The early rays of the May sun glistened on my face, as the train I was boarding halted at Khurda Road Junction.
I was woken up by my co- passengers who had started to unlock their belongings. Being born in this beautiful city I am proud of it, but I couldn't enjoy this city's striking architecture as I had to shift to the south . So when a chance came to visit this temple city alone I wouldn't didn't miss it. The train reached Bhubaneswar at 5.00 a.m. An attractive blend of fine art, culture and tradition, Orissa is a treasure house of scenic beauty and wildlife. Situated in the eastern coast of Bay of Bengal, the state is blessed with deep blue beaches, meandering rivers and waterfalls with lush green valleys and blue clad hills of the Eastern Ghats.
It is difficult to have a glimpse of the world's biggest salt water lake, the Chilika while travelling in the train as nature covers itself with its dark blanket. The lake is said to be a heaven for thousands of migratory birds which visit this paradise during early winter
Historic monuments
Orissa is well known for its intricately and delicately designed temples and historic monuments which are a rare treat to the eyes and a veritable museum to scholars and connoisseurs. My day started with a visit to the State museum where one gets to have a complete view of the State's architecture and its past. The next stop was Lingaraj temple, a landmark of the city that boasts of a height of nearly 150 ft and is dedicated to lord Shiva. This was followed by the Kedargauri temple, Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves and the astonishing Nandankanan zoo, which is known for its white tigers. The next morning, was a fabulous one. I went to the sun temple at Konark. Situated 60 km south of Bhubaneswar, it is a world heritage site and attracts tourists from all around the world. It stands as one of the finest architectural monument of Orissa .
Bhubaneswar
The next destination was the Jagannath temple. This temple dominates the skyline of Puri with a height of 200 ft. and is the most renowned temple of the state. The most spectacular view here could be to see the sunset at the Puri beach. The last days of my visit took me to some of the mesmerising sights that I had never seen before, like the Dhauligiri, Kapilash and other temples. True to its tagline given by the Indian Tourism department, Bhubaneswar is indeed a city a temples. With these memorable moments I had to pack my bag and leave this magnificent city to return back to work down in the south.
Banita is a III B.A. Journalism student at M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women.
