Bhubaneswar /bvnewr/, also spelt Bhubaneshwar Bhubanswara;

pronunciation (helpinfo)), is the capital of the Indian state of Odisha, formerly known as Orissa.
The city has a history of over 3,000 years starting with the Mahamegha-bahana Chedi dynasty
(around the 2nd century BCE) which had its capital at Sisupalgarh, nearby. Bhubaneswar,
derived its name from Tribhubaneswar, which literally means the Lord (Eeswar) of the Three
World (Tribhuban), which refers to Shiva.[3] Bhubaneswar has been known by names such as
Toshali, Kalinga Nagari, Nagar Kalinga, Ekamra Kanan, Ekamra Kshetra and Mandira Malini
Nagari ("City of Temples"). It is the largest city in Odisha and is a centre of economic and
religious importance in Eastern India.
With many Hindu temples, which span the entire spectrum of Kalinga architecture, Bhubaneswar
is often referred to as a 'Temple City of India' and with Puri and Konark it forms the Swarna
Tribhuja ("Golden Triangle"), one of eastern India's most visited destinations.[4]
Bhubaneswar replaced Cuttack as the capital in 1948, the year after India gained its
independence from Britain. The modern city was designed by the German architect Otto
Knigsberger in 1946. Along with Jamshedpur and Chandigarh, it was one of modern India's first
planned cities. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are often referred to as the 'twin cities of Odisha'. The
metropolitan area formed by the two cities had a population of 1.7 million in 2011.[5]
Bhubaneswar is categorised as a Tier-2 city. An emerging information technology (IT) and
education hub, Bhubaneswar is one of the country's fastest-developing cities.

Contents

1 History

2 Geography
o 2.1 Urban structure
o 2.2 Climate

3 Economy

4 Demographics

5 Civic administration

6 Utilities

7 Transport
o 7.1 Road

o 7.2 Rail
o 7.3 Air

8 Education

9 Culture
o 9.1 Festivals
o 9.2 Cuisine

10 Sports

11 Tourism

12 References

13 External links

History

Remains of the ancient city of Sisupalgarh, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, dated at least 2,500
years old
The history of Bhubaneswar may be viewed in ancient and modern eras. The ancient city has a
history of thousands of years, while the modern city emerged in 1948.[6]
Bhubaneswar's first mention was during the Kalinga War, which took place near Dhauli (now in
the south of the city) in the 3rd century BCE. Later Emperor Kharavela established his capital at
Sisupalgarh, on the outskirts of the modern city. The Hathigumpha inscriptions at the Udayagiri
and Khandagiri Caves by Kharavela give a good account of that period, which is estimated as
1st2nd century BCE. Temples built throughout the ancient and medieval periods chronicle the
city's history. Bhubaneswar is famous for its heritage culture around the world.

Jain and Buddhist temples portray the settlements around Bhubaneswar in the first two centuries
BCE. One of the most complete edicts of the Mauryan emperor, Ashoka, dating from between
272236 BCE, remains carved in rock 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the southwest of the modern city.
[7]

The city was the ancient capital of the Kalinga Empire, and the architectural legacy of the period
is manifest. Historical sites testify to the importance of the region during the 7th to 11th centuries
CE, when the Kalinga kings ruled Odisha and beyond. The Ananta Vasudeva Temple and
Bindusagar Tank is the only temple of Vishnu in the city. The temples in Bhubaneswar are
regarded as having been built from the 8th to 12th centuries under Shaiva influence.[8]

Hathigumpha inscriptions at the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves

On 1 April 1936, Odisha, then known as Orissa, became a separate province in British India with
Cuttack as its capital. This date is celebrated as Utkal Divas. Cuttack had been Odisha's capital
since the 12th century. With independence in 1947, Odisha became a state. Because of Cuttack's
vulnerability to floods and space constraints, the capital was moved to Bhubaneswar, which was
formally inaugurated on 13 April 1948. The new capital was built as a modern city, designed by
German architect Otto Knigsberger with wide roads, gardens and parks.[9] Though part of the
city followed the plan, it has grown rapidly over the last few decades, outstripping the planning
process.[10]

Geography

Daya River at the foothills of Dhauli

Bhubaneswar is in Khordha district of Odisha. It is in the eastern coastal plains, along the axis of
the Eastern Ghats mountains.[11] The city has an average altitude of 45 m (148 ft) above sea level.

