Monday, May 20, 2013

Trip to Bhubaneshwar-Konark-Puri-Chilika Lake : December 2012 - A Curtain Raiser

Mukteshwar temple, Bhubaneshwar
I have been planning a sight-seeing trip to Orissa (now renamed as Odisha) since early 90s to visit what is called as the golden triangle of Eastern India (Bhubaneshwar-Konark-Puri). But the very thought of travelling over 40 hours in the train from Mumbai and the huge pilgrim crowd visiting Jagannath temple in Puri to an almost unmanageable proportion put me off to postpone the visit. As it is often said, visits to some of the holy places like Chardhams can fructify only when one gets an 'invitation' from the presiding deity of that holy place. This 'invitation' is nothing but an intense urge to visit the place. It happened to me also sometime in early October 2012 that I should make a trip to the golden triangle of Odisha sooner than later. I told my wife about the planned trip to Odisha and being interested in visiting heritage sites, she was more interested than me in the trip.

Puri beach at sunset
Since I wanted to avoid a long train journey and a large crowd of pilgrims in Puri, I decided to take a flight to and fro Bhubaneshwar. After some research, I found that the  pilgrim and tourist crowd is normally less after full moon day following Diwali festival  (Kartik Purnima) and before the onset of Christmas vacation. So we planned the trip during the second half of December 2012. We were joined by one of my close relatives -  a couple who were also the senior citizens like us to make a group of 4 persons. 

Chilika Lake
We reached Bhubaneshwar on December 15th by Air India flight which was the only airline having a direct flight from Mumbai to Bhubaneshwar. Our easy paced day to day schedule was as under :

Date & Day
Destination
Time
Mode of Journey
Distance in Km
15/12/2012
(Saturday)
Leave : Mumbai
Reach : Bhubneshwar
Airport to Ginger Hotel (7 km, pre-paid taxi @350/)-
10.25
12.35

AI.669

By taxi
 

   07
Stay at Bhubneshwar at Ginger Hotel from Dec.15-17, 2012 nights
16/12/2012
(Sunday)
Temple tours –Lingaraja, Parashurameshwar, Mukteshwar, Kedar-Gauri, Raja Rani, Brahmeshwar temples. Afternoon at Orissa State Museum.
09.00
to
16.30

By hired car @900/-

17/12/2012
(Monday)
Visits to Daulagiri, Udaygiri and Kandagiri caves. 
Shopping in the evening.

09.00 to 14.45

16.30 to 18.30
By hired car@900/-

18/12/2012
(Tuesday)
Left : Hotel
Reached :Nandan Kanan
Left : Nadan Kanan
Reached : Konark
On the way spent 45 minutes
 at Pipli to see chandua handicraft market.

In the evening visited Konark temple to see the temple under lightings.
09.15
09.45
12.30
15.45



17.30 to 18.30
By hired car @2800/- for Nadankanan and drop at Konark.





By walk
   10


    65





   01
Stay in Konark at Yatriniwas on 18.12.2012
19/12/2012
(Wednesday)
Visited  Konark temple for the day view.

Leave : Konark
Reach : Puri
On the way, visited Chandrabhaga beach.
Checked in Pantniwas, Puri.
Visted Puri beach in the evening.
09.00 to
11.00

13.15
14.30


By walk


By Mini Van @700/-

   01


    35

Stay in Puri at Pantniwas from Dec.19 -21, 2012
20/12/2012
(Thursday)
Visited Jagannath temple for morning darshan and saw temples in the complex including  Kanchi Ganesh temple.[photography prohibited].
Shopping around Puri temple


Evening at Puri beach

07.30 to 09.00


10.30 to
12.00

17.30 to
19.00
Auto
   02
21/12/2012
(Friday)
Leave : Pantniwas
Reach : Satapada
On the way brief halt at Alarnath temple connected to the myths of Jagannath temple.

Boat ride in Chilka Lake for dolphin sighting and visiting the mouth of Chilka Lake to Bay of Bengal. On return halted at Rajhans Island beach. After return, spent some time in museum and acqarium.
Lunch at Satpada (Pantniwas)

Leave : Satpada
Reach : Pantniwas, Puri
07.00
09.30




10.15 to 13.30


14.00 to 15.15

15.15
16.45
OTDC conducted tour @290/- per head.



By boat @140/- per head.
    50






  





   50
22/12/2012
(Saturday)
Leave : Puri
Reach : Bhubaneshwar Airport
Leave : Bhubaneshwar
Reach : Mumbai
09.00
10.30
13.15
15.20
Tavera @1700/-

AI.670
   65


My travel blogs on Odisha trip are divided as under :