Orissa

The word Orissa is derived from the Sanskrit word Odra Vishaya or Odra Desa who were the tribes that inhabited the central belt of the present Orissa.The history of Orissa is as old as the history of India which can be dated back to period of over 3500 years. Orissa is ruled by various rulers since the ancietn times starting from Nanda ruler, Kalinga under the Mauryan ruler, The Gupta ruler, Mughal ruler to the period of British ruler. The land is popularly known as the ‘land of Lord Jagannath’, ‘Soul of India’ and the ‘synthesis of varied religions’ as the land was dominated by the Hindu rulers, Buddhist rulers, Muslim rulers etc. So, the present culture of Orissa is the blend of past and present. The wonderful land of Orissa is also known as littoral state located on the east coast of India, adjoining the Bay of Bengal in the southeast, Jharkhand in the north, Andhra Pradesh in the south and Madhya Pradesh in the west.

Tourist Attractions of Orissa
Orissa is full of tourist attractions that lure the visitors of the world with its lifestyle, wildlife, Buddhist temples, art and craft, beaches, Jain temples, dance and music, picnic spots, Hindu temples, fairs & festivals, handlooms and lakes.

Beaches in Orissa
The famous beaches of Orissa are Puri Beach, Konark Beach, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Chandipur Beach, Aryapalli Beach, Astaranga Beach, Balaramgadi Beach, Balighai Beach, Baliharachandi Beach, Beleswar Beach, Paradeep Beach, Pati-Sonapur Beach, Ramchandi Beach and Talasari Beach attracted the tourists from all over the world for Orissa beach holidays.

Waterfalls in Orissa
Orissa is also famous for various picturesque waterfalls like Barehipani falls, Badaghagra falls, Sanaghagra falls, Khandadhar falls, Duduma falls, Harishankar falls, Hatipathar falls, Khanduala falls, Miriglotah falls, Nrusimhanath falls, Phurli Jharan falls, Pradhanpat falls and Putudi falls.

Wildlife Tour in Orissa
Orissa tourism offers various tourist destinations for wildlife tourists in wide variety of flora and fauna. However, some of the famous wildlife sanctuaries of Orissa which are famous all over the world are Nandankanan, Similipal Tiger Reserve, Bhitarkanika Sanctuary, Ambapani Sanctuary, Badarama, Balukhand, Baisipalli, Belghar Sanctuary, Debrigarh, Hadagarh, Karlapat Sanctuary, Kotagarh, Khalasuni, Kuldiha, Lakhari, Padmatala Sanctuary, Satkosia, Sunabeda and Ushakothi.