[11]

It lies southwest of the Mahanadi River that forms the northern boundary of Bhubaneswar
metropolitan area, within its delta.
The city is bounded by the Daya River to the south and the Kuakhai River to the east;[11] the
Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary and Nandankanan Zoo lie in the western and northern parts of
Bhubaneswar, respectively.[9]
Bhubaneswar is topographically divided into western uplands and eastern lowlands, with hillocks
in the western and northern parts.[11] Kanjia lake on the northern outskirts, affords rich
biodiversity and is a wetland of national importance.[12] Bhubaneswar's soils are 65 per cent
laterite, 25 per cent alluvial and 10 per cent sandstone.[13] The Bureau of Indian Standards places
the city inside seismic zone III on a scale ranging from I to V in order of increasing susceptibility
to earthquakes.[14] The United Nations Development Programme reports that there is "very high
damage risk" from winds and cyclones.[14] The 1999 Odisha cyclone caused major damage to
buildings, the city's infrastructure and cost many human lives.[15][16] Floods and waterlogging in
the low-lying areas have become common due to unplanned growth.[13][17]

Urban structure
See also: List of neighbourhoods in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar City at Night

Rajpath, Bhubaneswar

Rajpath, Bhubaneswar
The Bhubaneswar urban development area consists of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation
area, 173 revenue villages and two other municipalities spread over 393.57 square kilometres
(151.96 sq mi).[18] The area under the jurisdiction of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation
covers 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi).[19] The city is somewhat dumbbell-shaped with most of
the growth taking place to the north, northeast and southwest.[20] The northsouth axis of the city
is widest, at roughly 22.5 kilometres (14.0 mi). Growth in the east is restricted due to the
presence of Kuakhai River and by the wildlife sanctuary in the northwestern part.[20] The city can
be broadly divided into the old town, planned city (or state capital), added areas and outer
peripheral areas. It is subdivided into Units and Colonies.
The old town or "Temple Town", the oldest part of the city, is characterised by many temples,
including the Lingaraj, Rajarani, and Muktesvara temples, standing alongside residential areas.
This area is congested, with narrow roads and poor infrastructure.[20] Among neighbourhoods in
the old town are Rajarani Colony, Pandav Nagar, Brahmeswar Bagh, Lingaraj Nagar, Gouri
Nagar, Bhimatanki and Kapileswar.
The planned city was designed in 1948 to house the capital. It is subdivided into units, each with
a high school, shopping centres, dispensaries and play areas. While most of the units house
government employees, Unit V houses the administrative buildings, including the State
Secretariat, State Assembly, and the Raj Bhavan. Private residential areas were later built in other
areas of the planned city, including Saheed Nagar and Satya Nagar. Unit I, popularly known as
the Market Building, was formed to cater to the shopping needs of the new capital's residents.
Later, markets and commercial establishments developed along the Janpath and Cuttack-Puri
Road at Saheed Nagar, Satya Nagar, Bapuji Nagar and Ashok Nagar. A dedicated institutional
area houses educational and research institutes, including Utkal University, the Institute of
Physics, the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology and Sainik School. Indira Gandhi
Park, Gandhi Park and the Biju Patnaik Park are located in the unit.[20]
The added areas are mostly areas lying north of National Highway 5, including Nayapalli,
Jayadev Vihar, Chandrasekharpur and Sailashree Vihar, which were developed by Bhubaneswar
Development Authority to house the growing population.[20]
The peripheral areas are outside the municipal boundary or have subsequently been included
within the extended boundary, including Tomando, Patia and Raghunathpur. Most of these areas
were developed in a haphazard manner, without proper planning.[21]

Deras Dam

Climate

Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar has a tropical savanna climate, designated Aw under the Kppen climate
classification. The annual mean temperature is 27.4 C (81.3 F); monthly mean temperatures are
2232 C (7290 F).[22] Summers (March to June) are hot and humid, with temperatures in the
low 30s C; during dry spells, maximum temperatures often exceed 40 C (104 F) in May and
June.[22] Winter lasts for only about ten weeks, with seasonal lows dipping to 1518 C (59
64 F) in December and January. May is the hottest month, when daily temperatures range from
3242 C (90108 F). January, the coldest month, has temperatures varying from 1528 C (59
82 F). The highest recorded temperature is 45 C (113.0 F), and the lowest is 12 C (54 F).[22]
Rains brought by the Bay of Bengal branch of the south west summer monsoon[23] lash
Bhubaneswar between June and September, supplying it with most of its annual rainfall of
1,542 mm (61 in). The highest monthly rainfall total, 330 mm (13 in), occurs in August.[22]

[hide]Climate data for Bhubaneswar

Month

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Record 35.8 42.7 42.0

46.5 46.3 41.3
37.9 36.6 37.6 33.6 46.5
45.0
37.4
high C (96.4 (108. (107.
(115.7 (115.3 (106.
(100. (97.9 (99.7 (92.5 (115.7
(113)
(99.3)
(F)
)
9)
6)
)
)
3)
2)
)
)
)
)

