Bhubaneswar
Encyclopedia
Bhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state
of Orissa
, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty (around 2nd century BCE) who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital. Historically Bhubaneswar has been known by different names such as Toshali, Kalinga Nagari, Nagar Kalinga, Ekamra Kanan, Ekamra Kshetra and Mandira Malini Nagari "city of temples" otherwise known as the temple city of India. The largest city of Orissa, Bhubaneswar today is a center of economic and religious importance in the region.
Bhubaneswar's proud possession of magnificent sculptures and architectural heritage, coupled with the sanctity as Ekamrakshetra make this one of the great religious centres of Orissa since early medieval days. With its large number of Hindu temples (over 600 in number), which span the entire spectrum of Kalinga architecture
, Bhubaneswar is often referred to as a "Temple City" of India. Together with Puri and Konark and, Bhubaneswar forms the Swarna Tribhuja "Golden Triangle", one of the most visited destinations in East India.
The modern city of Bhubaneswar was designed by the German architect Otto Königsberger
in 1946. Like Jamshedpur and Chandigarh
, it is one of the first planned cities of modern India. With the Chandaka reserve forest on the fringes, the city, with an abundance of in-city greenery and an efficient civic body (the BMC
), has become one of the cleanest and greenest cities of India.
Bhubaneswar replaced Cuttack
as the political capital of the state of Orissa in 1948, a year after India gained its independence from Britain
. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are often commonly together known as the "twin cities" of Orissa. The metropolitan area formed by the twin cities has a 2011 population of 1.4 million Bhubaneswar is categorized as a tier 2 city. An emerging IT hub, the boom in the metals and metal processing industries have made Bhubaneswar one of the fastest developing cities of India in recent years.
The first mention of Bhubaneswar in Indian history is in the infamous Kalinga War
which was held near Dhauli (presently located in south Bhubaneswar) in the 3rd Century BC. The later Emperor Kharavela
established his capital in Sisupalgarh
which is on the outskirts of the city. The Hathigumpha inscription
s at the Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves
by Kharavela give a good account of that period which is estimated as 1st-2nd century BC. Later, innumerable temples built throughout ancient and medieval history in tune with its status as Temple City give a chronicle of the city's history until Indian independence in 1947.It was the ancient capital of the Kalinga
Empire and the architectural legacy of the period is its greatest attraction. There are many sites in the city that testify the importance of the region during the 7th to 11th century A.D when the Kalinga kings ruled Orissa and the regions beyond it. The Ananta Vasudeva Temple
and Vindusagar tank in the only temple of Vishnu
in the city of Shiva
. The temples in Bhubaneswar are thus regarded as having been built from the 8th to 12th century of Shaiva
influence.
The Jain
and Buddhist shrines give a clear picture about the settlements around Bhubaneswar in the first two centuries B.C, and one of the most complete edicts of the Mauryan emperor, Ashoka
, dating between 272-236 B.C, remains carved in rock just 5 miles to the southwest of the modern city.
In 1936, Orissa became a separate province in British India with Cuttack
as its capital. Notably, Cuttack was Orissa's capital since 12th century. When India got independence in 1947, Orissa became one of the states of the Indian union. But for some reasons, most visibly Cuttack's vulnerability to floods and space constraints, the capital was changed to Bhubaneswar which was built into a modern city. The city planning of Bhubaneswar was given by German Architect Otto Königsberger
. Bhubaneswar was formally inaugurated in 13 April 1948 as the capital of the Indian state of Orissa.
Modern Bhubaneswar was originally planned by Königsberger to be a well planned city with wide roads and many garden
s and park
s. Though part of the city has stayed faithful to the plan, it has grown rapidly over the last few decades and has made the planning process unwieldy.
The State Museum of Bhubaneswar offers an extensive selection of archaeological artefacts, weapons, local arts and crafts as well as insights into Orissa's natural and tribal history. The Tribal Research Institute Museum with its authentic tribal dwellings, created by the tribal craftsmen offers a bird's eye view of the State's tribal heritage.
