Along pending trip to Orissa....and visit Araku and Borra enroute!
Route taken – Bangalore-Rajahmundry-Araku valley-Borra caves-Bhubaneshwar-Konark-Puri-Chilka-Gopalpur-Vijayawada-Bangalore
Total Distance covered – 3424 kms
Duration– 7 days
Day 1 – Bangalore – Rajahmundry
We started off from Bangalore on 31st August 2011 at around 5:30 am towards Rajahmundry, which was also our night halt destination. Since we were in no hurry and with no timelines to reach our destination we had an awesome drive all the way, with some very good roads, multiple stops and few vehicles who gave some great company on and off….
We had pretty good 2 lane roads all the way till Naidupet with minimal traffic at that early hour of the day. The only place we managed to find some breakfast was just after we crossed the Chitoor bypass. There are a couple of breakfast joints on that road and most them open by around 7:30 AM. Make sure you grab some food before you hit the NH5 at Naidupet . You would not find a single decent eating joint on NH5 till you reach Vijayawada.
The NH5 is a dream drive and we even touched 170 Kmph at some places. Between Ongole and Guntur for around 50 kms the NH5 has lot of diversions and it will slow you down considerably.
We reached Rajahmundry around 8:00 PM, on the way stopping to see sunset on Godavari and relish fresh roasted corn on the banks of Godavari.
We checked into Hotel Anand Regency and that was the only decent hotel we could find in Rajamundry with good service and food.
Early morning view through an insect battered windshield
In good company ....
Going
Gone
In Bad company .......
Tirumala Hills
Food for thought ………..Eid Mubarak
Lovely NH5
Welcome showers
The mighty Krishna
Sunset on the Godavari …..just before Rajahmundry
Day 2 – Rajahmundry-Araku valley-Borra caves-Bhubaneswar
We had heard & read a lot about the beauty of Araku valley and Borra caves, hence we had planned to take a de-route to visit these places too. We left Rajamundry around 6:00 AM and it took us about 5hours drive till Borra caves which included several photo shoots & a breakfast break.
There was constant rain and fog throughout the Araku valley and in certain places the fog was so dense that we could hardly see a few feet ahead. I would highly recommended visiting these two places for its scenic beauty. This is a “must drive” route.
The NH5 from Rajahmundry till Anakapalle is again extremely good. At Anakapalle we took the NH5 bypass till Pendurthi, where we took a left towards Araku Valley. The NH5 Vishakhapatnam bypass road is a two lane road with a good number of pot holes & truck traffic. From Pendurithi till about 15 kms we drove through some very narrow village roads which slowed us down considerably.
We stopped for breakfast at the APTDC Jungle Bells restaurant, which was the first decent place we found on that route. This restaurant is around 15 kms before Borra caves, but when we reached Borra caves we noticed that there were many restaurants there too.
Starting the drive in a light drizzle
One of the many Statues on the AP stretch of the GQ
Pit stop – One of the many Ghar Dhabas
Approaching Araku valley
One of the many waterfalls
View across the valley
Photo shoot break
Breakfast time !!
Strange vines outside the restaurant
We are hit by rain and fog
……..and more fog
….some more fog
Only fog
The caves
There is ample parking space at Borra caves and it took us around 1hr 30mins to walk all of the 1.5kms cave complex. It needs good amount of stamina to walk up and down the various levels within the caves. Carry some drinking water for sure.
At the gates
Historic summary !!
First glimpse
Approaching the entrance
Entrance to the cave complex
Random cave shots
Hole in the ceiling
Trivia
View from outside the cave complex
The drive from Araku valley till AP-Orissa border was a breeze. The only problem was there were no decent restaurants anywhere on that route. So we bought some fruits, biscuits and Maaza to compensate for lunch.
The AP-Orissa border check post was where we saw the longest ever line of stationary trucks. It was 2.2 Kms long & crossing the border looked like it would take atleast a couple of hours. Then we saw a board on the median just before the pileup which said “take diversion” with an arrow pointing to the opposite side of the road towards oncoming traffic. Apparently, that’s the only way you can cross the check-post.
