India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [597]
By Train The best train from Delhi is the Rajdhani Express, but the trip is lengthy—25 hours—and departures are only 2 days per week; other trains may take 30 to 42 hours. From Kolkata, the Howrah-Puri Express is the most convenient (it’s overnight); however, the quickest is the Faluknama Express (under 7 hr.). Puri is 11⁄2 hours from Bhubaneswar, and there is regular train service between the two cities. For inquiries and reservations, your best bet is to see a travel agent or to visit the train reservation office personally (see chapter 3).
By Road If you want to drive or bus it here from Kolkata (500km/310 miles away), count on spending 13 hours propped up in your seat.
GETTING AROUND By Taxi & Auto-Rickshaw Auto-rickshaws in Bhubaneswar are unusually comfortable and well maintained. Drivers are genuinely helpful, if sometimes unable to understand you. Taxis from Bhubaneswar to Puri or Konark are readily available; for taxi excursions, be clear about the duration of your journey, and the sights you wish to cover. Hiring a car and driver is a good way to save time. Try Mercury Travels at the Trident Hilton (Nayapalli; 0674/230-1010, ext. 49), or Swosti Travels (103 Janpath; 0674/253-5773 or -5771)—each of which handles flights, car rentals, and tours of the state. Inexpensive full-day coach tours of the city and the entire Golden Triangle region are administered by the O.T.D.C. Head Office ( 0674/243-2382; www.orissa-tourism.com), but these are targeted at domestic visitors.
Tip: Heritage Tours (www.heritagetoursorissa.com) is a reputable outfit with years of experience. Located at the entrance of the Mayfair Beach Resort in Puri, it specializes in “Lifestyle Tours” (including learning trips on such subjects as yoga, Odissi dance, Ayurveda, stone carving, and sand sculpting) as well as rural and tribal excursions. Besides organizing every aspect of trips lasting anything from 1 to 20 days, Heritage Tours also deals with ticketing and transportation matters.
Bhubaneswar’s Top Attractions
In the heart of Bhubaneswar’s Old Town, the most important temples—almost all Shaivite—are clustered around Bindusagar Lake, a holy reservoir believed to hold water from each and every holy river and lake in India. Of the 7,000 temples that are said to have once surrounded the tank, only around 500 remain. Traditionally, pilgrims perform their ablutions in the lake before heading into the temples to perform puja (a ritual of respect, such as prayer). The best are easily visited in a morning (more than three or four is overkill), leaving you time to explore some of the outlying sights during the afternoon.
The best of the city’s Nagara-style temples (7th c. and 12th c. A.D.) are testament to both a radical resurgence of Hinduism and Buddhist defeat—frequently represented in temple sculptures by the image of a lion lunging for an elephant. With the exception of wonderful Rajarani Temple (see below), all of those worth visiting are living temples. The best are magnificently carved Mukteshwar Temple—the 10th-century “Gem of Orissan Architecture,” where a squat, cobra-protected lingam stands in the sanctum sanctorum—and Lingaraj Temple; although the complex is off-limits to non-Hindus, you can admire it from a well-known vantage point, a raised platform built by the British, where you’ll be harassed by a hood with a phony register of donations from other foreigners (ignore his advances and mention the police). If you have time, make a stop at the well-preserved 7th-century Parasurameswar Temple (Brahmeswar), for its lavish carvings, including a number of amorous couples. For something more “exotic,” visit Vaital Temple and view its creepy tantric carvings; you’ll need a flashlight to see the images of humans being put to death while the goddess Chamunda looks on.
Chilka Lake A unique ecosystem of marine, brackish, and fresh water, this