. Geographically, Bhubaneswar is situated in the eastern coastal plains of Orissa and south-west of the Mahanadi River
. The city is subdivided into a number of townships and housings.
The city has a tropical climate, specifically a tropical savanna climate
. The average temperatures range between a minimum of around 12 °C (54 °F) in the winter to a maximum of 45 °C (113 °F) in summer. Sudden afternoon thunderstorms are common in April and May. The south-west monsoons appear in June. The average annual rainfall is 154 cm, most of which is recorded between June and October.
Bhubaneswar was meant to house the state's machinery and hence was designed to be a largely residential city with outlying industrial areas. The city's economy had few major players till the 1990s and was dominated by Public Sector Units, retail and small scale manufacturing.
Report by Orissa diary correspondent;
With the economic liberalisation policy adopted by the Government of India
in the 90s, Bhubaneswar received large investments in the fields of telecommunications, IT
and higher education, particularly engineering. The city is home to around 105 engineering colleges (as of 2011) and the number is growing every year. The city is also home to many tutorials and coaching institutes who prepare students for various entrance exams.
[Retail] and Real Estate
have also emerged as big players. Recent times have seen large scale retail chains such as Reliance, Vishal MegaMart, Big Bazaar
, Pantaloon
, Pal Heights, Indulge, New Leaf, Habib's
, have outlets in Bhubaneswar. Large corporates like DLF Universal and Reliance Industries
have also entered the real estate market in the city. DLF Limited is developing an Infopark spread over an area of 54 acres (218,530.4 m²) in the city. Expanding its business portfolio, the Kolkata
-based Saraf Group, promoters of Forum Mart shopping malls is constructing another Shopping mall named Forum Lifestyle mall a 550000 sq ft (51,096.7 m²) lifestyle mall in Bhubaneswar with 1,200 car parks. The rich minerals resources of Orissa have been the backbone of the economy dominated by Government.Steel Authority of India Limited
(SAIL) and private organizations like Jindal
, Vedanta
and TATA Group
. Despite this rapid growth, an ample number of the populace live in slums. Migration from rural areas, especially from the northern districts of Andhra Pradesh
, has led to the growth of slums which are a major challenge to the city's growth. The slum dwellers work as auto rickshaw
drivers or small vendors but this is not true for everyone. A lot of them are unemployed and are being drawn into crime.The main problem of the city is transport as the quality and length of roads have not increased with respect to the rise in number of vehicles. Purchasing power of people of this city is quite high and has led to a boom of shopping establishments in recent times.
The Government has fostered growth in this sphere by the development of IT Parks such as Infocity 1 and the new Infocity 2. The Info City was conceived as a five star park, under the Export Promotion Industrial Parks (EPIP) Scheme to create high quality infrastructure facilities for setting up Information Technology related industries. Infosys
and Satyam Computer Services Ltd.
have been present in Bhubaneswar since 1996. Other software companies includes, TCS
, Mindfire Solutions
, Wipro
. Apart from the big multinational IT/ITES companies, there are many small and mid-sized IT companies and business start ups which have set up their offices in Bhubaneswar. The abundant availability of local talents, the quality of life in the city and the pro-active local administration are the primary forces towards IT investments into the city. The The Ind-US Entrepreneurs (TiE)
helps in creating a platform to connect the Orissa businesses and entrepreneurs worldwide.
like Cuttack
,Jajpur, Jajpur Road Bhawanipatna
, Sambalpur
, Berhampur
, Balasore
, Jeypore
, Rourkela
and also connects it with the neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh
, Jharkhand
, West Bengal
and Chhattisgarh
.Bhubaneswar is connected to the rest of the country by National Highways-NH 5
, NH 203
. Bhubaneswar has its City Public Transport run by Bhubaneswar Puri Transport Service Limited(BPTSL) and Dream Team Sahara(DTS). A fleet of 100 buses for Bhubaneswar has transformed the city's traffic and tourism. The city buses are marked green and route information is displayed on LED Display Boards for commuters. The fares are inexpensive and the routes cover all major destinations across the city. In addition to this the launch of radio taxis in Bhubaneswar is planned.
