Bhubaneswar Hotels

Bhubaneswar is the capital of the East Indian state of Orissa. Bhubaneswar is known for its architecture and ancient temples. The 10th century Lingaraja temple, dedicated to Shiva, has been described as "the truest fusion of dream and reality." The surface of the 55 meter high Lingaraja temple is covered with carvings. Sculpture and architecture fused elegantly to create a perfect harmony. This city is most renowned for changing the conqueror to the conquered. The great Kalinga War took place here between Emperor Asoka and Kalinga (the old empire of Orissa). Asoka was overwhelmed at the gory of blood that flowed like a river. Asokan inscriptions still stand testimony for this. The twin cave groups of Kandagiri and Udayagiri are evidence of the region's antiquity, dating to the 2nd century BC or the early Jain monastery. Modern Bhubaneswar is a well planned city with wide roads and many gardens and parks. The plan was made by Otto H. Koenigsberger, a German town planner. Though part of the city has stayed faithful to the plan, it has grown rapidly over the last few decades and has made the planning process unwieldy. Having merged its intriguing past so uniquely with its modern aspirations, it forms an integral link in the Golden Triangle that incorporates the holy city of Puri (Jagannath Temple) and Konark (Sun temple). Bhubaneswar's rapid expansion has been tempered by the construction of wide avenues and the green belts; nevertheless a typically hectic, noisy, congested city centre greets the traveller. The old city's spiritual centre is around Bindu Sagar where, from the thousands that once stood here, 50-odd stone temples remain, survivors from the heyday of Orissan medieval temple architecture. The city is also a base for day trips to Dhauli, Konark, Nandankanan Zoological Park and Cuttack.