Transportation and City Access

Bhubaneswar has excellent air and rail linkages with most major cities in the country.

Air

Bhubaneswar is connected to the cities of Calcutta, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad, and Raipur through regular flights. Biju Patnaik Airport in Bhubaneswar is the only major airport in the state.

Rail

Bhubaneswar is directly connected by rail with Kolkata, Puri, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Tirupati, and Trivandrum.

Road

The city is linked with Berhampur, Chilka, Cuttack, Konark, Paradip, Puri, Rourkela, Sambalpur and other places. Interstate bus services operate daily between Kolkata and Puri via Bhubaneswar and Tatanagar (Jamshedpur).

Notable Sites

Khandagiri and Udayagiri (Jain Heritage)

The twin hills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri, 8 km from Bhubaneswar, served as the site of an ancient Jain monastery which was carved into cave like chambers in the face of the hill. Dating back to the 2nd century BC, some of the caves have beautiful carvings. The Rani Gumpha ( Queen’s Cave), one of the largest and double-storied, is ornately embellished with beautiful carvings. In the Hati Gumpha (Elephant Cave), King Kharavela has carved out the chronicles of his reign.

Lingaraja Temple and Other Temples

Dhawalgiri or Dhauli

The 10th- or 11th-century Lingaraja temple of Bhubaneswar has been described as “the truest fusion of dream and reality.” A rare masterpiece, the Lingaraja temple has been rated one of the finest examples of purely Hindu temple in India by Ferguson, the noted art critic and historian. Every inch of the surface of the 55-m-high Lingaraja temple is covered with elaborate carvings. Sculpture and architecture fused elegantly to create a perfect harmony. Devout pilgrims, who wish to go to the Jagannath temple at Puri, must first offer worship at the Lingaraja temple.

Built in 650 AD, Parashurameshwara Temple is one of the best examples of the Orissa style of temple architecture. This temple followed very rigid parameters set by the ritualistic books. The temple has some exquisite carvings and sculpture.

Vaital Deul (800 AD) has a double-storied wagon roof, which in turn is an influence of the Buddhist cave architecture. The interior of the temple has the image of Chamunda (an incarnation of Goddess Kali).