has its headquarters in Bhubaneswar. Bhubaneswar Railway Station(BBS) is one of the main stations in India
. It is located in the city center and is connected to major cities of the country such as New Delhi
, Mumbai
, Pune
, Kolkata
, Chennai
, Bangalore
, Kochi
, Jamshedpur, Raipur, Ranchi
, Guwahati
, Siliguri
, Ahmedabad
, Hyderabad, Lucknow
, Thiruvananthapuram
, Jodhpur
, Bokaro
etc. by daily express and passenger trains. Bhubaneswar is also one of the major Indian cities to get a world-class railway station soon.It has five railway stations within its city limits, namely (from North to South) Patia Halt, Mancheswar, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar station ( near Master canteen) and Lingaraj Temple Road
.
also known as Bhubaneswar Airport is currently the only major domestic airport in Orissa. It is situated 3 km south of the city. There are regular flights to many destinations across India from this airport like New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Raipur, Goa, Srinagar, Chennai, Bagdogra & Port Blair.
It has been learnt from the recent visit of the Honourable Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel that the Biju Patnaik, alias Bhubaneswar Airport would soon be upgraded to an international one, with all the benefits of an international airport, heightening the glory of the state and the country.
, Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. In 2001, the city had an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 65.4%. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Although Oriyas comprise the vast majority, there are large groups of Marwaris, Punjabis, Bengalis and Telugus. A good majority are followers of the Jagannath cult as is the case throughout the state of Orissa
.Due to the boom in the education sector, the city has seen a huge influx of student from outside the city and state. Most of the students are from the neighbouring states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, West Bengal and Chattisgarh.
The main language spoken in the city is Oriya
, however, Hindi and English are understood by most people of the city.
, Lakshmanesvara group of temples, Parasuramesvara Temple, Svarnajalesvra Temple, Muktesvara Temple, Rajarani Temple, Vaital Temple, Brhamesvara temple, Meghesvara temple, Vaskaresvara Temple, Ananta Vasudeva Temple, Sari Temple, Kapilesvara Temple, Markandesvara temple, Yamesvara temple, Chitrakarini temple, Sisiresvara Temple. Apart from the ancient temples few other important temples were built in recent times that includes Ram Mandir, Maa Kanakdurga Pitha, ISKON etc. The Lingaraj Temple towers above the cityscape and is visible from far. Careful conservation has helped save many of these symbols of Oriya culture.
There has been a recent awareness towards preserving the ethos of Oriya culture in the form of Classical Odissi dance, handicrafts, sand artistry, sculpturing as well as theatre and music. Boundary walls and gardens are increasingly being redone to depict the folk art of the region.
The Ekamra Haat is the popular hand-loom and handicrafts market that was constructed recently to popularise them. Similarly SRJAN, the Odissi dance academy founded by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra the legendary Odissi dancer is located here. The Rabindra Mandap in central Bhubaneswar plays host to a number of cultural engagements and it also has a modern amphitheatre to host theatre and private functions.
At Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri and Udaygiri (on the way to Paradip) Buddhist sites of great historical significance have been excavated. The site at Ratnagiri is the most extensive and the carvings and sculpture are highly regarded for their proficiency and artistic merit.
, 8 km from Bhubaneswar, served as the site of an ancient Jain
monastery
which was carved into cave-like chambers in the face of the hill. These caves, with artistic carvings, date back to the 2nd century BC. Of particular note of their artistic carvings are the Rani Gumpha (Queen's Cave) and the Hati Gumpha (Elephant Cave). The Hati Gumpha has carved chronicles of King Kharavela's reign.
of Bhubaneswar has been described as "the truest fusion of dream and reality." It is dedicated to Shiva.
The Lingaraja temple has been rated one of the finest examples of Hindu temples in India by Ferguson, the noted art critic and historian
. The surface of the 55 m-high Lingaraja temple is covered with carvings. Tradition among Hindus exist to visit the Lingaraj Temple before visiting the Jagannath
temple at Puri
.
