Culture and Entertainment
There is always something exciting to do in Orissa.
A day trip to Ambanpani allows you to marvel at the black panthers idling at the Behera reservoir. Baisipalli, located in the Naygarh district, is well known for its truly breathtaking window into a world that remains virtually untouched by man. Wild elephants play along side local tribal peoples in the dense forest regions of Belghar as well as in the Chandaka forest. Massive Olive Ridley turtles breed off the coast of Gahirmatha after traveling all of the way from the Pacific Ocean. Twenty kilometers from the capital city, Bhubaneswar, Nandan Kanan hosts not only a zoo but also a botanical garden and sanctuary.
A state known for its beaches, lakes, hot springs and waterfalls, Orissa is often called a Water World. 91km from the beach town of Puri is the quaint beach of Astaranga whose name aptly means ‘Colorful Sunset”. Beach picnics are often to be found at Balighai, closer to the heart of Puri. Chandipur beach, located on the Bay of Bengal has a magical spot where thanks to a trick of the eye the shoreline seems to disappear about twice a day. Some of the best waterfalls are located in Badaghagra or Phirli Jharan as rainbows happen daily.
Orissa is also known for its plethora of temples and religious monuments. Most temples honor Hindi Gods, but there are also a large number of Buddhist and Jain monuments. One could visit many temples in a day trip to cities located on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
Something that makes Orissa unique within India is that it accommodates the largest medley of tribal communities. Most of these tribes have become so assimilated that it is difficult to distinguish between them. However, at the core, there still exist ancient rules and ordinances that make some living and work arrangements interesting.
One of the benefits of having so many tribes in one state is that everything is influenced by it. Music, derived from exciting traditional festival services, mingles with oral Odissi music and creates something amazingly unique: Raga-Ksydrageeta-Prabandha-Gana, a sound enhanced by the honored poet Sri Jayadeva. Oral histories are passed down via ancient folk music that has roots as deep as the 8 th century.
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