Following is from Dharitri. It also talks about the stadium that is to be built in Berhampur.
Telegraph has a nice short traveogue on it contributed by Kalyan Mukherjee. Following are some excerpts.
Digha is by far the most popular beach in the area. Finding even a modest accommodation there, especially on a weekend, can be difficult. While just a hop away, in the neighbouring state, Talsari is relatively tourist-free, and consequently, pollution-free.
The road from New Digha, which is south of Digha, towards Orissa meanders through casuarinas standing on both sides like sentries. The trees make a hissing sound as the sea breeze blows through them.
Generally, only men on bicycles can be seen on the 15-km drive along a very, very bad road. Most parts of it are devoid of a surface.
After crossing the state border, we reached a village where the newly painted and repaired Chandaneswar temple is located. …
The first impression of Talsari is unlikely to blow you away. You may wonder what’s there to see except a few country boats, roving fishermen and casuarina coves. But the serene villages and tall palm trees will grow on you.
The cashew trees sway in the breeze welcoming the visitors. In February, red and orange flowers appear on the plants. The cashew kernel hangs outside the fruit, which is also edible.
You will find only sand dunes on the beach — no heckling hotelier, no screaming hawker, no bargaining tourist. There are a handful of small hotels and a Panthasala run by the Orissa government.
The beach is quite flat and the waves are small and playful. The estuary of the river Subarnarekha can be seen in the distance. The crests of the waves glow as darkness descends. The full moon rose gradually the night we were there and the beach turned a dreamscape.
A business standard article on monsoon tourism talks about Goa, Kerala and Orissa. Following is what it says about Orissa.
The monsoon at one of the most underestimated destinations in India, Orissa, is a surprise. The destination is wonderful, but unfortunately it’s just not sold very well yet. You can get a three night, four day Bhubaneswar and Puri package from Thomas Cook for Rs 12,950 onwards per couple, not including the airfare.
The trip includes visits to Khandagiri, Dhaulagiri and Udaygiri in Bhubaneswar as well as many temples, including the world-famous Lingaraj and the Mukteshwar temples. You would also be taken to Kalijai island, about three hours from Bhubaneswar, and then, on the way to Puri, you can check out the applique work at Pipli village.
Puri is famous for the Jagannath Puri temple, with its fabulous annual procession. Close to Puri is an interesting artisans’ village called Raghurajpur. The village is famous for Patta Chitra work (paintings on palm leaves). In Orissa you get an opportunity to view dolphins in the Chilka Lake. After you are through with the Sun Temple at Konark, don’t forget to pick a few Sambhalpuri sarees.
Following are excerpts from a report in newpostindia.com on this:
… Talking on the prospects of shopping tourism, Soni said initially the government had identified four places across India – Noida, Hyderabad, Aurangabad and Bhubaneswar – to develop as shopping tourism destinations.
‘This new concept of shopping tourism will help local artisans get a good market for selling their traditional artefacts. Subsequently, it will create tremendous amount of job opportunities in different rural pockets and will also promote the cultural heritage of our country. The union ministry is also looking at some other places, including West Bengal, to develop as shopping tourism destinations,’ she said. …
This PTI report in Hindu elaborates on one point.
Noida in Uttar Pradesh with world-class facilities, Shilpagram near Hyderabad, permanent art and crafts fair at Bhubaneswar and another at Aurangabad near Ajanta-Ellora in Maharashtra are the shopping tourism destinations coming up.
Pioneer reports on this. Following are some excerpts.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday inaugurated an Urban Haat near the Sun Temple here. He said the Haat would act as a bridge between the handicraft industry and the tourists in the State as it aims to facilitate sale of handicraft products. …
The Urban Haat has been built over an area of four acres of land by the Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) at a cost of Rs 2.67 crore. It consists of 40 shops, an open-air theatre hall and two exhibition halls.
It primarily aims at marketing handicrafts made of cane and bamboo, appliqués, patta chitra and wooden products.
Nandankanan Zoological garden has many birds in enclosed aviaries. But besides that, the nearby lakes and water bodies and the forest like environment also attracts large number of free birds and many nest in those areas. Tathya has a nice article and couple of nice pictures on it. Following is Samjaja’s take on it, which Samaja attributes to Tathya. 
ZeeNews also has a report on this. Following is an excerpt.
Visitors are happy watching storks, herons and grey cranes and many other species that have added to every one’s joy.
Ajit Kumar Patnaik, Director, Nandankanan zoo, said “Storks, herons and others birds have migrated to Nandankanan Zoo for nesting. But ninety per cent of them are open billed storks, locally called “Gendallia”.
Hindustan Times has a report on this. Following are some excerpts.