Ashoka
stand the rock edicts
of Dhauli
. It was here that Ashoka, full of remorse after the Kalinga War
in 261 BC, renounced his bloodthirsty campaign and turned to Buddhism
. Ashoka erected two main edicts in Kalinga, one in Dhauli and the other in Jayagarh. The principles of Ashoka which reflect his compassion were inscribed on all the other edicts in his empire except Kalinga. In the Kalinga edicts, he warned the people of Kalinga not to revolt and that he would take appropriate action if they did. This is in sharp contrast to all of his other edicts and proof of his political acumen.
The edicts are remarkably well preserved, despite the fact that they date back to the 3rd century BC. A sculpted elephant, the symbol of Gautama Buddha
, tops the rock edicts. The Shanti
Stupa
or "peace pagoda", built through Indo-Japanese collaboration, is located on the opposite hill.
that carries the deities. The deities remain in the Rameshwara Temple for four days.
At the end of January comes Adivasi Mela, a fair that displays the art, artifacts, tradition, culture, and music of the tribal inhabitants of Orissa.
Durga Puja
is also an important festival. Various pandal
s are constructed throughout the city. The largest pujas are the Shahid Nagar Durga Puja, the Nayapalli Durga Puja, and the Rasulgarh Durga Puja. Lakshmi
Puja at Laxmisagar
near Jharapada is also very famous.
Ratha-Yatra "Temple car Festival" is the most important festival in Orissa and the pride of Orissa. This festival is held to commemorate Jagannath, who is said to have been the incarnation of India's revered deities, Vishnu and Krishna. Held for nine days, the colorful Jagannath Yatra attracts tourists not only from all over India, but also from abroad. On the first day of this Yatra, statues of Jagannath - whose temple car's name is Nandighosh - Jagannath's brother Balarama
and his sister Subhadra
are taken in a procession to the Gundicha Temple
, which is two kilometers away from the Jagannath Temple. On the ninth day, the statues are brought back with due ceremony. All these deities are worshipped by the lakh
s of devotees that throng the city during these nine days.
Fresh Lobsters and crabs brought in from the Chilika Lake nearby are sold each morning at the local Haats (Markets) along with various kinds of fish, meat, fruits and vegetables of every possible hue. The Haat is a special feature of Bhubaneswar which initially evolved as weekly markets, but now are open throughout the week and can be safely considered the lifeline of Bhubaneswar. Rasgulla, Chhena Poda, Rasabali
, Chennajhilli and various other sweets that originated in Orissa as well as spicy fast food such as the local Cuttack-chaat and "dahi bara-aloo dum", various kinds of rolls are sold all over the city. There are a number of restaurants specialising in North India
n, South India
n, Chinese, Continental and Thai cuisines. Traditional Oriya food such as Dahi-Pakhal are also being marketed for tourists as well as the working professionals. Yet another culinary delight is the "Mahaprasad" from the Jagannath Temple, Puri and the Abadha of Lingaraj Temple
and Ananta Vasudeva Temple
in Bhubaneswar. Besides that, a lot of temples have now started giving "prasad" for devotees on daily basis and some of them are ISKON Temple, Shani Temple at Vani Vihar Square and Kali
temple at Baramunda. Bhubaneswar is also famous for its famous `Khhaii' which are made up of paddy, jaggery
and coconut
pieces. Also famous are the various peethas like Chakuli Pitha
, Ariselu
, Enduri Pitha
and kakara pitha
.
, Institute of Physics
, Institute of Mathematics and Applications, Utkal University
, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology
, IIIT Bhubanswar, Biju Patnaik University of Technology
, the affiliating university to most of the engineering and other professional courses in Orissa. Great Lakes Institute of Management
is planning to open a campus in the city very soon. Some other institutes of importance includes Siksha O Anusandhan University
, KIIT University, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar
, Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management,[International Management Institute, Bhubaneswar], orissa engineering college
, C. V. Raman College of Engineering, Bhubaneshwar
, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, an autonomous institute of Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar
, National Institute of Fashion Technology
, National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research
, KIIT Law School
, [Institute Of Management & Information Science], Rama Devi Women's College, BJB College as well as over 100 other private colleges geared towards engineering, biotechnology and management. Bhubaneswar also hosts 1000 of private vocational Training Centers for Computer Software & Hardware Training like Lakshya, Java Point, ISDAC, Interface etc.Bhubanehswar is home to many schools and junior collages.Bhubaneshwar is also the regional head of CBSE.
