India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [596]
While most Malls have multiplexes, the best cinema complex in the city is Nandan (1/1 A.J.C. Bose Rd.; 033/2223-1210 or -0970), with excellent screens and a fantastic sound system. Nandan also regularly hosts art-film screenings and retrospectives (the annual Kolkata Film Festival takes place in Oct/Nov; www.kff.in). There are a number of stand-alone cinemas in Chowringhee where you can watch movies in the company of feverishly excitable Indian audiences.
2 Orissa’s Golden Temple Triangle
The tropical state that flourished during the 13th century on India’s central eastern seaboard, Orissa is famous for its temples, which draw thousands of pilgrims here throughout the year, predominantly to Jagannath Temple in the coastal town of Puri, to worship Vishnu in his avatar as the Lord of the Universe. Architecturally, the Sun Temple at Konark is of even greater significance, with its massive stone-carved chariot adorned with sculptures, rising to carry Surya, the sun god, to the heavens. Even Orissa’s capital, Bhubaneswar (the third point of Orissa’s Golden Triangle), is more important for its enormous collection of Hindu temples—at one time 7,000—than it is as an administrative or industrial center.
Orissa remains largely tribal, with many villages still off-limits to outsiders, but the state is also well-known for its “Tribal Tourism.” For the anthropologically inclined, this offers you a chance to get way off the beaten track and meet people who live on the fringes of civilization. The state is also a good place to pick up crafts, particularly textiles and paintings—even when tending to the rice paddies, the women of Orissa are dressed in glamorous saris. Cottage textile industries are the mainstays for entire villages, which produce beautiful ikat (patterned) textiles, palm-leaf paintings, and bright patachitra (cloth) paintings (the best-known of Orissa’s handicrafts). Note: Although Orissa has long, golden beaches that curve around the Bay of Bengal, the infrastructure here is limited and the sea can be treacherous; beach lovers are best off heading for Kerala or Goa.
BHUBANESWAR
485km (300 miles) SW of Kolkata
Orissa’s capital emerged in the 7th century as a center of prolific and accomplished temple building, and by the 11th century the city of Bhubaneswar (derived from Shiva’s incarnation as Tribhubaneswar, Lord of the Three Worlds) had become a significant religious hub, with an estimated 7,000 temples. Of these, only several hundred remain, but those that survive reveal the evolution of the Nagara style into an architectural form unique to Orissa. You won’t need to stay here more than a day—Konark’s Sun Temple, one of India’s top attractions, is just under an hour’s drive away.
Essentials
VISITOR INFORMATION You can try the Government of Orissa Tourist Office (5 Jaydev Nagar; 0674/243-2022; Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, closed on the second Sat of each month) for information about the region.
GETTING THERE By Air Bhubaneswar is connected to most of the main cities in India: Kingfisher ( 180-0209-3030;www.flykingfisher.com) and Jetlite ( 1800-22-3020;www.jetlite.com) have direct flights to Kolkata (55 min.); to Delhi (2 hr.) Indian Airlines ( 1800-180-1407; www.indianairlines.in), Jetlite, Kingfisher, Indigo ( 1800-180-3838;http://book.goindigo.in); and to Mumbai (3 hr.) you can use Indian Airlines and Kingfisher. There are connections to and from several destinations in South India, including Chennai and Hyderabad. Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik Airport is about 4km (2 1⁄2 miles)