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Following are some links that I collected in my site “Fun/Culture/Shopping/Tourism in Orissa”.

• Puri is the 2nd most popular destination among Indian tourists
• Orissa Ecotourism: DEERS Bhubaneswar
• Shopping, Malls:
  • Big Bazaar, Forum Mall, Opposite Ram Mandir, Bhubaneswar. (Includes a food Bazaar)
  • Big Bazaar, Patia, Bhubaneswar?
  • Big Bazaar in Cuttack?
  • Maruti Corner (has a Food Bazaar), Patia (near KIIT), Bhubaneswar.
  • K-Lounge (killer jeans, etc.), Bhubaneswar Ref: [1]
  • Mall mania grips Bhubaneswar: Times of India, 29th March 2006.
  • More on Malls in Bhubaneswar: TOI, Sept 23, 2006
• Happenning place:
  • Sandys square, Bhubaneswar : Habib�s Fair and Beauty unisex saloon, Cafe Coffee Day chain, Smokin� Joe�s pizza, Niknish Gift Shop, and Sparks pub (with a dance-floor, jugglers, heavy lights and full-time DJs)
  • Other party places
• Nightspots:
  • Disco at Plaza Club, Swosti Plaza, Bhubaneswar.
• Golf in Bhubaneswar
• Sports entertainment:
  • Rourkela Steelers (tier II PHL team): [1]
• Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) (editor’s comment: lots of interesting tours. [1])
• State tourism department ( Orissa tourism destinations: Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Berhampur, etc.)
• Orissa Tourism site
• Destination Orissa
• National parks, Ecotourism, and Wild life in Orissa: elephants, tigers, sea turtles, birds at Chilika lake, crocodiles, mangroves:
  • Chandaka Elephant Reserve: [map]
  • Nandan Kanan Zoo: [An article in Orissa review June 05]
  • Chilika Lake: tourism, dolphin sanctuary (announced)
  • Bhitarakanika National Park; more
  • Gahirmatha Turtle Sanctuary. [1]; [2]; [3]; [4]; [5].
  • Similpal National Park more
• Cultural Festivals: [1], [Swosti Group’s list], [Festivals galore]
  • Parab, Koraput ([1]
  • Konark Festival, Konark: December 1-5 (since 1990) ([1], [2], [3], [4] )
  • Buddha Mahotsava, Dhauli Hills: Dec 9-11.
  • Dhanu Jatra, Baragarh: 7 to 11 days preceding Pausa Purnima in December-January ([1], [2], [3])
  • Srikshetra Utsav, Puri: December 14-25
  • Ekamra Utsav, Bhubaneswar (in Ekamra Haat): January 6-15
  • Mukteswar Nrutya Utsava, Mukteswar Temple, Bhubaneswar: January 12-
  • Kalinga National Martial Festival on Dhauli hills (near Bhubaneswar): Late January
  • Kharavela festival, Bhuvaneswar: Early February
  • Rajarani Music festival: Feb 26-28.
  • Jagannath Ratha Yatra: July
  • Golden beach festival, Chandipur-on-sea, Balasore: November 11-13. ([1] )
  • Sangam: an annual dance festival on Teacher’s day (Sept 5). ([1] )
• Beaches: [List 1]; [List 2];
  • Chandipur beach; Balaramgadi beach; Kasaphal beach.
  • Gopalpur.
  • Puri.
  • Balighai, Puri.
  • Ramchandi. (near Konark)
  • Talasari. (near Digha in West Bengal). (Editor’s comment on 7/26/05: Orissa should make a *good* road to this beach accessible from NH 60 — between Kharagpur and Balasore, through Orissa. This will provide an alternate route to Digha, the only decent beach in West Bengal. Also this beach area should be developed into a nice upscale beach resort.)