A little after Ganjam we encountered a lot of diversions on the GQ & around 15kms around Rambha the GQ almost becomes a single lane and is congested with lot of truck traffic. A little after Rambha the GQ becomes excellent again till Bhubaneswar. But then we encountered plenty of cattle, dogs, people and even a market in the median of GQ.
Back on the GQ
The flooded Nagavali river
The 2.2 Kms long truck pileup at the AP-Orissa check post
The “GQ market”
The “GQ animal farm......”
The vast expanse of the Chilka lake
We reached Bhubaneswar by around 8:00 PM, checked into hotel Swosti and ended this wonderful day with some awesome Odiya style sea food.
Dinner time!!
Day 3 – Bhubaneswar and around
Day 3 was reserved for site seeing in and around Bhubaneswar and for some shopping. The places visited were Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves, Lingaraj Temple, Dhauli Giri & Pipli.
We left our hotel by around 10:00 AM after a sumptuous buffet breakfast. Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves are situated at the outskirts of the Bhubaneswar city at it took us around 30mins to reach there.
The Udayagiri cave complex is the bigger & the main attraction among these two caves. Unaware of that we happened to visit the Khandagiri cave first, a steep climb up the hill and a quick walk around the cave complex took us just about 15 mins. No guide facilities were available at Khandagiri cave complex.
Our guide at the Udayagiri caves took about 1 hr to walk us around and explain the complete history of the caves. He told us the remarkable details of the 1st and 2nd century water storage, sanitation system, echo based acoustics & the architecture of the cave complex built by the Jain munis.
Guide hiring charges – 150/- ……….our experience – “Priceless”
I would highly recommend visitors to first visit Udayagiri caves and then proceed towards Khandagiri. Do hire a guide and carry adequate amount of water, as both these caves are situated on the hill top.
The caves are situated on two hills Udayagiri and Khandagiri and face each other across the road. They have a number of finely and ornately carved caves. It is believed that most of these caves were carved out of huge residential blocks for the Jain monks, during the reign of King Kharavela. Udayagiri meaning Sunrise Hill, has 18 caves while Khandagiri has 15 caves. The caves on these hills were built in 1st -2nd century B.C for the ascetic Jain monks, and have engravings in Pali, enumerating the exploits of King Kharavela. ~www
Khandagiri
The long climb begins
A curious visitor
The Udayagiri across
Historical summary
The first cave complex at Udayagiri
Two storeyed monolith
The echo cave
Tiger cave
A slumbering permanent resident
Our next destination was Lingaraj temple which is situated in the heart of the city. Apparently the Lingaraj temple is the largest temple built in Odissi style and is over a thousand years old. No cameras or mobiles are allowed inside the temple & hence no photographs to showcase the magnificent beauty of this temple. After a quick darshan at the temple we continued towards Dhauligiri.
It was already noon but we decided to first visit the Shanti Stupa at Dhauligiri hills built by the great Emperor Ashoka of Maurya Dynasty. There is ample parking facility just at the entrance of the Stupa and there are several small shops around where you can pick up little snacks & some refreshing sugarcane juice. But ………the big challenge was to find a place to have lunch, so we decided to hunt for a restaurant on the way to Pipili - our next destination.
The edict in Dhauli Giri, installed in an ancient time dating back to 3rd century, is preserved remarkably. Dhuali Giri presently bears the symbols of Buddhism with the universal symbol of Lord Buddha, the sculpted elephant topping the rock edict~www
The Shanti Stupa
Historical summary
Serene
Reclining
The river & the city
The only decent restaurant we found on the Bhubaneswar-Puri road, just after crossing Dhauli, was the Vithal Kamat veg and non veg restaurants adjacent to each other. We got to try some lovely Orissa style chicken and mutton dishes (don’t remember the names of the dishes) and it was the time to try out some authentic dessert. The menu had a dish called “Chenna Poda” a very popular dessert of Orissa but to our bad luck they didn’t have it that day. Apparently it takes a lot time to prepare and not many restaurants have it ready everyday. That made us even more curious and the hunt began for “Chenna Poda”
………………..
