ODISHA

DRIVING: ODISHA – INDIA’S BEST KEPT SECRET

Destiny was kind to us, by giving us (a much dreamed of) comprehensive tour of Northern Odisha – driving around at our chosen pace. This region of India had been flashing as ‘unvisited’ on our must visit list for quite some time. We had a very ‘boxed’ kind of imagination about this magnificent region – thankfully it was shattered within a day. Having spent quite some time in The NCR – I too had developed a false image of this eastern Indian state. Bhubaneswar is a fairly well spread-out city – clean and well catered for.  The roads are wide and well maintained with a smooth flow of traffic.

This impromptu tour of ours began a few days before Christmas of 2025. The air fare between Delhi and Ranchi (why Ranchi! Well, continue reading) had sky-rocketed to a level, which seemed a bit ‘too much’ for us – so we opted for an overnight journey on The Ranchi Rajdhani Express. Must admit, the train staff pleasantly surprised us with their good service, cleanliness and punctuality. In fact, we de-board at Ranchi a few minutes ‘before time’. Though, lack of porter staff and the limited number of lifts on the platform, we got delayed for our reunion with our co-travelers (BKS).

After a quick ‘refreshing’ and a hearty traditional brunch we packed ourselves in our friends’ new car (yes, they were magnanimous enough in not only being our co-travelers but also offered their car). They say two is company and three is a crowd but in our case four was fun. Or was it fun because we were two (couples)! Though we were running behind schedule (blame the relaxed brunch) – but we caught up, thanks to the good roads and low density of traffic. By late evening we made it to our night abode at Chandipur (Balasore). Luckily, we had our bookings at a resort, bang on the beach. Chandipur beach is quite different to other beaches, as during high tide (midnight in our case) the water touches the walls of the resort, but during low tide one has to walk over the firm clay/ sand for a few hundred meters just to let your toes touch the water. The after-dinner walk was a bit scary (walking in the dark on an unfamiliar waterfront) but the morning walk turned out to be fun.

After Chandipur we drove down to Bhubaneswar where BKS had managed a couple of very comfortable guestrooms. So, Bhubaneswar became our hub from where we planned the drive to the places of our interest so that we could be back by evening. Our list consisted of –

(a)    Day 1 - Lingaraj Temple – Though we visited this marvelous 11^th century temple after sunset, still, we were smitten by the architecture. To appreciate the marvel of this group of temples, I recommend a daytime visit. These temples are not just religious places but are associated with some unique facts – which can best be understood if a proper guide is guiding you.

(b)   Day 2 – Puri & Konark – Compared to Lingaraj Temple, the Jagannath Temple (believed to be 1800 years old) at Puri demands a bit more time. To a layman – like us – the architecture looked similar to Lingaraj Temple, just marvelous, but there are some very prominent differences. A learned guide will be of a great help, in narrating the facets like –

-        The flag flutters in a different direction.

-        It is believed that The Jagannath Temple does not cast any shadow.

-        No birds fly over the temple.

       Etc.

   Konark is close to Puri and the drive is good, especially when you are close to the beaches. Lots of spots where one can stop for some fun time. A ‘guide’ is recommended at The Sun Temple, who will introduce you to the marvels and the intricate architectures – which you may otherwise miss out on. The IndianOil is doing some major restoration work at the complex, and soon the ‘inside’ of the main structure may be accessible to visitors.

For our return to Bhubaneshwar, we consulted Mr Google for a shorter route– and what a blunder it turned out to be. We were put on a very bad, isolated and unpredictable road.

( c) Day 3 – Udayagiri – Khandagiri Caves and Nandankanan Zoological Park -  We had planned this as our ‘go easy’ day, but it turned out to be just the other-way. One was prepared for some walking and climbing while going around the caves but the Nandankanan safari was an unpleasant surprise. Irrespective of your choice, whether you desire a full look-see or just the wildlife safari, be prepared to walk long distances and also stand in long queues to catch a battery-operated-cart or the safari bus up to the next drop-off point. Also, once you have walked a bit, it will be terribly difficult to turn back. You might as well remember the Pop-Music Group ‘Eagles’ and sing their popular number Hotel California – you can check-out any time you like, but you just can’t leave. So, by the time we walked out of the Nandankanan gates, sweaty clothes, aching muscles and hunger were yelling for the comfort of the guestroom. But the day was still not over! The acceptance of a dinner-date at the Golf Course Club had to be honoured. This turned out to be fun. Our hosts took extra efforts to make us comfortable. One comment from our host really stuck with me – ‘Odisha has only two seasons, four months of summers and eight months of extreme summers’.

Day 4 – Chilika Lake, We took the boats to go around the lagoon to see some migratory birds and dolphins from the boat. All this while during the boat ride, one was wondering as to how come the birds and the dolphins still ‘gifted us with the sightings. The cacophony by the numerous diesel engine powered boats in the lagoon, is ear-shattering.

The boatman took us to an island where some dealers were selling pearls – taking them out of  live Oysters. Some may not appreciate the process. One also gets the opportunity to tread across this narrow stretch of land to frolic in the Bay of Bengal on the other side. It was a very refreshing break. The sea was a bit rough, but good enough for a waste deep dip.

 

( e) Day 5 – Bhitarkanika  By now we were running short of ‘days’, as such we decided that the adventure tour to this enchanting marine sanctuary at Bhitarkanika can do without a night stay. This made our day a bit long, but no regrets. The massive (and babies too) ‘Saltwater Crocodiles’, monster lizards, birds, deer. Pythons etc. that one sees from the boat (with a diesel engine) is mesmerizing. You are also taken to an island where a marine park and a museum has been developed. Here one can also see some full grown ‘white’ crocodiles in small ponds. While returning to the finishing point, we got to watch the sun go down over the vast expanse of water, while sitting on the boat, with its engine shut (phew!). It was a mesmerizing sight.

(f)  Day 6 - Return After a lazy morning, we commenced our return to Ranchi. Saying ‘bye’ to this beautiful land of Odisha was difficult so we had a binge at a sweet shop – oh so sweet. Each day of this 2000 KMs trip, that we did, will remain etched in our memory always.   

Odisha, shouldn’t remain ‘Indias best kept secret’ (the official tagline) anymore. It should feature on the list of all travelers. The state has lots of potential to attract tourists – both religious and adventure. The administration has done its bit to highlight the major attractions, but the locals and the administration need to put in a lot more effort. Things like noisy boats, allowing tourists to touch and scratch parts of monuments, regulating the crowd etc. needs to be looked into.

I have not touched upon the many mind- boggling facts and some unexplained mysteries associated with the ancient temple complex – suggest some research before one visits them.