Average 28.7
36.9
30.4 28.4
31.4 34.9
37.2 35.3 32.2 31.6 32.1 32.2
32.6
high C (83.7
(98.4
(86.7 (83.1
(88.5) (94.8)
(99) (95.5) (90) (88.9) (89.8) (90)
(90.7)
(F)
)
)
)
)

Daily
30.9
27.6 24.9 22.0
22.2 25.1 28.6
31.7 30.7 28.7 28.4 28.5
27.4
mean C
(87.6
(81.7 (76.8 (71.6
(72) (77.2) (83.5)
(89.1) (87.3) (83.7) (83.1) (83.3)
(81.3)
(F)
)
)
)
)

15.6
23.0 19.4 15.6
Average
18.7 22.2 25.0 26.2 26.1 25.2 25.1 24.8
22.2
(60.1
(73.4 (66.9 (60.1
low C (F)
(65.7) (72) (77) (79.2) (79) (77.4) (77.2) (76.6)
(72)
)
)
)
)

8.6
17.0
9.7 9.1
Record
9.6 14.6
15.0 16.8 20.0 18.4 18.5 16.1
8.6
(47.5
(62.6
(49.5 (48.4
low C (F)
(49.3) (58.3)
(59) (62.2) (68) (65.1) (65.3) (61)
(47.5)
)
)
)
)

Average
4
26
317 389
48
9 1,492
precipitati
27
28
67 209
241 127
(0.16
(1.02
(12.4 (15.3
(1.89 (0.35 (58.73
on mm
(1.06) (1.1)
(2.64) (8.23)
(9.49) (5)
)
)
8)
1)
)
)
)
(inches)

Average
0.4
rainy days

2.3

2.8

3.1

5.1

Average
relative
humidity
(%)

61

63

66

66

60

12.0 18.0 19.1 14.6

74

83

85

83

8.8

2.1

0.7

89

76

66

60

70.3

Mean
253. 234.0 237.8 238. 242.9 140.7 107.2 128.6 150.8 221. 217. 255. 2,428.
monthly

sunshine
hours

Source #1: NOAA (19711990)[24]

Source #2: IMD[25]

Economy

Panoramic view of Jaydev Vihar interchange at night

Bhubaneswar is an administrative, information technology, education and tourism city .[11]
Bhubaneswar was ranked as the best place to do business in India by the World Bank in 2014.[26]
Bhubaneswar has emerged as one of the fast-growing, important trading and commercial hub in
the state and eastern India. Tourism is a major industry, attracting about 1.5 million tourists in
2011.[11][27] Bhubaneswar was designed to be a largely residential city with outlying industrial
areas. The economy had few major players until the 1990s and was dominated by retail and
small-scale manufacturing. With the economic liberalisation policy adopted by the Government
of India in the 1990s, Bhubaneswar received investment in telecommunications, information
technology (IT) and higher education.[11]
As of 2001, around 2.15% of the city's workforce was employed in the primary sector
(agriculture, forestry, mining, etc.); 2.18% worked in the secondary sector (industrial and
manufacturing); and 95.67% worked in the tertiary sector (service industries).[11]
In 2011, according to a study by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India,
Bhubaneswar had the highest rate of employment growth among 17 Tier-2 cities in India.[28] It
has been listed among the top ten emerging cities in India by Cushman and Wakefield, taking
into consideration factors like demographics, physical, social and real estate infrastructure,

current level and scope of economic activities and government support.[29] In 2012, Bhubaneswar
was ranked third among Indian cities, in starting and operating a business by the World Bank.[30]
Bhubaneswar has been traditionally home to handicrafts industry, including silver filigree work,
appliqu work, stone and wood carvings and patta painting, which significantly contributes to the
city's economy.[11] The late 2000s saw a surge of investments in the real estate, infrastructure,
retail and hospitality sectors; several shopping malls and organised retails opened outlets in
Bhubaneswar.[31][32][33][34]
The Department of Industries established four industrial areas in and around Bhubaneswar, in the
Rasulgarh, Mancheswar, Chandaka, and Bhagabanpur areas.[11] In the informal sector, 22,000
vendors operate in regulated or unregulated vending zones.[35][36]
In 2009, Odisha was ranked ninth among Indian states in terms of software export by
NASSCOM, with most IT/ITES companies established in Bhubaneswar.[37] In 201112, Odisha
had a growth rate of 17% for software exports.[38] According to a 2012 survey, among the tier-2
cities in India, Bhubaneswar has been chosen as the best for conducting IT/ITES business.[39] The
government fostered growth by developing of IT parks such as Infocity-1, Infovalley, STPIBhubaneswar and JSS STP.[40][41] Infocity was conceived as a five-star park, under the Export
Promotion Industrial Parks (EPIP) Scheme to create infrastructure facilities for setting up
information technology related industries. Infosys and Tech Mahindra have been present in
Bhubaneswar since 1996. Other software companies include TCS, Mindfire Solutions, Wipro,
IBM, Genpact, Firstsource, Mindtree and MphasiS. Apart from the big multinationals, some 300
small and mid-size IT companies and business start ups have offices in Bhubaneswar.[41]

Demographics
[hide]Bhubaneshwar population
Census
1951
1961
1971
1981
1991
2001
2011

Pop.