After a good lunch we were back on road towards Pipli for some shopping this time.
Pipili is a village on the Bhubaneswar-Puri road and is famous for its Applique art. The highway at Pipili has a lots of shops on both the sides selling products made from applique work, cane, and bamboo. Did some shopping in pouring rain and I was now ready to continue shopping for ethnic wear at Bhubaneswar.
Road to Pipili
Cloud burst, took us by surprise
Colorful Pipili
The shopping area in Bhubaneswar is called as “Market building” or “Unit 1 Market”. It is a sprawling, well planned market complex and the best place to shop for Orissa handloom products, souvenirs and to try out some local chaats and street food. No pictures of the market……….too busy shopping
.
After this lovely day, we were back in our hotel to try some more Oriya cuisine and with a hope of sampling some “Chenna Poda”. Once again we were disappointed as our hotel also did not have the dessert ready that day. ……………..So we ended this day with a hope that we may get to try “Chenna Poda” tomorrow………..
Day 4 – Bhubaneswar – Konark – Puri
Personally, this was my favorite part of the entire trip. We started our drive towards Konark around 9:00AM with rains for company, beautiful roads and lovey scenic view. About an hour drive and we were at Konark to visit the much awaited Sun Temple.
Konark Sun Temple was built in the 13th-century by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is a mix of Oriya and Dravidian styles of architecture that alludes to the dynasty's Ganga and Chola ancestry.
Located on the eastern shoreline, now a little over 3 km from the sea, the temple takes the form of the chariot of Surya (Arka), the sun god. The entire complex was designed in the form of the Sun god's huge chariot drawn by seven spirited horses on twelve pairs of exquisitely decorated wheels at its base. The huge wheels carved at the base of the temple are one of the major attractions. The spokes of the wheels serve as sundials and the shadows cast by these can give the precise time of the day. The temple is one of the most renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site.~www
Konark temple is one of the most stunning monuments I have ever seen. We spent around 3 hrs at the temple complex listening to the history of the temple narrated by our guide. It literally took us back to the 13th century era and showcased us the rich culture of India of those golden days. One has to visit the temple to enjoy the beauty of the architecture..…... no photographs will do justice.
Make sure you hire a guide because, knowing the history of the temple and understanding the architecture is the most important aspect of enjoying this stunning monument.
Flooded paddy fields on the way !!
Road to Konark
In the rain
Pit stop just before Konark
The first glimpse of the Sun Temple
From the gates
Historical summary
The Nata Mandir in front of the main temple
Entrance to the Nata Mandir
Another view
The main Temple
One of the 7 horses of Surya Dev!!
A battle depiction
The green granite door way to the main temple
The Wheels of Time!!
An ancient iron clamp holding the wheel together
The Sun God !!
Massive iron beams ……..unrusted for over 800 years!!
Intricacies of architecture!!
An ancient well and the remains of the living quarters used by the builders of the temple
After this awesome experience we had our lunch at Vithal Kamat restaurant which is right outside the temple complex. We also did some souvenir shopping on the temple road.
After lunch at Konark, we left towards Puri which was our night halt destination. The Konark–Puri road was one of the most scenic roads we drove in this trip. Beautiful beach side road, driving through beach forest reserve, crossing over few rivers & stopping over to see a river delta…....wow definitely one of the best.
Konark-Puri beach road
The river delta
Road through the Olive Ridley turtle reserve beach forest
There is also a hotel for SUVs ………Atleast kairalee seems convinced!! 
We reached Puri by around 5:30 PM and checked into the OTDC Panth Nivas hotel, which is a beach side property and by far one of the best in terms of location. Panth Nivas is away from the crowed Puri beach with fairly good service and decent rooms.
We decided to visit the Puri Jagannath temple in the evening hours of the day. A short drive from our hotel took us to the temple road. All private vehicles needs to be parked about 1Km away from the temple. From the parking area one can either take a leisurely walk on the temple road or lots of autos/ cycle-rickshaws are available from the parking lot till the entrance of the temple for Rs 10/- per person.
