamegha-bahana Chedi dynasty (around 2nd century BCE) who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital. Bhubaneswar has been known by names such as Toshali, Kalinga Nagari, Nagar Kalinga, Ekamra Kanan, Ekamra Kshetra and Mandira Malini Nagari (City of Temples) otherwise known as the Temple City of India. It is the largest city of Orissa, and a center of economic and religious importance in the region today.
Bhubaneswar's possession of magnificent sculptures and architectural heritage, coupled with the sanctity as Ekamrakshetra make this one of the great religious centres of Orissa since early medieval days.With its large number of Hindu temples (over 600 in number), which span the entire spectrum of Kalinga architecture, Bhubaneswar is often referred to as a Temple City of India and together with Puri and Konark it forms the Swarna Tribhuja (Golden Triangle); one of the most visited destinations in eastern part of India. The modern city of Bhubaneswar was designed by the German architect Otto Königsberger in 1946. Like Jamshedpur, Chandigarh, it is one of the first planned cities of modern India. With the Chandaka forest reserve on the fringes, the city with an abundance of greenery, is one of the cleanest and greenest cities of India.
Bhubaneswar replaced Cuttack as the political capital of the state of Orissa in 1948, a year after India gained its independence from Britain. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are often commonly together known as the twin-cities of Orissa. The metropolitan area formed by the twin cities had a population of 1.4 million during 2011.Bhubaneswar is categorized as a Tier-2 city. An emerging Information Technology (IT) hub, the boom in the metals and metal processing industries have made Bhubaneswar one of the fastest developing cities of India in recent years.
Modern Bhubaneswar is a well planned city with wide roads and many gardens and parks. The plan was made by Otto H. Köenigsberger, a German town planner. Though part of the city has stayed faithful to the plan, it has grown rapidly over the last few decades and has made the planning process unwieldy.
How to Reach
Bhubaneswar airportis well connected to most of the major cities of India.
Air India operates daily flights to and from
Delhi- Bhubaneswar - Delhi Mumbai - Bhubaneswar - Mumbai Bangalore- Bhubaneswar - Bangalore Hyderabad - Bhubaneswar - Hyderabad .
By train
Bhubaneswar is the divisonal headquarters of East Coast railways. It is situated on the main line from Kolkata to Chennai and is well connected by direct train service to most major Indian cities. For timings and other details check the Indian Railways website.Some major trains connecting Bhubaneswar with:
New Delhi
Rajdhani Express, Nandankanan Express, Kalinga Utkal Express,duranto express,puri express and Purushottam Express
Mumbai (Bombay)
Konark Express and Lokmanya Tilak Express etc.
Chennai (Madras)
Coromandel Express, Chennai Howrah mail etc.
Howrah (Kolkata)
Dhauli Express, Janasatabdi Express, Coromandel Express, Howrah Puri Express,Shri Jagannath Express,Falaknuma Express,Howrah Chennai Mail,Howrah Yesvantpur Express,EastCoast Express etc.
Hyderabad (Secunderabad)
Falaknuma Express, East Coast Express, Konark Express, Visakha Express etc.
Bangalore
Prashanti Express, Yeshwantpur Howrah Express, Yeshwantpur Guwahati Express(only on Mondays), Guwahati Express (wed,thu,fri)
By road
Bhubaneshwar is situated on the National Highway no.5 that runs between Kolkata and Chennai. It is 480 km from Kolkata, 445 km from Visakhapatnam, 1225 km from Chennai, 32 km from Cuttack, 130 km from Chilika Lake (Barkul), 184 km from Gopalpur-on-sea, 64 km from Konark, 62 km from Puri.
From Bhubaneswar after traveling 20 km there is a place known as Pipili. This place is famous for patching cloth design locally known as Chandua. From the center of Pipili market one has to take left turn to go towards Konark and the straight road goes to Puri.
By Road
Bhubaneshwar is situated on the National Highway no.5 that runs between Kolkata and Chennai. It is 480 km from Kolkata, 445 km from Visakhapatnam, 1225 km from Chennai, 32 km from Cuttack, 130 km from Chilika Lake (Barkul), 184 km from Gopalpur-on-sea, 64 km from Konark, 62 km from Puri.