16,512
38,211
105,491
227,525
423,465
647,302
837,737

131.4%
176.1%
115.7%
86.1%
52.9%
29.4%

Sources:[42][43][44]

As per the 2011 census of India, Bhubaneswar had a population of 837,737, while the
metropolitan area had a population of 881,988.[2][1] As per the estimate of IIT Kharagpur, which
made a development plan, the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Urban complex, consisting of 721.9 square
kilometres (278.7 sq mi), has a population of 1.9 million (as of 2008).[45] As of 2011, the number
of males was 445,233, while the number of females were 392,504. The decadal growth rate was
45.90 per cent. Effective male literacy was 95.69 per cent, while female literacy was 90.26 per

cent. About 75,237 were under six. Bhubaneswar's literacy rate is 93.15 per cent[1]significantly
higher than the national average of 74.04 per cent.[46]
According to the 2001 census, 11 per cent lived in 99 unauthorised and 47 authorised slums.[11] In
2009, the number of slums in Bhubaneswar increased to 377, mostly unauthorised.[47] Migration
from rural areas and neighbouring states drove the growth of the slums.[48][49] According to the
Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissionerate, the number of crime incidents reported in
Bhubaneswar during 2011 was 3,350, decreasing from 4,417 incidents in 2010.[50][51]
The residents are known as Bhubaneswarites.[52] The main language spoken in the city is Odia,
however, Hindi and English are understood by most residents. Although Odias comprise the vast
majority, Marwaris, Bengalis and Telugus also live there. Growth in the information technology
industry and education sector in Bhubaneswar changed the city's demographic profile; likely
infrastructure strains and haphazard growth from demographic changes have been a cause of
concern.
Others include Buddhists,Jains and Sikhs

Religions in Bhubaneswar
Religion

Hinduism
Islam
Christianity
Others

Percent

95.20%
3.28%
0.92%
0.6%

Civic administration
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) oversees and manages civic infrastructure for
the city's 67 wards.[53] Residents of each ward elect a councillor to the BMC for a five-year term.
Standing committees handle urban planning and maintain roads, government-aided schools,
hospitals and municipal markets.[54] As Bhubaneswar's apex body, the corporation discharges its
functions through the mayor-in-council, which comprises a mayor, a deputy mayor and other
elected members. The executive wing is headed by a Commissioner. BMC responsibilities
include drainage and sewerage, sanitation, solid waste management and street lighting.[11] As of
2014, the Biju Janata Dal party controlled the BMC; the mayor was Ananta Narayan Jena and
deputy mayor was K. Shanti.[55] The Bhubaneswar Development Authority is responsible for
statutory planning and development and building regulation.[11]
As the seat of the Government of Odisha, Bhubaneswar is home to the Odisha Legislative
Assembly and the state secretariat. Bhubaneswar has lower courts: the Court of Small Causes
and the District Civil Court decide civil matters; the Sessions Court rules in criminal cases.[56]
The BhubaneswarCuttack Police Commissionerate, established in 2008, is a city police force
with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation in the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack
area.[57][58] Rajendra Prasad Sharma is the police commissioner.[59]

Citizens of Bhubaneswar elect one representative to India's lower house, the Lok Sabha, and
three representatives to the state legislative assembly, through the constituencies of Bhubaneswar
North, Ekamra-Bhubaneswar and Bhubaneswar Central.[60][61]

Odisha State Secretariat building

Utilities
Electricity is supplied by the state-operated Central Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha, or
CESU.[13] Fire services are handled by the state agency Odisha Fire Service. Drinking water is
sourced from the Mahanadi, Kuakhai and Daya rivers. Water supply and sewerage are handled
by the Public Health Engineering Organisation.[11] State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited,
or BSNL, as well as private enterprises, among them Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, Reliance, Idea
Cellular, Aircel, and Tata DoCoMo, are the leading telephone, cell phone and internet service
providers in the city.[62][63]

Transport
The headquarters of the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) is in Bhubaneswar.
The main Bhubaneswar inter-state bus terminus is at Barmunda, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the
city centre, from where OSRTC and private operators run buses connecting Bhubaneswar to
cities in Odisha and with the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal
and Chhattisgarh.[64] Bhubaneswar is connected to the rest of Odisha and India by National
Highways-NH 5, which is a part of the Kolkata-Chennai prong of the Golden Quadrilateral, NH
203, State Highway 13 (Odisha) and State Highway 27 (Odisha).[18]

