The UNESCO heritage site of Konark temple, the golden triangle of Puri, Konark and Bhubaneswar, the Ramsar site of Chilika, the mangrove forest of Bhitarkanika, the mass nesting site of Olive Ridleys at Gahirmatha in Kendrapada district and the Irrawadi dolphins at Satapada in Puri district can be any art and nature lover’s delight. One can experience the passage of time and the growth of art and architecture by visiting Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves of the 1st Century B.C., the Dhauli rock inscription of the 3rd Century B.C., theLazmaneswar group of temples and Vaital Temple of the 6th -7th Century A.D., Lingraj Temple of the 10th – 11th Century, Jagannath Temple of the 12th Century at Puri and the world famous Konark Temple of the 13th Century. The famous battle of Kalinga which led to Dharma Chakra Parivartan of King Ashoka was fought by the side of the river Daya in the 3rd Century B.C., and Buddhism flourished in Orissa till the 7-8th Centuries. The artists, craftsmen and weavers of Orissa have kept alive the tradition of more than 40 different types of arts and ikat weaving. The cultural life of the State is vibrant with large number of fairs and festivals in different parts of the State throughout the year.
India is a world in itself, it is too vast and too diverse for any complete description. It is in the midst of a great transformation. It is an extra-ordinary land and every journey to this land brings to light some new facts, local legends or contemporary developments scenes. No nation has probably accumulated such a vast experience or endured so long as civilization. As with knowledge, the more one delves the deeper it becomes the mystery and one finds that there is much more to know, and a man’s knowledge about India becomes incompletes without a glimpse of Odisha. For, Odisha is the name of that land which has varied bio-diversity, most beautiful coast-line, impeccable lineage of culture, art and crafts and friendly and traditionally hospitable people. Thsu a visit to Odisha gives one a kind of enriching experience that’s unique…one does not have it before. An experience which brings alive the customs and traditions, legends and folklore, art and craft and the ageless culture that is Utkal. A land famed for its timeless temples, majestic monuments like Barabati Fort, amazing wildlife and spicy delights. A land which people of virtulally every race, religion and language call on to have a darshan of the the Lord Jagannath (The Lord of the World). A man who comes to Odisha having no previous acquaintance would urgently need a guide. Sometimes a guide might mislead a visitor but a complete guidebook never. In order to serve this purpose the book,’A Journey to ODISHA’ is published on the holyday of Mahalaya.
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