We decided to take a walk to enjoy the festive atmosphere, as the entire road was litup in celebration of Ganesh chaturthi. Also I didn’t want to miss another shopping opportunity ……
No cameras/mobiles are allowed inside Jagannath temple too. So after the darshan & some quick shopping on the temple road we got back to our hotel.
View from Panth Nivas, Puri !!
The road to the Jaganath temple from the parking lot …..
The Jaganath Temple
In search of some good food we landed at Aquarium restaurant of Mayfair hotel for dinner. It was time again to try some authentic Oriya style food. So after some mouthwatering dinner our luck favored us ……….. (smiley)……“Chenna Poda” it was !! Finally the search ended and it was worth the wait ………………….!!
Chenna Poda is very special and native to Oriya dessert (cottage cheese cake) which is slowly baked in earthen fire for few hours and then cooled down for hours before serving. The cakes are purely made of cheese with small amount suji (semolina) to bind. This is said to be the favorite dessert of Lord Jaganath.~www
Bali prawn at Mayfair
Chenna Poda ……………..
Day 5 - Puri – Chilka – “Gopalpur-on-sea”
We left Puri around 10:00AM towards OTDC Panthanivas, Barkul which is situated on the banks of Chilka lake. A left turn on NH5 at Barkul will lead you to the Panthanivas at Chilka lake. By around 12:00noon we reached Barkul and decided to opt for boating first. The boats run by OTDC will cost Rs.1200/- if you hire the entire boat for a ride to the Kalijai temple island. The local fishermen also operate boats to the same place at Rs.600/-. We opted for the fisherman's boat for its economy and originality. It took us about 30 min to reach the island. On the island there is a temple dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi and all fishermen pray at this temple before they venture out into the deep waters. This temple is maintained by INS Chilka which is a premier sailor training establishment of Indian Navy.
There are other islands like the Nalaban which is home to migratory birds during season. The Sand-Bar and Mouth of the Lake is where you can site dolphins. We didn’t go to both these places because of the inclement weather conditions.
After relishing the authentic Oriya cuisine at Panthanivas restaurant we continued towards Gopalpur.
Chilka Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Orissa state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the World. Chilka lake is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent. The lake is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals. ~www
Road to Chilka
Bottleneck at Barkul
Rain on the way
The Chilka
Lone hunter
Panthanivas
An OTDC boat …
On a fisherman’s boat
Kalijai Temple island
On the island
Fauna
Chilka To Gopalpur
Gopalpur is a beautiful, quiet sea side village which is also home to the Beharampur university & the IAF air defense academy. We reached Gopalpur by around 5:30PM and checked into the OTDC Panthanivas which was again by far one of the best hotels with respect to location. Well maintained cottages, excellent service, good food and a private beach were the highlights of this resort.
Panthanivas cottages
Private beach
Off to work !!
Rising tides
Resident security
Off to Bangalore
Day 6 & Day 7
Day 6 was the start of our return journey towards Bangalore. We left Gopalpur at 10:00 AM towards Vijayawada and enroute stopped at Hyderabad biryani House, Vishakhapatnam for lunch.
By around 8:00 PM we checked into Fortune hotel, Vijayawada which was our last stopped over of this trip.
Vijayawada to Bangalore was a completely uneventful drive on NH5, except for some authentic Andhra meal with some awesome Guntur chicken at Hotel Muralikrishna, Nellore.
We reached Bangalore by around 9:00PM, thereby ending a wonderful 7 days Orissa monsoon drive.