• Museums and Galleries:
  • Regional Museum of Natural History (RMNH), Bhubaneswar ( See bottom part of page 4; National museum and other 2 regional museums)
  • Orissa state museum, Bhubaneswar (history and evolution of the museum)
  • Regional Science Center, Bhubaneswar (major science museums in India )
  • Orissa Modern Art Gallery, A-17/8 Surya Nagar, Bhubaneswar. ([1])
  • The Handicrafts Museum, Secretariat Road, Bhubaneswar
  • Museum of tribal arts, Bhubaneswar: [1]
  • Archaelogical museum, Konark
  • Balasore Branch Museum
  • Baripada Museum
  • Belkhandi Museum PO Kalra Munda, District Kalahandi Belkhandi Orissa India
  • Berhampur Branch Museum
  • Dhenkanal Science Center
  • Tribal museum, Koraput
• Lakes, Boating, Water sports, Hot springs: Besides the beaches, Orissa has several lakes and reservoirs, some developed and others virgin.
  Editor’s comment on July 26′ 2005: Orissa should go in a big way in developing these water bodies for tourism purposes, especially the ones which are close to well-connected cities and towns like Sambalpur and Rourkela. Orissa should borrow ideas from the Aswan reservoir in Egypt, Lake Powell in Arizona/Utah border of the USA, Lake Meade in Nevada USA, etc. Not many people in India (and for that matter Orissa), know about the various water bodies mentioned below (except Chilika lake). Orissa should develop appropriate infrastructure, and promote Rourkela and Sambalpur in regards to Mandira reservoir and Hirakud reservoir respectively.
  • Google earth images: Balimela, Kolab, Balimela-Jalaput-Kolab, Satiguda, Satiguda-Balimela-Jalaput-Kolab, Indravati, Hirakud, Rengali, Mandira, Chilika, Bhitarakanika, Chandipur, Chilika-Puri-Konark-BBSR, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Mahanadi, Hirakud and Rengali in reference to BBSR and CTC.
  • Chilika Lake (somewhat developed, approachabe on NH5 from Bhubaneswar and Berhempur, allso approachable from Puri through Baliharchandi and Satapada.)
  • Hirakud reservoir: very close to Sambalpur, man-made but huge reservoir built-up due to the Hirakud dam. (Ref: [1], [2], [3:wild-life], [4:power] )
  • Balimela reservoir: made for the Balimela power station, 25 km from Malkangiri, 15 km from Chitrakonda, not well developed, near Jeypore.
  • Satiguda Dam: 8 kms from Malkangiri
  • Jalaput (Jolaput, Julaput) reservoir: about 80 km from Koraput on Koraput Vizag line, not well developed, near Jeypore. (a description is at this site.)
  • Mandira reservoir: very close to Rourkela, made by the Mandira dam.
  • The reservoir due to Rengali dam: 65 km upstream of Talcher. (looks big in google earth image.)
  • Kolab reservoir: made for Kolab power station, 5 kms from Jeypore. (a picture is in this site.)
  • Indravati: made for Indravati power station.
  • Machkund (Duduma) reservoir: made for the Machkund HE project.
  • The planned national waterway in Orissa.
  • A listing of lakes in Orissa at Indiatourism.com
  • A listing of lakes, reservoirs, and hot springs in Orissa
• Temples of Orissa
  • History; chronology; etc.
  • A list
  • Puri: Jagannath Temple.
  • Konark; Konark temple; a UNESCO world heritage site.
    • Efforts towards additional world heritage site designations: [1].
  • Temples in Bhubaneswar: Lingaraj temple; Rajarani Temple; Mukteswar Temple.
  • Maa Tarini Temple, Ghatagaon, Keonjhar.
  • TaraTarini Temple, Berhempur
  • Biraja temple, Jajpur
• References: [1].
• Tourism infrastructure efforts: [The Statesman-June2-05:Buddhist circuit etc.]; [Cruise ship]; [Puri SEZ]; [Int’l seminar on Buddhism]; [Sipasarubali, Puri], [Sipasarubali investors], [Progress report: Nov 21 2005]
• Orissa tourism policy: [1],
• Culture tours: orissaculture.com home; culture tours; Orissa / India tribal tour 1; Orissa / India tribal tour 2; Orissa tribal tour 3; Orissa tribal tour 4;