Road
Bhubaneswar has wide roads in grid form in the central city. Bhubaneswar has approximately
1,600 kilometres (990 mi) of roads, with average road density of 11.82 square kilometres
(4.56 sq mi).[11] Baramunda bus stand is the major bus terminus in the city from where buses ply
to all the districts in Odisha as well as to neighbouring state's cities like Hyderabad, Kolkata,
Visakhapatnam, Raipur and Ranchi. City bus service runs in public-private partnership between
Bhubaneswar-Puri Transport Service Limited (BPTSL) and Dream Team Sahara (DTS) under
JNNURM scheme.[65] A fleet of 105 buses cover all major destinations including Cuttack, Puri
and Khordha.[65] Auto rickshaws are available for hire and on a share basis throughout the city.[66]
[67]
In parts of the city, cycle rickshaws offer short trips.[68] To ease traffic jams, over-bridges at
major road junctions and expansion of roads are under construction.[69][70] In a study of six cities

in India, Bhubaneswar was ranked third concerning pedestrian infrastructure. The city scored 50
points out of maximum 100. The government of Odisha introduced the much-awaited
Bhubaneswar BRTS (bus rapid transit) in Bhubaneswar.[71]

Rail
The East Coast Railway has its headquarters in Bhubaneswar. Bhubaneswar railway station is
one of the main stations of the Indian railway network. It is connected to major cities by daily
express and passenger trains, but daily service to all metro cities is not available from here. For
this the government is asking new trains for last consecutive years which is not getting
sanctioned from the central government. However, the station is overloaded by existing traffic.
Currently, the station has six platforms. There are plans to add two more platforms. A satellite
station is under construction near Barang to decongest the existing one.[72][73]
Bhubaneswar has five railway stations within its city limits (from north to south):

Patia railway station

Mancheswar railway station

Vani Vihar railway station

Bhubaneswar railway station

Lingaraj Temple Road

Air
Biju Patnaik International Airport, also known as Bhubaneswar Airport, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi)
south of the city center, is the major and sole international airport in Odisha. There are daily
flights from Bhubaneswar to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore. In March
2013, a new domestic terminal with a capacity of handling 30 million passengers per year was
inaugurated to handle increased air traffic.[74] On 10 July 2015, the first international flight took
off from terminal 2 of Biju Patnaik International Airport.

Biju Patnaik International Airport

Education
See also: List of institutions of higher education in Odisha

Academic Block of Xavier Institute of Management; a prestigious management school in India

Schools in Bhubaneswar are run by the state government or private organisations, many of which
are religious. Oriya and English are the primary languages of instruction. Schools in
Bhubaneswar follow the "10+2+3" plan. After completing secondary education, students
typically enroll in schools that are affiliated with the Council of Higher Secondary Education, the
ICSE, or the CBSE. The regional CBSE board office for Odisha is in Bhubaneswar. Liberal arts,
business, science and vocational programs are available.
Colleges are affiliated with a university or institution based in Bhubaneswar or elsewhere in
India. Bhubaneswar has emerged as an education hub in eastern India, with several private and
government colleges geared towards engineering, management, and other courses.[75][76][77] Utkal
University, established in 1939, is the oldest, with 267 affiliated general colleges, 15 law
colleges, six medical and pharmacy colleges. Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology
established in 1962, is the second oldest agricultural university in the country. Utkal University
of Culture is dedicated for research, teaching and education.
Bhubaneswar has two deemed universities: KIIT University and Siksha O Anusandhan
University; four medical collegesAll India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar named
after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Hi-Tech Medical
College & Hospital and Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital and two autonomous
institutions affiliated to Utkal University: Rama Devi Women's College and Buxi Jagabandhu
Bidyadhar College.
Other educational institutions include the IIT Bhubaneswar, National Institute of Science
Education and Research, International Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar (IIITBh), Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), Institute of Mathematics and
Applications(IOMA), National Institute of Fashion Technology, Institute of Physics, Institute of
Life Sciences, Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Central Institute of Freshwater
Aquaculture, Regional Medical Research Center and Regional Institute of Education.[78] The
other colleges of repute are College of Engineering and Technology, and Central Institute of
Plastics Engineering and Technology.

Culture

Ram Mandir, Bhubaneswar

Muktesvara deula, covered with erotic ancient carvings, known for its quality of sculptures

Ravindra Mandap, an auditorium in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar is supposed to have had over one thousand temples, earning the tag of the 'Temple
City of India'. Temples are made in the Kalinga architectural style with a pine spire that curves
up to a point over the sanctum housing the presiding deity and a pyramid-covered hall where
people sit and pray.