Thank you all for reading this travelogue ………
Quick stats -
Number of days - 7
Places visited - Rajahmundry (night halt), Borra caves, Araku valley, Bhubaneswar(night halt), Konark, Puri (night halt), Chilka lake, Gopalpur(night halt), Vijayawada(night halt)
Total distance covered - 3424kms
Vehicle - Tata Safari
Total diesel consumed - 285 Lts approx
Route taken – Bangalore-Rajahmundry-Araku valley-Borra caves-Bhubaneshwar-Konark-Puri-Chilka-Gopalpur-Vijayawada-Bangalore
Total Distance covered – 3424 kms
Duration– 7 days
Day 1 – Bangalore – Rajahmundry
We started off from Bangalore on 31st August 2011 at around 5:30 am towards Rajahmundry, which was also our night halt destination. Since we were in no hurry and with no timelines to reach our destination we had an awesome drive all the way, with some very good roads, multiple stops and few vehicles who gave some great company on and off….
We had pretty good 2 lane roads all the way till Naidupet with minimal traffic at that early hour of the day. The only place we managed to find some breakfast was just after we crossed the Chitoor bypass. There are a couple of breakfast joints on that road and most them open by around 7:30 AM. Make sure you grab some food before you hit the NH5 at Naidupet . You would not find a single decent eating joint on NH5 till you reach Vijayawada.
The NH5 is a dream drive and we even touched 170 Kmph at some places. Between Ongole and Guntur for around 50 kms the NH5 has lot of diversions and it will slow you down considerably.
We reached Rajahmundry around 8:00 PM, on the way stopping to see sunset on Godavari and relish fresh roasted corn on the banks of Godavari.
We checked into Hotel Anand Regency and that was the only decent hotel we could find in Rajamundry with good service and food.
Early morning view through an insect battered windshield
In good company ....
Going
Gone
In Bad company .......
Tirumala Hills
Food for thought ………..Eid Mubarak
Lovely NH5
Welcome showers
The mighty Krishna
Sunset on the Godavari …..just before Rajahmundry
Day 2 – Rajahmundry-Araku valley-Borra caves-Bhubaneswar
We had heard & read a lot about the beauty of Araku valley and Borra caves, hence we had planned to take a de-route to visit these places too. We left Rajamundry around 6:00 AM and it took us about 5hours drive till Borra caves which included several photo shoots & a breakfast break.
There was constant rain and fog throughout the Araku valley and in certain places the fog was so dense that we could hardly see a few feet ahead. I would highly recommended visiting these two places for its scenic beauty. This is a “must drive” route.
The NH5 from Rajahmundry till Anakapalle is again extremely good. At Anakapalle we took the NH5 bypass till Pendurthi, where we took a left towards Araku Valley. The NH5 Vishakhapatnam bypass road is a two lane road with a good number of pot holes & truck traffic. From Pendurithi till about 15 kms we drove through some very narrow village roads which slowed us down considerably.
We stopped for breakfast at the APTDC Jungle Bells restaurant, which was the first decent place we found on that route. This restaurant is around 15 kms before Borra caves, but when we reached Borra caves we noticed that there were many restaurants there too.
Starting the drive in a light drizzle
One of the many Statues on the AP stretch of the GQ
Pit stop – One of the many Ghar Dhabas
Approaching Araku valley
One of the many waterfalls
View across the valley
Photo shoot break
Breakfast time !!
Strange vines outside the restaurant
We are hit by rain and fog
……..and more fog
….some more fog
Only fog
The caves
There is ample parking space at Borra caves and it took us around 1hr 30mins to walk all of the 1.5kms cave complex. It needs good amount of stamina to walk up and down the various levels within the caves. Carry some drinking water for sure.
At the gates
Historic summary !!
First glimpse
Approaching the entrance
Entrance to the cave complex
Random cave shots
Hole in the ceiling
Trivia
View from outside the cave complex
The drive from Araku valley till AP-Orissa border was a breeze. The only problem was there were no decent restaurants anywhere on that route. So we bought some fruits, biscuits and Maaza to compensate for lunch.
The AP-Orissa border check post was where we saw the longest ever line of stationary trucks. It was 2.2 Kms long & crossing the border looked like it would take atleast a couple of hours. Then we saw a board on the median just before the pileup which said “take diversion” with an arrow pointing to the opposite side of the road towards oncoming traffic. Apparently, that’s the only way you can cross the check-post.