From Bhubaneswar after traveling 20 km there is a place known as Pipili. This place is famous for patching cloth design locally known as Chandua. From the center of Pipili market one has to take left turn to go towards Konark and the straight road goes to Puri.
Get around
Getting around in Bhubaneswar does not take much time, due to the perfect town planning and well laid roads. Travel within Bhubaneswar is cheap even by Indian standards.
By Train Bhubaneswar has no suburban train network. Except for a couple of passenger trains to Naraj if you want to visit Nandankanan by train.
By Bus Town buses ply throughout the city. These are government-run and extremely cheap. You can buy bus tickets en route. Extreme caution is advised in using these buses as typical of any other Indian city.
By Taxi Auto-rickshaw drivers in Bhubaneswar are courteous and helpful. Still, negotiate a rate with the driver beforehand, and make sure that the driver understood your destination. For the budget traveler, Bhubaneswar offers shared autos, where you can make journeys even for Rs. 5.
There are several taxi companies operating in Bhubaneswar. They charge by the distance. There is a minimum fare for first few kilometres and for every subsequent kilometre they charge in increments. Cabs are the best choice in case you want to tour the city all day or visit nearby places. Also, generally there is a special price ('tour package') if you can bargain for it. Foreign nationals are advised to carry local currency.
By City Bus State has already launched the DTS city bus service which is Dream Team Sahara city bus service which operates around the city with 15 mins difference. You can ask to any local of the city for guidance. The few routes are Route No 315, 504, 801, 608 etc.
See
Bhubaneswar is one of three cities that make up three temple towns of Odisha and make the golden temple triangle of Eastern India. Bhubaneswar is a very religious center for Hindus and Buddhists. Bhubaneswar is also known as the temple city and there are many excellent examples of Oriya architecture in the old part of the city.
Work
Bhubaneswar has developed as an information technology hub. Infosys, Satyam, TCS, IBM, Wipro, Mindfire Solutions, Discoverture Solutions and others have their facilities here. Many indigenous players are also in the fray. There are a few private agencies that are cropping up, and now it is also becoming an education hub. Apart from a lot of engineering colleges, some good B-schools are also there. XIM and KSOM are the top two B-schools in Bhubaneswar.
The best bet would however be if you are a government worker, or at least a PSU employee. Mostly, your government quarter would be a 10-minute drive from the office. A 30-minute drive to office is considered a very long distance! These quarters are a blessing: there are enough playground and schools nearby. Both market for vegetables and grocery is literally at the doorstep, compared to other cities. One can both breathe clean, unpolluted air and drink pure, surplus water.
Buy
A lot of local handicraft is available. Look out for pipli handicrafts. .
Sleep
There is a variety of options from as low as 150 to 4000 rupees. Foreign travellers are generally expected to be attracted to the 3 star hotel and above range, but unfortunately their quality is not always satisfactory.. These would range from 1000 to 5000 rupees. One US dollar is equivalent to about 46 Rupees.
Stay safe
Bhubaneswar is one of the greenest cities in India and it has a clean look, with adequate arrangement for dustbins made by the local municipal authorities. It is a generally peaceful city with hardly any history of violence. Nevertheless, you should avoid travelling late in night as the city tends to sleep early. Also, wear cool, white clothes in the summer.
Respect
The temples are managed in the age-old traditions so be aware of the Hindu rituals and traditions before entering them. Make sure to take off your footwear when you enter a temple or any household. Women in particular needed to be cautious in their clothing and hygiene, but things are more equitable now.
Cope
It tends to be too hot in summer. So be careful if it comes in itinerary during April/May. Otherwise, it is welcome weather all through the year. The evenings are very tender and cool.Be aware of the many touts near to the tourist places—railways, temples, and hotels. The 'Pandas' can be notorious if not shown respect. But be within your limits and a polite no (sometimes repetitive) will be ok to avoid getting cheated. In case you have an issue with an auto rickshaw driver or taxi then please report immediately to a police outpost. There is always one around the corner. The police are also very helpful or just call 100.
Reproduced from Wikipedia