Famous temples include Lingaraj Temple, Muktesvara Temple, Rajarani Temple, Ananta
Vasudeva Temple.[79]
The twin hills of Khandagiri & Udayagiri, served as the site of an ancient Jain monastery which
was carved into cave-like chambers in the face of the hill. These caves, with artistic carvings,
date back to the 2nd century BCE. Dhauli hills has major edicts of Ashoka engraved on a mass
of rock and a white Peace Pagoda was built by the Japan Buddha Sangha and the Kalinga
Nippon Buddha Sangha in the 1970s. Apart from the ancient temples, other important temples
were built in recent times include Ram Mandir and ISKCON.
Bhubaneswar along with Cuttack is the home of the Oriya cinema industry, dubbed "Ollywood",
where most of the state's film studios are. Odia culture survives in the form of Classical Odissi
dance, handicrafts, sand artistry and sculpturing as well as theatre and music. Boundary walls
and gardens are increasingly being redone to depict the folk art of the state.[80][81] Odissi, the
oldest of the eight surviving classical dance forms of India can be traced from archaeological
evidence from the temples in Bhubaneswar.[82][83][84]
Odissi dance is generally accompanied by Odissi music. Srjan, the Odissi dance academy
founded by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, the legendary Odissi dancer is found here.[85][86] The
Rabindra Mandap in central Bhubaneswar plays host to cultural engagements, theatre and private
functions.[87] As a part of the Ekamra Festival, many cultural sub-festivals takes place in January
in Bhubaneswar which includes Kalinga Mahotsav (for traditional martial arts), Dhauli-Kalinga
Mahotsav (for classical dance forms), Rajarani Music Festival (for classical music) and
Mukteswar Dance Festival (for Odishi dance).[88] Residents engage in khattis, or leisurely chats,
that often take the form of freestyle intellectual conversation.[89]
Though Oriya women traditionally wear the sari and the shalwar kameez, Western attire is
gaining acceptance among younger women.[90] Western-style dress has greater acceptance among
men, although the traditional dhoti and kurta are seen during festivals.[91]
The Odisha State Museum offers archaeological artifacts, weapons, local arts and crafts as well
as insights into Odisha's natural and indigenous history.[92] The Tribal Research Institute Museum
hosts authentic tribal dwellings created by tribal craftsmen.[93] Nandankanan Zoological Park,
located on the northern outskirt of the city, is India's first zoo to join World Association of Zoos
and Aquariums.[94][95] The State Botanical Garden (Odisha) and Regional Plant Resource Center,
popularly known as Ekamra Kanan, a park and botanical garden, has a large collection of exotic
and regional fauna. The Ekamra Haat is a hand-loom and handicrafts market. Nicco Park and
Ocean World are amusement parks. Other museums include Pathani Samanta Planetarium,
Regional Museum of Natural History, Regional Science Center and State Handicrafts Museum.

Dhauli Giri Shanti Stupa

Festivals
On the day of Ashokashtami in the month of March or April, the image of Lingaraja (Shiva) and
other deities are taken in a procession from Lingaraja Temple to the Mausima Temple, where the
deities remain for four days.[96] Hundreds of devotees participate in pulling the temple car that
carries the deities, known as Rukuna Rath.[97] Ratha-Yatra, "Temple Car Festival," is the most
important festival in Odisha and Bhubaneswar.[98] The festival commemorates Jagannath, who is
said to have been the incarnation of India's revered deities, Vishnu and Krishna. Durga Puja, held
in SeptemberOctober, is an occasion for glamorous celebrations.[99][100]
Other festivals celebrated include Shivaratri, Diwali, Ganesh Puja, Nuakhai and Saraswati Puja.
Eid and Christmas are celebrated by the religious minorities in the city.[101][102][103]
Adivasi Mela is a fair that displays art, artefacts, tradition, culture, and music of the tribal
inhabitants of Odisha is held in January.[104] Toshali National Crafts Mela, held in December,
showcases handicrafts from all over India and from foreign countries.[105] Other important fairs in
the city include the Rajdhani Book Fair and Khandagiri Utsav.[106][107]