dailies enjoy the maximum readership share in the city & the top Oriya language newspapers are Samaja
, Sambad, Dharitri, Anupam Bharat, Khabar, Pragatibadi, Orissa Bhaskara and Samaya
. Popular Oriya language magazines are Saptahik Samaya, Saptahik Samaja etc. Popular English language newspapers published and sold in Bhubaneswar include the Times of India, The Telegraph
, The Pioneer
, The Hindu
, and The New Indian Express
. Newspapers are also printed in other Indian languages.
Numerous Indian
and international television channels can be watched in Bhubaneswar through one of the Pay TV companies or the local cable television provider. The national television broadcaster, Doordarshan
, provides two free terrestrial channels.
The wide range of Oriya
cable channels available includes OrissaTV
, Tarang TV
, ETV Oriya,KAMYAB TV, Kanak TV, Naxatra News
, DD Oriya
,Ollywood TV,Tarang Music
, Prathana, STv Samachar, Mbc TV, Ekamra. The key web portals (news) based in Bhubaneswar include Breaking News Online, The Broken Scooter, Orissa Diary, Orissa News Today and Tathya News Agency.
There are many radio stations in Bhubaneswar, with stations like Radio Chocholate, Red FM
, Big FM
and FM Rainbow broadcasting on the FM
band, and All India Radio
stations broadcasting on the AM
band.
Ollywood, the Oriya
film industry based in Bhubaneswar, produces around 30 films every year.
In the current scenario, while existing hospitals are introducing cutting edge technology, scaling up and even planning larger hospitals, corporates are rushing in to grab a pie of the market. Diagnostic giants like Dr Lalpathlabs, Ranbaxy and Piramal Diagnostics have set-ups there. Even stem cell banking, a relatively new concept, is picking up here. Cryobanks International India, which deals in umbilical cord blood stem cell banking, has opened a collection centre in Bhubaneswar. As many as three private medical colleges (Hi-Tech Medical College, Sum Medical College and Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences) have come up in Bhubaneswar in the last few years. Kalinga hospital is the first and the oldest corporate hospital of Orissa which offers multi-speciality treatment but when it comes to service Aditya CARE hospital is the best care provider
for heart patients even with the space constraints. Aditya CARE has become a major player in cardiac surgery under the auspices of Dr. M P Tripathy, Director and chief cardiologist, Dr, K V Raj Shekhar Rao as the chief cardiac surgeon and Dr. Vivek Chowdhary as the chief cardiac anesthesiologist.
On March 2010 Apollo Hospitals opened its 49th hospital in Bhubaneswar near the sainik school.
Apollo Hospitals, Bhubaneswar, is a 350-bedded tertiary care hospital with state-of-the-art technology, spread over a campus area of about7.5 acres (30,351.5 m²) with a built-up area of approximately 206158 sq ft (19,152.7 m²), inaugurated on the 5th of March, 2010. AIIMS Bhubneshwar is also coming up in Bhubaneshwar and is set to open in 2012.
, Cuttack
, Orissa's only venue for international cricket matches, is located around 25 km away. With the completion of 2nd phase of the Railway Stadium, Bhubaneswar will have an international standard Cricket stadium.
The Elite Football League of India
(EFLI) - an American football
league slated for a Fall 2012 kickoff - has announced that the Bhubaneswar Warhawks will be a member-franchise. The team's first season will be played in Pune
, and it will be Bhubaneswar's first professional American football franchise.
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty (around 2nd century BCE) who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital. Historically Bhubaneswar has been known by different names such as Toshali, Kalinga Nagari, Nagar Kalinga, Ekamra Kanan, Ekamra Kshetra and Mandira Malini Nagari "city of temples" otherwise known as the temple city of India. The largest city of Orissa, Bhubaneswar today is a center of economic and religious importance in the region.