All 2,000 residents of Gop village in Kendrapada district, some 150 km from Bhubaneswar, in eastern India have been protecting the birds that fly in to nest from July to October. This has been going on for five years.
“Earlier, their eggs would be stolen and children would stone the birds for fun. Even locals ate some of them. Now the villagers are protecting them, seeing them as assets,” Mahendra Dash, a farmer, told IANS.
“We are protecting them because we have realised that the birds add colour to our hectic lives and make our village a rare place in the state.
“Every year we form a bird protection committee. It takes care of the birds,” he said.
“If anybody knowingly or unknowingly kills a bird or damages the nests or eggs, we summon him and impose a fine on him,” said another villager, Premanada Pradhan.
Officials are full of praise for the villagers.
“About 5,000 birds have landed on the three banyan trees in the village near the national highway for nesting this season,” said divisional forest officer Ajaya Kumar Jena. “They started their nesting activities in the last week of July.
“I recently visited the village. I was happy to see the care the villagers are taking to protect the birds.
“Watching these birds make and mend nests, collect green branches for building and repairing the nests, lay, incubate, hatch eggs, feed fledglings, guard them from predators, cover them with outspread wings to protect them from scorching sunrays and heavy downpour is a sight to behold,” Jena added.
According to him, thousands of egrets, herons, storks, cormorants, darters, spoonbills and ibises are now breeding on the trees in the village and nearby areas.
Not an inch of space is available on the trees. “Any fresh bird trying to nest has to wait,” one villager said.
New York Times Travel Section of Sept 22, 1991 had a nice article titled “The great temples of Bhubaneswar.” Thanks to Deba Nayak for pointing it out.
Following is Dharitri’s report on this.
Regional Museum of Natural History (RMNH), Bhubaneswar ( See bottom part of page 4; National museum and other 2 regional museums) was established in 2004. This is the third regional museum of natural history in India, besides the national one in Delhi; the other two regional ones are in Mysore and Bhopal. Following is the special program of RMNH Bhubaneswar for celebrating its 3rd annual day.
Following is Dharitri’s report on this.
Following are excerpts from a New Indian express report on this.
As an active member of the movement, the 59- year-old woman now earns a comfortable living by making exquisite handicraft items from dried golden grass, locally known as “kainsha”.
… I get great satisfaction from making several household handicraft items from the golden grass, says Sumalata.
More than 4,000 women from 18 villages of Kamagarh, Garh Madhupur, Antia and Jenapur gram panchayats are engaged in making handicrafts from golden grass. Raw material is supplied by handicrafts society. All these women owe their economic independence to 79- year-old Pranakrushna Mohanty, the brain behind the movement in the district.
To help women of the economically backward sections become self-reliant, Mohanty and a friend, Bhikari Patnaik struck upon training them in golden grass handicrafts, which is available in plenty in the district. …
Each handicraft item takes anywhere between a day and a month to complete, and costs between Rs 10 and Rs 1,000. But these women get only a fraction of that amount as middlemen play spoilsport here too.
Following are excerpts from a Pioneer report by Pradipta Mishra.
Orissa is a real treasure hunt for nature lovers and off-beat tourists. ..
One such hidden spot is Grangu Kuti or Ganga Kuti in tribals-dominated Kandhamal district. Thirteen km from Raikia, a small town above Kalinga Ghat in Kandhamal district, Grangu Kuti is about 260 km from Bhubaneswar. Along the way one comes across beautiful tribal villages and dense forests along with ancient townships like Bhanjanagar, famous for its enchanting lake, and Ghumusar Udayagiri. A drive to Grangu Kuti is like a good appetiser before a lavish lunch.
In local Kui language, Grangu means dangerous and Kuti connotes gorge. Wordsworth, however, would have called it a heavenly gorge. Such is the beauty of the place that it would turn a hardcore criminal a poet!
Grangu Kuti is a deep gorge surrounded by cloud-capped tall and densely-forested mountains. Local tourists and picnickers go down to the bottom of the gorge to listen to the breathing of nature goddess. Sound of the waterfall nearby and that of the small fountain flowing close to your leg with its crystal clear water is a lifetime experience.
The gorge is about one and a half km long and its width nearly one km. One can go either side of it and go deep as well. The whole area is a lavish feast to one’s eyes. But for one’s belly, he has to travel three km, even for a packet of biscuits. Lunch is 13 km away at Raikia. And accommodation! Forget about a hotel; the only nearest place to stay is a PWD bungalow at Raikia. Here too, one has to do a three-km walk for his morning tea.
… Moreover, the place is only about 50 km from a better-known tourist destination, Daringibadi. …
In fact, Gangru Kutis and Daringibadis have all the potential to emerge as international tourism hubs as they possess tall hills, virgin forests, perennial fountains and charming flora and fauna.