A little after Ganjam we encountered a lot of diversions on the GQ & around 15kms around Rambha the GQ almost becomes a single lane and is congested with lot of truck traffic. A little after Rambha the GQ becomes excellent again till Bhubaneswar. But then we encountered plenty of cattle, dogs, people and even a market in the median of GQ
.Back on the GQ
The flooded Nagavali river
The 2.2 Kms long truck pileup at the AP-Orissa check post
The “GQ market”
The “GQ animal farm......”
The vast expanse of the Chilka lake
We reached Bhubaneswar by around 8:00 PM, checked into hotel Swosti and ended this wonderful day with some awesome Odiya style sea food.
Dinner time!!
Day 3 – Bhubaneswar and around
Day 3 was reserved for site seeing in and around Bhubaneswar and for some shopping. The places visited were Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves, Lingaraj Temple, Dhauli Giri & Pipli.
We left our hotel by around 10:00 AM after a sumptuous buffet breakfast. Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves are situated at the outskirts of the Bhubaneswar city at it took us around 30mins to reach there.
The Udayagiri cave complex is the bigger & the main attraction among these two caves. Unaware of that we happened to visit the Khandagiri cave first, a steep climb up the hill and a quick walk around the cave complex took us just about 15 mins. No guide facilities were available at Khandagiri cave complex.
Our guide at the Udayagiri caves took about 1 hr to walk us around and explain the complete history of the caves. He told us the remarkable details of the 1st and 2nd century water storage, sanitation system, echo based acoustics & the architecture of the cave complex built by the Jain munis.
Guide hiring charges – 150/- ……….our experience – “Priceless”
I would highly recommend visitors to first visit Udayagiri caves and then proceed towards Khandagiri. Do hire a guide and carry adequate amount of water, as both these caves are situated on the hill top.
The caves are situated on two hills Udayagiri and Khandagiri and face each other across the road. They have a number of finely and ornately carved caves. It is believed that most of these caves were carved out of huge residential blocks for the Jain monks, during the reign of King Kharavela. Udayagiri meaning Sunrise Hill, has 18 caves while Khandagiri has 15 caves. The caves on these hills were built in 1st -2nd century B.C for the ascetic Jain monks, and have engravings in Pali, enumerating the exploits of King Kharavela. ~www
Khandagiri
The long climb begins
A curious visitor
The Udayagiri across
Historical summary
The first cave complex at Udayagiri
Two storeyed monolith
The echo cave
Tiger cave
A slumbering permanent resident
Our next destination was Lingaraj temple which is situated in the heart of the city. Apparently the Lingaraj temple is the largest temple built in Odissi style and is over a thousand years old. No cameras or mobiles are allowed inside the temple & hence no photographs to showcase the magnificent beauty of this temple. After a quick darshan at the temple we continued towards Dhauligiri.
It was already noon but we decided to first visit the Shanti Stupa at Dhauligiri hills built by the great Emperor Ashoka of Maurya Dynasty. There is ample parking facility just at the entrance of the Stupa and there are several small shops around where you can pick up little snacks & some refreshing sugarcane juice. But ………the big challenge was to find a place to have lunch, so we decided to hunt for a restaurant on the way to Pipili - our next destination.
The edict in Dhauli Giri, installed in an ancient time dating back to 3rd century, is preserved remarkably. Dhuali Giri presently bears the symbols of Buddhism with the universal symbol of Lord Buddha, the sculpted elephant topping the rock edict~www
The Shanti Stupa
Historical summary
Serene
Reclining
The river & the city
The only decent restaurant we found on the Bhubaneswar-Puri road, just after crossing Dhauli, was the Vithal Kamat veg and non veg restaurants adjacent to each other. We got to try some lovely Orissa style chicken and mutton dishes (don’t remember the names of the dishes) and it was the time to try out some authentic dessert. The menu had a dish called “Chenna Poda” a very popular dessert of Orissa but to our bad luck they didn’t have it that day. Apparently it takes a lot time to prepare and not many restaurants have it ready everyday. That made us even more curious and the hunt began for “Chenna Poda”
………………..After a good lunch we were back on road towards Pipli for some shopping this time.
