India Travel

Beyond Taptapani in Southern Orissa

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Taptapani in Southern Orissa

One possible foray from Berhampur, if you're tempted by the lure of the nearby hills and scenes of Orissan countryside at its most rural, is the trip up to TAPTAPANI, a spa village nestled in the ghats 51km to the west. The road leads out through Berhampurs hectic commercial district to a broad, flat-bottomed river valley strewn with huge black granite boulders and poor-looking villages. Along the way, patches of rice paddy and red-brown soil are enlivened by glimpses of local women hard at work in their blue and green cotton saris. Paddy workers and cowherders are noticeable by the

Berhampur in Southern Orissa

BERHAMPUR is the last major Orissan town before Andhra Pradesh. There is little of tourist interest except perhaps the weavers' quarter around thetemple where the town's famous silk sans are still produced using traditional hand looms. Moving on is most people's priority. The mam bus routes from Berhampur are north to Bhubaneswar (4hr; the OTDC luxury bus leaves at 2.30pm); west past Taptapani (every 15min: Rsl5) towards Rayagada and Koraput; and east to Gopalpur-on-Sea. Private buses leave from the new bus stand, some way across town, while the state transport company works out of the more central bus stand in the

Travel details of Southern Orissa

Trains Bhubaneswar to: Agra (1-2 daily; 29-37hr 30min); Balasore (10 daily; 4hr); Bangalore (2 weekly; 31lir); Berliampur (7 daily; 2hr 30min-3hr); Calcutta (6-3 daily; 8-13hr); Chennai (2-4 daily; 20hr 45min-26hr); Cochin (4 weekly: 36-38hr); Cuttack (11 daily; 30-55min); Delhi (3-4 daily; 25-43hr); Hyderabad (3 daily; 20-24hr): Mumbai (1 daily; 38hr); Puri (7 daily; 2-3hr); Varartasi (3 weekly; 23hr). Puri to: Agra (1 daily; 38hr 40min}; Balasore (5-6 daily; 4hr 30min-6rir); Bhubaneswar (5-6 daily; 1 hr 3Qmin-2hr); Calcutta (2 daily: 11hr 30min); Delhi (3 daily; 32-44hr); Varanasi (3 weekly; 22hr). Balasore to: Bhubaneswar (7-9 daily; 3hr 45min-6hr); Calcutta (6-8 daily; 4-Shr); Puri

Southern Orissa

Long stretches of dishevelled roadside settlements and rural stations along the National Highway do not inspire much excitement about the stretch of coast between Puri and Andhara Pradesh. However, there are a couple of scenic detours that may tempt you to break a long journey. Three hours south of the capital, at the foot of a barren, sea-facing spur of the Eastern Ghats - which creep up to the coast here - is India's largest salt-water lake. Chilika's main attractions are the one million or so migratory birds that nest here in winter, and leisurely boat trips to its islands.

The southern area in Madhya Pradesh

The southern area of the enclosure harbours some of Sanchi's most interesting temples. Pieces of burnt wood dug from the foundations of Temple 40 prove that the present apsicial-cnded chaitya was built on top of an earlier structure contemporary with the Mauryan Stupa 1. Temple 17 is a fine example of early Gupta architecture and the precursor of the classical Hindu design developed later in Orissa and Khajuraho. Its small, flat-roofed sanctum is entered via an open-sided porch held up by four finely carved pillars with lion capitals. Nearby, directly opposite the Great Stupa's southern entrance, the talislender pillars of

Parasumaresvara Mandir in Orissa

The best preserved and most beautiful of Bhubaneswar's early temples, the lavishly decorated Parasumaresvara Mandir stands in the shade of a large banyan tree just beyond the square, and was built around 650 AD. Art historians rave about this temple, which, with its plain, rectangular assembly hall (jagamohana), simple stepped roof and squat beehive-shaped tower (deul), typifies the predominant style of late seventh-century Orissa. Tn addition to the sheer quality of its exterior sculpture, Parasumaresvara is significant in marking the then-recent transition from Buddhism to Hinduism. The brahmin may point out panels depicting Lakulisha, the proselytizing Shaivite whose sect was

Chilika Lake in Southern Orissa

Were it not for its glass-like surface, CHILIKA LAKE, Asia's largest lagoon, could easily be mistaken for the sea. From its mud-fringed foreshore you can barely make out the narrow strip of marshy islands and sand-flats that separate the 1100-square-kilometre expanse of brackish water from the Bay of Bengal. Come here between December and February, though, and you'll see dozens of migratory bird species from as far afield as Siberia and Iran, including avocets, ruffs, pelicans, ospreys, flamingoes and rare cranes. Chital and black buck can also sometimes be spotted on the shore, and schools of Hide dolphins surround the

Around the town in Orissa

Capital Market, situated m a residential area along Janpath, is the place to buy typical Orissan handlooms, handicrafts and jewellery. All the material shops claim to be the official government outlet, so the prices for lengths of beautifully woven cloth and ready-made garments are very competitive. Tucked in a corner of Unit Two East, next to a large fast-food joint, is a treasure-trove of tribal and village crafts and jewellery and materials, all at bargain prices. Ask to look in the dusty cupboards and you may well stumble across an antique mask or two. Hidden away on the northwestern edge of

Practicalities of Southern Orissa

The best place to stay on the lake is the excellent value Yatri Micas at Satapada on the coastal side, just 45km from Pun and linked by several daily buses. Some rooms have private balconies and the well-tended gardens run down to the lake; the restaurant prepares delicious thalis and fresh seafood if given advance notice. Rooms can be booked from Pun's tourist office. There's a cheap and accessible OTDC Panthaniwas (06810/57346), near the railway station at Rambha, 135km from Bhubaneswar, but it's lacklustre and best avoided. The only plus is that it's well placed for walks around the more

