Odisha – India’s Best Kept Secret. This line we read while we were crossing Odisha in 2020 on our 9000 KM road trip. We wanted to explore Odisha at that time but almost everything was closed due to COVID restrictions.
Deep in our hearts, we wanted to travel to Odisha to have the darshan of Shri Jagannath Prabhu, witness the grandeur of Konark Sun Temple, India’s largest Chilika lake and much more.
Last week we got the opportunity to visit Odisha and to fulfill our dream. We started from Chennai and took a halt at Vijaywada, next day we reached Bhuvnesher after a wonderful journey through the east coast of India. While in Bhuvneshwar we visited 1100 year old Lingaraj Temple, Mukteshwar Temple, Dhauli Peace Pagoda, Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves.
The next day, we visited Puri to have darshan of Jagannath Prabhu, and later went to Konark Sun Temple. We had a guided tour to understand the history of the Sun temple followed by a beautiful Marine drive and Chandrabhaga beach.
Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves are one of the most important places to visit for every history lover. The way caves were created for monks who used to meditate there away from public life are amazing.
We visited Cuttack too, which is the birthplace of the biggest leader of India “Subhash Chandra Bose”. In Cuttack, we visited “Netaji Birthplace Museum” and got to know many unknown facts about his personal and public life and how he sacrificed his life for the freedom of the country.
Places to Visit near Bhubaneswar
- Lingaraj Temple
- Mukteshwar Temple
- Kedar-Gauri Temple
- Rajarani Temple
- Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves
- Dhauli Peace Pagoda
- Ashokan Rock Pillars
- Puri Jagannath Temple
- Puri Marine Drive Beach
- Konark Sun Temple
- Chandrabhaga Beach
- Netaji Birthplace Museum
- Cuttack Chandi Temple
- Chilika Lake
It was a 2900 KM + road trip from Chennai – Bhuvneshwar – Puri – Konark – Bhuvneshwar – Cuttack – Chennai and it gave us countless memories.
How to Reach Bhuvneshwar?
You can reach Bhuvneshwar from any type of travel mode:
- By Flight/Air: You can take a flight from any major city to Odisha’s capital Bhuvneshwar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport. You can then visit Puri which is just 60 Km from the airport and 35 Km more to visit Konark Sun Temple.
- By Road: Buvneshwar is connected with good road connectivity. You can take bus services from nearby major cities and by car from any part of India. We love to do road trips and travel mostly by road.
- By Train: You can take the most convenient mode of travel i.e Train. The nearest train station is Bhuvneshwar and from here you can take an auto or taxi to reach your accommodation. There are many trains which directly goes to Puri.
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