Pipili is a village on the Bhubaneswar-Puri road and is famous for its Applique art. The highway at Pipili has a lots of shops on both the sides selling products made from applique work, cane, and bamboo. Did some shopping in pouring rain and I was now ready to continue shopping for ethnic wear at Bhubaneswar.
Road to Pipili
Cloud burst, took us by surprise
Colorful Pipili
The shopping area in Bhubaneswar is called as “Market building” or “Unit 1 Market”. It is a sprawling, well planned market complex and the best place to shop for Orissa handloom products, souvenirs and to try out some local chaats and street food. No pictures of the market……….too busy shopping
. After this lovely day, we were back in our hotel to try some more Oriya cuisine and with a hope of sampling some “Chenna Poda”. Once again we were disappointed as our hotel also did not have the dessert ready that day. ……………..So we ended this day with a hope that we may get to try “Chenna Poda” tomorrow………..
Day 4 – Bhubaneswar – Konark – Puri
Personally, this was my favorite part of the entire trip. We started our drive towards Konark around 9:00AM with rains for company, beautiful roads and lovey scenic view. About an hour drive and we were at Konark to visit the much awaited Sun Temple.
Konark Sun Temple was built in the 13th-century by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is a mix of Oriya and Dravidian styles of architecture that alludes to the dynasty's Ganga and Chola ancestry.
Located on the eastern shoreline, now a little over 3 km from the sea, the temple takes the form of the chariot of Surya (Arka), the sun god. The entire complex was designed in the form of the Sun god's huge chariot drawn by seven spirited horses on twelve pairs of exquisitely decorated wheels at its base. The huge wheels carved at the base of the temple are one of the major attractions. The spokes of the wheels serve as sundials and the shadows cast by these can give the precise time of the day. The temple is one of the most renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site.~www
Konark temple is one of the most stunning monuments I have ever seen. We spent around 3 hrs at the temple complex listening to the history of the temple narrated by our guide. It literally took us back to the 13th century era and showcased us the rich culture of India of those golden days. One has to visit the temple to enjoy the beauty of the architecture..…... no photographs will do justice.
Make sure you hire a guide because, knowing the history of the temple and understanding the architecture is the most important aspect of enjoying this stunning monument.
Flooded paddy fields on the way !!
Road to Konark
In the rain
Pit stop just before Konark
The first glimpse of the Sun Temple
From the gates
Historical summary
The Nata Mandir in front of the main temple
Entrance to the Nata Mandir
Another view
The main Temple
One of the 7 horses of Surya Dev!!
A battle depiction
The green granite door way to the main temple
The Wheels of Time!!
An ancient iron clamp holding the wheel together
The Sun God !!
Massive iron beams ……..unrusted for over 800 years!!
Intricacies of architecture!!
An ancient well and the remains of the living quarters used by the builders of the temple
After this awesome experience we had our lunch at Vithal Kamat restaurant which is right outside the temple complex. We also did some souvenir shopping on the temple road.
After lunch at Konark, we left towards Puri which was our night halt destination. The Konark–Puri road was one of the most scenic roads we drove in this trip. Beautiful beach side road, driving through beach forest reserve, crossing over few rivers & stopping over to see a river delta…....wow definitely one of the best.
Konark-Puri beach road
The river delta
Road through the Olive Ridley turtle reserve beach forest
There is also a hotel for SUVs ………Atleast kairalee seems convinced!!
We reached Puri by around 5:30 PM and checked into the OTDC Panth Nivas hotel, which is a beach side property and by far one of the best in terms of location. Panth Nivas is away from the crowed Puri beach with fairly good service and decent rooms.
We decided to visit the Puri Jagannath temple in the evening hours of the day. A short drive from our hotel took us to the temple road. All private vehicles needs to be parked about 1Km away from the temple. From the parking area one can either take a leisurely walk on the temple road or lots of autos/ cycle-rickshaws are available from the parking lot till the entrance of the temple for Rs 10/- per person.
