Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar’s epithet as the ‘Temple City of India’ did not come from nothing; for more than two millennia, the ancient Jains and the Hindus faiths have raised their edifices here. Today, the religious majesty of the city continues to wow visitors, throwing up an estimated 400 temples and shrines to explore.

Of these, Bhubaneswar tour guides usually single out the iconic Lingaraja Temple, which has been hailed as the most intact relic of the ancient Kalinga kings that once ruled the city and the greater state of Orissa. Others will direct travellers to the red-brick rises of the Muktesvara deula, or the mythical Ananta Vasudeva Temple. Further afield lie the Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves (the sites of an ancient Jain monastery during the 2nd Century BC), and the Dhauli hills, where Asoka, the Kalinga monarch is said to have famously converted to Buddhism after surveying the blood-spattered battlefields of his conquests below.

Of course, Bhubaneswar also has its modern side; a well laid out city with a great science park and planetarium, bustling marketplaces showcasing intricate works of silver filigree and tie and die textiles, not to miss a distinct east Indian cuisine, all best experienced when the weather is cooler between October and March in the year.