Places to visit around Bhubaneshwar Odisha

Shivani

8 years ago

Mukhteshwar Temple Bhubaneswar Odisha Inda

Places to visit around Bhubaneshwar

If you wish to travel to Odisha – the state famous for Handlooms and the tribal culture, I would recommend keeping the capital as the center point as a number of places can be covered as day trips from Bhubaneshwar. There are a lot of sightseeing places in Bhubaneswar but today, I present you with options for the things to do around the capital as day trips.

1. Places to visit around Bhubaneshwar – Puri

A small town located in the eastern state of India aka Odisha, Puri is a highly renowned state with its significance because of the presence of Jagannath Temple in the city. The Jagannath temple is of prime importance to Hindu religion as it is one of the char dhams in Hinduism. Bhubaneswar to Puri is hardly 60 km and you can spend more than a day in Puri. If you wish to keep Bhubaneswar as the center, then Puri can be easily covered in a day as well.

Interested in exploring unheard temples in Odisha? Learn about the fascinating temple Biraja of Jajpur, whose references are also found in the famous Hindu epic Mahabharat.

Apart from the Jagannath temple, Puri is also famous for its gorgeous Golden Sand beach which attracts tourists from the nearby states. With its close proximity to the beach, it is recommended to cover all the places in early morning or post 16h00 while the sun will about to be set down. Head to the beach early morning or late evening to avoid heat stroke!! If you’re flying from Delhi into Bhubaneshwar, you’ll need to hire a taxi to Puri for a relative distance of 1.5hours. You will be delighted to see the beautiful farm side of the state while on the drive. Spending a morning while sunrise on the Puri is one of the best things to do in Odisha.

Check out – Places to visit in Puri!

2. Places to visit around Bhubaneshwar – Konark

Konark is well known in India and abroad for the historic thirteenth century Sun Temple. Located in close proximity to Puri, the small town is easily accessible from the road via bus and cabs. The Sun temple is a UNESCO world heritage site and thus attracts millions of tourists from India & abroad. The Marine drive or the coastal line of the town is also a must visit for a refreshingly clean and quiet beach than the touristy Puri beach. Konark hosts a Dance festival every year since the late 19th century which is held in the Dancing hall in the backyard of Konark Temple. To experience various dance forms from India including the famous Odissi from the hosting state, visiting the festival is a must.

Know more details on Konark!

3. Places to visit around Bhubaneshwar – Shanti Stupa

Shanti Stupa is one of the famous Peace Pagodas across the world which dates back to 232 BCE. As the name suggests, the Stupa was built to symbolize the end of the war and the beginning of a new world where Peach might prevail. Located on a hilltop just outside of the capital city of Odisha in the Dhauli district and thus is also known as Dhaulagiri. The Buddhist center was established by King Asoka after the Kalinga war ended leading the deaths of millions of people. One hidden spot near Shanti Stupa is the Ashokan Edicts through where Asoka spread the word of Peace in the ancient language – Brahmi script. Indeed underrated place but among one of the top things to do in Odisha.

Learn more about Shanti Stupa!

4. Places to visit around Bhubaneshwar – Chilika Lake

Asia’s largest lagoon is Chilika lake is a brackish water lake covering more than three districts of Odisha. The visit to Chilika lake is more of a visual feast to the eyes and a place to enjoy the view of those old-fashioned boats making loud noises taking you back in the 19th century. Merging into the Bay of Bengal, a natural habitat of Irrawaddy Dolphins and home to Migratory birds in the winter season is the serene Chilika lake for a traveler. The journey from the capital to the lake will take you through the beautiful countryside of Odisha, where you will come across small villages, people drying and selling fishes on the roadside. Beware of the hawkers trying to sell pearls while luring to you to see and hold the red crabs, those are fake – yup we are a victim of that 😀

Learn more about the serene Chilika Lake!

5. Places to visit around Bhubaneshwar – Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves

Located just on the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar – the Odissi capital, the caves are the located on a hilltop are the ornated rock structures dating back to the 2nd century. Udaygiri and Khanadagiri caves are two caves separated by a road in the middle and history lovers will require an entire day to explore both. The rock carvings and sculptures will be a delight for history lovers, if you’re not into that, you can give it a pass. There’s a nominal entry fee for the caves and you might need to use multiple mediums to reach here as no buses go directly to the caves, or hire a cab!