We decided to take a walk to enjoy the festive atmosphere, as the entire road was litup in celebration of Ganesh chaturthi. Also I didn’t want to miss another shopping opportunity ……
No cameras/mobiles are allowed inside Jagannath temple too. So after the darshan & some quick shopping on the temple road we got back to our hotel.
View from Panth Nivas, Puri !!
The road to the Jaganath temple from the parking lot …..
The Jaganath Temple
In search of some good food we landed at Aquarium restaurant of Mayfair hotel for dinner. It was time again to try some authentic Oriya style food. So after some mouthwatering dinner our luck favored us ……….. (smiley)……“Chenna Poda” it was !! Finally the search ended and it was worth the wait ………………….!!
Chenna Poda is very special and native to Oriya dessert (cottage cheese cake) which is slowly baked in earthen fire for few hours and then cooled down for hours before serving. The cakes are purely made of cheese with small amount suji (semolina) to bind. This is said to be the favorite dessert of Lord Jaganath.~www
Bali prawn at Mayfair
Chenna Poda ……………..
Day 5 - Puri – Chilka – “Gopalpur-on-sea”
We left Puri around 10:00AM towards OTDC Panthanivas, Barkul which is situated on the banks of Chilka lake. A left turn on NH5 at Barkul will lead you to the Panthanivas at Chilka lake. By around 12:00noon we reached Barkul and decided to opt for boating first. The boats run by OTDC will cost Rs.1200/- if you hire the entire boat for a ride to the Kalijai temple island. The local fishermen also operate boats to the same place at Rs.600/-. We opted for the fisherman's boat for its economy and originality. It took us about 30 min to reach the island. On the island there is a temple dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi and all fishermen pray at this temple before they venture out into the deep waters. This temple is maintained by INS Chilka which is a premier sailor training establishment of Indian Navy.
There are other islands like the Nalaban which is home to migratory birds during season. The Sand-Bar and Mouth of the Lake is where you can site dolphins. We didn’t go to both these places because of the inclement weather conditions.
After relishing the authentic Oriya cuisine at Panthanivas restaurant we continued towards Gopalpur.
Chilka Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Orissa state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the World. Chilka lake is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent. The lake is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals. ~www
Road to Chilka
Bottleneck at Barkul
Rain on the way
The Chilka
Lone hunter
Panthanivas
An OTDC boat …
On a fisherman’s boat
Kalijai Temple island
On the island
Fauna
Chilka To Gopalpur
Gopalpur is a beautiful, quiet sea side village which is also home to the Beharampur university & the IAF air defense academy. We reached Gopalpur by around 5:30PM and checked into the OTDC Panthanivas which was again by far one of the best hotels with respect to location. Well maintained cottages, excellent service, good food and a private beach were the highlights of this resort.
Panthanivas cottages
Private beach
Off to work !!
Rising tides
Resident security
Off to Bangalore
Day 6 & Day 7
Day 6 was the start of our return journey towards Bangalore. We left Gopalpur at 10:00 AM towards Vijayawada and enroute stopped at Hyderabad biryani House, Vishakhapatnam for lunch.
By around 8:00 PM we checked into Fortune hotel, Vijayawada which was our last stopped over of this trip.
Vijayawada to Bangalore was a completely uneventful drive on NH5, except for some authentic Andhra meal with some awesome Guntur chicken at Hotel Muralikrishna, Nellore.
We reached Bangalore by around 9:00PM, thereby ending a wonderful 7 days Orissa monsoon drive.
Thank you all for reading this travelogue ………
Quick stats -
Number of days - 7
Places visited - Rajahmundry (night halt), Borra caves, Araku valley, Bhubaneswar(night halt), Konark, Puri (night halt), Chilka lake, Gopalpur(night halt), Vijayawada(night halt)
Total distance covered - 3424kms
Vehicle - Tata Safari
Total diesel consumed - 285 Lts approx