Following are excerpts from a Telegraph report on this.
The government will develop 100 heritage circuits for tourists by the end of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan. Of these, 25 are expected to be of international standard.
The government plans to build world-class infrastructure at Hampi, Agra, Konark, Khajuraho, Orccha and Datia along with the Buddhist and Jain circuit tourist centres. Moreover, 10 new heritage circuits are expected to be identified every year. To develop cultural tourism, the government has identified six museums — one each in Calcutta, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Cochin. These will be upgraded so that they can compete with global rivals.
Important religious pilgrimage sites will also be developed. The tourism ministry has identified 11 sites. These are the four dhams of Uttaranchal — Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri — Sabrimala in Kerala, Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, Dwarakadhish in Gujarat, Puri in Orissa, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Kanchi Kamkioti and Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. …
Rakesh Mathur, president of ITC Welcome Heritage, said, “Heritage sites in India need to be looked after well. A combination of dining, storytelling and live entertainment can do wonders and create a lot of interest in travellers.”
Statesman reports that the central government is planing to establish one of three animal rescue centers in Orissa. Following are excerpts of that report.
Kapilas is chosen only to house the wild lives rescued from different places for protection of wild animals. …
Kapilas is chosen for various reasons such as suitable infrastructure, water flows, habitable environment for wild animals, natural forest growth, an existing deer park and communication for proper management and other facilities. Divisional forest division has already communicated to government about existing facilities and amenities available in Kapilas.
The purpose of the centre is to bring those wild animals being wounded or troubling villagers in human habitation to be brought to the rescue centre from different places. Thus animals including elephants will be protected and villagers be tension free. After primary care they will be sent back to forest. Union ministry will take a decision in the last week of this month to approach the Supreme Court for final approval. If approved, Kapilas will be first rescue centre in Orissa.
Kapilas is 16 kms from Dhenkanal and considered a tourist spot.
Telegraph, UK has a travel article on Orissa, with a focus on Puri.
New Indian Express has a report on this. Following are some excerpts.
The Centre will invite global tender through the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for the preservation of the 13th century heritage Sun temple at Konark.
…
The Centre would release Rs 13 crore for the project as well as periphery development around the Sun temple.
…
the Centre has sanctioned Rs 1 crore for the renovation and development of the State museum at Bhubaneswar. Besides, Rs 92 lakh has also been earmarked for construction of the open theatre, Kalamandal, here.
…
The ASI, NCF, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Indian Oil Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for five important monuments of India – Sun temple, Konark, Kanheri caves, Mumbai, Group of temples at Khajuraho, monuments at Hampi and Warangal Fort. The IOC has contributed Rs 25 crore for the project.
New Indian Express has a report on this. Following is an excerpt.
Arun’s paper sculptures are flying off the walls thick and fast ever since he put them up at the Orissa Modern Art Gallery here. …
Samaja has the following story on this.
While South Indian food types and Punjabi food types are commonly associated with Indian cuisine, various states of India have their own specialties. Orissa has its own cuisine, besides the world famous roshgollas. Following are some links.
Following are pictures of the menu of the Dalema restaurant near Master Canteen.
Following is a picture of a vegetarian plate of Oriya cuisine. Its very different from a similar plate of south Indian thali (plate) or north Indian thali.
Following is the exact address (with phone number of the two Dalema locations). The third one from where the above pictures were taken, is the one near KIIT.
(Postscript: I have no relation with Dalema, except that I am a satisfied customer,and next time I am in Bhubaneswar I will definitely visit one of their locations. I have also eaten at Odissa hotel in Saheed Nagar. They use copper utensils.)
Pioneer reports on this. Following are some excerpts:
Club City, a leading food court chain known for its unique food fusion concept, opened its 19th outlet at Swagat Palace at Bhouma Nagar on Sunday.
… he food chain successfully mixes Indian delicacies with that of American European, Chinese and Mexican food flavours. Initially, her outlet could manage to bring four food concept brands out of the total 15 — Dosa Plaza, Sanghai Post, Chillzzzz and Club Thai. Dosa Plaza is India’s largest menu of Dosa making and would cater to nearly 27 varieties of Dosas, while Shanghai Post would deal with delicate Chinese items. Chillzzz and Club Thai would offer varieties of Mocktails and shakes along with delicacies of Thailand .
Deepikaglobal has another report which talks about Club city’s further plans.
… about seven more outlets would be opened in Orissa to cater to the customers growing demand of ‘fun dining’ experience. The new outlets would be opened in Jharsuguda, Cuttack, Puri and Bhubaneswar, he added. … The CEO also added that the traditional Oriya cuisine would soon be included in the menu.
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