Odisha Calling!

One of the oldest and popular sea Ports of India, a state which houses many ancient Hindu temples and is famous for its rich tribal heritage, Odisha is the tourist’s paradise. Located on the eastern coast of the country, the state has many stunning destinations which offer a visual feast to the tourists and visitors. 

In order to promote tourism and attract domestic as well as international tourists, the Department of Tourism (DoT), government of Odisha, will be organising a road show in the national capital. The objective is to promote the state and its variety of tourism products in the western part of India. 

The road show will benefit and provide information on Odisha Tourism to the tour lovers, tour operators, travel agents, travel writers, journalists, etc. Odisha tourism has already organised various roadshows last year and this year they are organising 10 roadshows across different cities in the country. Travel to Odisha is truly an amasing experience that attracts people from all parts of the world for its sculptural and artistic heritage. 

The Sun Temple at Konark, a UNESCO Heritage site; the temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri; one of the four cardinal centres for Hindus (Char Dhams) of India and temple city of Bhubaneswar are some of the important and popular tourist destinations. 

The Buddhist heritage of Odisha comprising of Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri, Udayagiri, Langudi and Dhauli attracts tourists from all over the world. The serene beaches at Puri, Chandipur, Gopalpur and Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, the second largest mangrove forest in India, Simlipal National Park to name a few are the most sought after tourist destinations. The rock-cut caves of Khandagiri and Udaygiri at Bhubaneswar, depicting Jain heritage, throw light on the magnificent past of Odisha. Chilika, the largest brackish water lake in Asia and a Ramsar site of India with 1100 sq.kms area, is famous for Dolphins and migratory birds.

A number of events to promote tourism like Konark Festival (December 1-5), International Sand Art Festival (December 1-5), Parab Tribal Festival (November 16-18), Dhanu Yatra Festival (December – January) Rajarani Music Festival (January 18-20), Mukteswar Dance Festival (January 14-16) etc. will be held to attract more of domestic and international tourists. A progressive and investment friendly tourism policy has been in operation since April 2013. As per the policy a State Level Single Window Committee has been created for speedy implementation of the projects; several incentives have been announced for the Tourism stake holders as part of promotional initiatives. In August last year, the Light & Sound Show (SEL) has been started at Dhauli which will be held at Konark and Khandagiri-Udayagiri as well.

Odisha Tourism Development Corporation has also been playing a key role in the promotion and development of Tourism in the state. It covers a wide range of facilities to the tourists and visitors with its 22 strategically located hotels and restaurants. The Airport has opened to international sector and will definitely give a surge in tourist traffic.