Cuisine
Key elements of the city's cuisine include rice and a fish curry known as machha jholo, which
can be accompanied by desserts such as Rasagola, Rasabali, Chhena Gaja and Chhena Poda.[108]
Odisha's large repertoire of seafood dishes includes various preparations of lobsters and crabs
brought in from Chilika Lake.[109] Street foods such as Gupchup (a deep-fried crpe with
tamarind sauce), Cuttack-chaat, Dahi bara-Aloo dum and Bara-ghuguni are sold all over the city.
[110]
Traditional Oriya food such as Dahi-Pakhal (rice soaked in water with yogurt and
seasonings) is considered as a body coolant, accompanied by Badi chura or saga are consumed
during months of AprilJune.[111]
The Abadha of Lingaraj Temple and Ananta Vasudeva Temple served for devotees is considered
a vegetarian culinary delight. Other vegetarian dishes are Dalma (made of lentils and vegetables

boiled together and then fried with other spices) and Santula (lightly spiced steamed vegetables).
[109]
Sweets play a large part in the diet of Bhubaneswaritesespecially at their social
ceremonies. Bhubaneswar is known for its kora-khhaii which are made up of paddy, jaggery and
coconut pieces. Pitha, a kind of sweet cake, bread or dim sum are winter specialties.

Chhena Gaja, famous sweet of Odisha from Pahala, Bhubaneswar

Sports

Bhubaneswar Golf Club

Bhubaneswar's major sporting arena is the Kalinga Stadium, having facilities for athletics,
football, hockey, basketball, tennis, table tennis and swimming.[112][113][114] Kalinga Lancers, the
sixth franchise of Hockey India League and Samaleswari S.C., a franchise of I-League 2nd
Division, are based in Bhubaneswar with Kalinga Stadium as their home ground. East Coast
Railway Stadium, a prominent cricket stadium hosts Ranji Trophy and other matches.[115]
Construction of galleries and stadium renovation is in process. An air-conditioned indoor stadium
with a capacity of 2000 spectators for badminton, volleyball, basketball and table tennis games is
under construction.[112] Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha's only venue for international cricket
matches, is located around 25 kilometres (16 mi) away.[116] Bhubaneswar has a franchise of
Odisha Premier League, Bhubaneswar Jaguars, which started in 2010. Bhubaneswar Golf Club, a
nine-hole golf course is situated in Infocity.[117]
The city's widely circulated Oriya-language newspapers are Sambad, Dharitri, Pragatibadi,
Samaja, Khabar, Orissa Bhaskara, Prameya and Samaya.[118] Orissa Post and Orissa Age are the
English-language newspaper that is produced and published from Bhubaneswar. Other popular

English-language newspapers published and sold in Bhubaneswar include The Times of India,
The Telegraph, The Statesman, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Indian Express, and the Asian
Age.[118] Bhubaneswar has substantial circulation of financial dailies, including The Economic
Times, The Financial Express, Business Line, and Business Standard.[118] Vernacular newspapers,
such as those in the Hindi, Bengali and Telugu, are read by minorities.[118] Major periodicals
based in Bhubaneswar include Saptahik Samaya, Saptahik Samaja, and Kadambini.
All India Radio, the national state-owned radio broadcaster, airs several AM channels from the
radio station located in Cuttack.[119] Bhubaneswar has five local radio stations broadcasting on
FM, including two from AIR.[119][120] India's state-owned television broadcaster Doordarshan Odia
provides two free-to-air terrestrial channels,[121] while a mix of Oriya, Hindi, English, and other
regional channels are accessible via cable subscription and direct-broadcast satellite services.
Some of the Odia language television channels are Colors Odia, Sarthak TV and Tarang TV.
Oriya-language 24-hour television news channels include Odisha TV, Kanak TV, ETV News
Odia, MBC TV and Naxatra News.[122]

Tourism
Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, is also popularly known as the "Temple City of India". Being
the seat of Tribhubaneswar or 'Lord Lingaraj', Bhubaneswar is an important Hindu pilgrimage
centre. Hundreds of temples dot the landscape of the Old Town, which once boasted of more
than 2000 temples. Bhubaneswar is the place where temple building activities of Orissan style
flowered from its very inception to its fullest culmination extending over a period of over one
thousand years.
The new Bhubaneswar with its modern buildings and extensive infrastructure perfectly
complements its historic surroundings. With facilities to cater to every type of visitor,
Bhubaneswar makes an ideal tourist destination.Approach: Bhubaneswar is well connected by
air, rail and road to the rest of India. The modern Biju Patnaik airport is being extended to
receive wide bodied aircraft, and one may well see international charters landing here soon.
Best time to visit: Bhubaneswar can be visited round the year, but the ideal time, especially for
visitors from colder climes, would be from October to March.
Stay: With numerous hotels as well as the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation's
Panthanivas, Bhubaneswar is well equipped to accommodate every type of visitor.
Handicrafts of the Region: Silver filigree, Stone and Wood carving, Patta paintings, Tie and
Dye textiles, bamboo basketry, brass and bell metal work, horn work, and many other famous
handicrafts of Orissa can be selected as souvenirs from the local markets. Purchases can be made
from Utkalika (run by the Department of Handicrafts) or at the many privately run shops.
Some of the other important tourist spots of Bhubaneswar are:
Ancient Temples
Ananta Vasudeva

Bharateswar Temple

Bharatimath

(c. 13th century A.D.) (c. 6th century A.D.)