Simlipal National Park Accommodation in Orissa

Advance booking is officially required for all but one lodge, the Aranya Niwas, through the Field Director of Project Tiger, Banpada 757002, Mayurbhunj district, Orissa 06792/52593. It is not possible to pay for any accommodation using foreign currency or traveller's cheques. Where to go in Simlipal is largely dictated by the location of the lodges. There are six dotted around the park, but the best from the point of view of spotting wildlife is Chahala (83km from Banpada) - one of the maharaja's former hunting lodges, just inside the core zone near a salt-lick where animals congregate in the evemngs. As

Southern torana in Madhya Pradesh

Opening directly onto the ceremonial staircase, the southern torana was the Great Stupa's principal entrance, as is borne out by the proximity of the stump of Ashoka's original stone pillar. Over the years, some of the panels with the best sculpture have dropped off the gateway (and are now housed in the site museum), but those that remain on the three crossbeams are still in reasonable condition. A carved frieze on the middle architrave shows Ashoka, complete with royal retinue, visiting a stupa in a traditional show of veneration. On the reverse side, the scene switches to one of the

The central group in Orissa

The compact central group, just of Lewis Road, beyond the museum and OTDC Panlhaniwai Hotel, includes some of Bhubaneswar's most celebrated temples. In order to see the oldest first, follow the footpath from the main road past the more recent Muktesvara Mandir and its adjacent water tank, as far as a small square lined with cold-drink stalls and souvenir shops.

Southern Andhra Pradesh

The further south you travel from the fertile lands watered by the great Krishna and Godavari rivers, the less hospitable the terrain becomes, especially in the rocky southwest of the state. For Hindus, the main attraction in southern Andhra Pradesh is the tenth-century Venkateshvara temple, outside Tirupati, the most popular Vishnu shrine in India, where several thousand pilgrims come each day to receive darshan. Puttaparthy, the home town of the spiritual leader Sai Baba, is the only other place in the region to attract significant numbers of visitors. Both Tirupati and Puttaparthy are closer to Bangalore in Karnataka and Chennai

Chitragupta Temple at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh

Beyond the platform, and similar to its southern neighbour, Jagadambi, the heavily (and in places clumsily) restored Chitragupta temple is unusual in being dedicated to Surya, the sun god. Once again its design emphasizes the mandapa, which here has large projecting balconies, rather than the main temple. Ornate depictions of hunting scenes, nymphs and dancing girls accompany processional friezes, while on the southern aspect a particularly vigorous ten-headed Vishnu embodies all his ten incarnations. Within the inner chamber, the fiery Surya rides a chariot driven by seven horses. The small and relatively insignificant temple in front of Chitragupta, also heavily restored

Southern Maharashtra

Most tourists heading south from Mumbai skip southern Maharashtra, but if you have a little time you can break up the journey and ease the burden of covering vast distances. Pune retains its Maratha character, in the old quarter at least, and also boasts a unique museum; some may also be attracted by its much-dended Osho Commune. Hill stations such as Matheran provide coolness, wooded walks and fine views, while the Konkan coast has little-visited beaches and forts that make a pleasant journey down to Goa. From Lonavala, you can get to see the earliest Buddhist rock-cut art in the

Accommodation in Orissa

As state capital. Bhubaneswar offers the typical range of accommodation from luxurious five-stars to the filthiest of lodges. While the better-class hotels are spread out all over the city, the inexpensive places tend to be grouped around the railway station, or near the busy Kalpana Square junction at the bottom of Cuttack Road, a five-minute rickshaw ride away. The railway station also has retiring rooms if you're really stuck. Reservations must be made in advance at the counter in the main hall.

Gopalpur-on-Sea in Southern Orissa

Two thousand or more years ago, when the Kalingas were piling up wealth from the pearl and silk trade with southeast Asia, GOPALPUR-ON-SEA, formerly the ancient port of Paloura, must have been a swinging place. Today, the only time you're likely to encounter much action is during the monsoon, when the village is temporarily inundated with Bengali holiday-makers. For the rest of the year, its desultory collection of crumbling bungalows and seafront hotels stands idle, left to the odd backpacker blown off-course by the promise of an undiscovered beach paradise, and the armies of industrious fishermen hauling in hand nets

Coastal Bengal

The coast of West Bengal consists of two very distinct sections, on either side of the River Hooghly. To the east are the Sunderbans, one of the largest estuarine deltas in the world covering an area of 2500 square kilometres. Here you'll find the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve and the seaside resort of Bakkhali. On the west side of the Hooghly, an unbroken line of beaches goes all the way to Digha, the last resort before the coastline of Orissa begins.

Elsewhere in the compound of Konarak in Orissa

The first and largest of the two small shrines in the southwest corner, the Mayadevi temple (formerly dedicated to Surya's wife, the shadow goddess), is the most interesting of the other sites in the compound. Positioned at the north and south ends of the compound, now occupying their own separate pedestals, are the impressive colossi that once guarded the temple entrances: harnessed elephants to the north and rearing war-horses led by soldiers to the south. The lions that used to flank the eastern gateway have been moved to a spot near the "Hall of Offerings".

The beach of Jagannath in Orissa

If a peaceful swim and a He in the sun are your top priorities, you may be disappointed with Puri beach. It's not just the constant stream of hawkers that's the problem - the stretch of beach in front of the fishing village has become a three-kilometre-long open-air toilet and rubbish dump. Although it's a cheaper and perhaps more natural way of dealing with sewage than pumping it into the ocean, it does tend to get between your toes on the beach. If you want to swim and sunbathe, the stretch of beach beyond the Sanskrit University, 3km to the