Brahmeswar Temple
Bhaskareswar Temple Brahma Temple

(c. 11th century A.D.)

Chandana Temple
Dwarabasini Temple

Chitrakarini
Daiteswar Temple
Gosagareswar Temple Kainchi Temple
Laxmaneswar Temple

Kedareswar Temple

Kotitirtheswar

(c. 6th century A.D.)

Lingaraj Temple
(c. 11th century A.D.)
RAJARANI TEMPLE
MUKTESWAR
TEMPLE

Makarewswar

Markandeswar Temple

Mohini Temple

Papanasini

Mukteswar
(c. 10th century A.D.)
Parsurameswar
Temple
(c. 7th century A.D.)

Rajarani Temple
(c. 11th century A.D.)

Satrughaneswar
Temple

Rameswar Temple
Swarnajaleswar
Temples

Subarneswar
(c. 6th century A.D.)
Taleswar Temple
Vaital Temple
(c. 8th century A.D.)

(c. 7th century A.D.)

Tirtheswar Temple

Uttareswar Temple

Vimaleswar /
Gaurisankar

Vishnu Temple

Khandagiri & Udaygiri caves (c 1st century B.C.)

Modern Temples
Baya Baba Matha
Parks

Ram Mandir

Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir

ISKCON Temple

Biju Patanaik Park Buddha Jayanti Park Ekamra Kanan /Cactus Garden
Forest Park
Gandhi Park
I.G. Park
IG PARK
IMFA Park
Kharavela Park
S.P. Mukherjee Park
EKAMRA KANAN Subas Bose Park

Shopping
EKAMRA HAAT

Boyanika
Sambalpuri Bastralaya
Priyadarshani

Ekamra Haat
Satyam Shivam Sundaram
Bazar Kolkata

Kalamandir
Utkalika
Vishal Garments

Other Landmarks
BDA Nicco Park Fortune Tower

Info City

Nicco Park
Kalinga Stadium Pathani Samanta Planetarium Science Park
Pathani Samanta Planetarium
Fairs and Festivals of the region :
Fairs / Festivals
Place
Period
Shiva Ratri
Bhubaneswar, Atri
February - March
Khandagiri Mela
Khandagiri
January - February
Ashokastami
Bhubaneswar
MarchApril
Ramanavami
Odagaon, Bhubaneswar
March - April
Jhamuyatra
Kakatpur
April - May
Anla Navami
Sakshigopal
October - November
Places around Bhubaneswar :
Dhauli
Hirapur
Nandankanan
Atri

Dhauli
(8 km)*

Sisupalgarh

Surrounded by paddy fields, the Dhauli hill brings back memories of the historic
'Kalinga war' which was fought around here. It is here that Ashoka, the terrible,
was transformed into Ashoka, the compassionate and championed the cause of
Buddhism. On the foot of the hill one can see the Rock Edicts of Ashoka and the
forepart of a skillfully sculpted elephant hewn out of a huge rock. Dhauli has
gained prominence due to the establishment of a Buddhist Peace Pagoda,
popularly known as Shanti Stupa, built in the early seventies by the Japan
Buddha Sangha and Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha. An old temple of Lord
Dhavaleswar, reconstructed in 1972, also stands on the hill-top.
Just two km from the famed Lingaraj Temple of Bhubaneswar lie the ruins of
Sisupalgarh. Dating back to the third or fourth century BC, these ruins show that
even at that early date there was a well fortified city here, and establish the fact
that the Orissan civilization has very ancient roots.

Hirapur
(15 km)*
Atri
(42 km)*

Hirapur has the 11th century Hypaethral temple of sixty fourYoginis. It is second
of its kind in Orissa and one of four such unique temples in India.
Situated amidst greenery and famous for the hot sulphur water spring, Atri,
42 km. from Bhubaneswar and 14 km. from Khurda, is also a holy place with the
shrine of Hatakeswar. A bath in the spring water is reputed to cure skin diseases
apart from being a pleasant experience.

Picturesquely carved out of the Chandaka forest,Nandankanan is a Biological

Park where animals are kept in their natural habitat. A centrally located lake
Nandankanan divides the Zoo from the Botanical Gardens. Tigers, Lions, Clouded Leopards,
Black Panthers, European Brown Bear, Himalayan Black Bear, Gharials, Rosy
(20 km)*
Pelican, Grey Pelican, Indian Python, King Cobra, etc. are among the attractions
of the zoo, which is famous for its White Tigers. The exotic Botanical Garden on
the other side of the zoo preserves varieties of indigenous plants. Regular bus
services are available to reach the place.