Bhubaneswar's proud possession of magnificent sculptures and architectural heritage, coupled with the sanctity as Ekamrakshetra make this one of the great religious centres of Orissa since early medieval days. With its large number of Hindu temples (over 600 in number), which span the entire spectrum of Kalinga architecture
Kalinga architecture
The Kaḷinga architectural style is a style which flourished in the ancient Kalinga region or present eastern Indian state of Orissa and northern Andhra Pradesh. The style consists of three distinct types of temples: Rekha Deula, Pidha Deula and Khakhara Deula...
, Bhubaneswar is often referred to as a "Temple City" of India. Together with Puri and Konark and, Bhubaneswar forms the Swarna Tribhuja "Golden Triangle", one of the most visited destinations in East India.
The modern city of Bhubaneswar was designed by the German architect Otto Königsberger
Otto Königsberger
Otto H. Königsberger was a German architect who worked mainly in urban development planning in Africa, Asia and Latin America.-Early life:...
in 1946. Like Jamshedpur and Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
, it is one of the first planned cities of modern India. With the Chandaka reserve forest on the fringes, the city, with an abundance of in-city greenery and an efficient civic body (the BMC
BMC
-In business and organizations:* Beard Miller Company, a US public accounting firm* BioMed Central, a UK-based scientific publisher* BMC , a Turkish vehicle manufacturer...
), has become one of the cleanest and greenest cities of India.
Bhubaneswar replaced Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
as the political capital of the state of Orissa in 1948, a year after India gained its independence from Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are often commonly together known as the "twin cities" of Orissa. The metropolitan area formed by the twin cities has a 2011 population of 1.4 million Bhubaneswar is categorized as a tier 2 city. An emerging IT hub, the boom in the metals and metal processing industries have made Bhubaneswar one of the fastest developing cities of India in recent years.
History
The history of Bhubaneswar may be viewed as two phases: ancient Bhubaneswar and modern Bhubaneswar. While the ancient city has a history that goes back more than 2000 years, the modern city came into existence in 1948.The first mention of Bhubaneswar in Indian history is in the infamous Kalinga War
Kalinga War
The Kalinga War was a war fought between the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka the Great and the state of Kalinga, a feudal republic located on the coast of the present-day Indian state of Orissa. The Kalinga war is one of the major battles in the History of India. Kalinga put up a stiff resistance,...
which was held near Dhauli (presently located in south Bhubaneswar) in the 3rd Century BC. The later Emperor Kharavela
Kharavela
Khārabēḷa was the third and greatest emperor of the Mahāmēghabāhana Dynasty of Kaḷinga . The main source of information about Khārabeḷa is his famous seventeen line rock-cut Hātigumphā inscription in a cave in the Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneswar, Orissa.During the reign of Khārabēḷa, the Chedi...
established his capital in Sisupalgarh
Sisupalgarh
Sisupalgarh or Sishupalgarh are a ruined fortification in Khurda District in Orissa, India. It is the largest and best preserved early historic fortification in India.-Description:...
which is on the outskirts of the city. The Hathigumpha inscription
Hathigumpha inscription
The Hathigumpha inscription , from Udayagiri, near Bhubaneshwar in Orissa, was written by Kharavela, the king of Kalinga in India, during the 2nd century BCE...
s at the Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance near the city of Bhubaneswar in Orissa, India. The caves are situated on two hills Udayagiri and Khandagiri, mentioned as Kumari Parvat in Hathigumpha inscription...
by Kharavela give a good account of that period which is estimated as 1st-2nd century BC. Later, innumerable temples built throughout ancient and medieval history in tune with its status as Temple City give a chronicle of the city's history until Indian independence in 1947.It was the ancient capital of the Kalinga
Kalinga
Kalinga is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Tabuk and borders Mountain Province to the south, Abra to the west, Isabela to the east, Cagayan to the northeast, and Apayao to the north...
Empire and the architectural legacy of the period is its greatest attraction. There are many sites in the city that testify the importance of the region during the 7th to 11th century A.D when the Kalinga kings ruled Orissa and the regions beyond it. The Ananta Vasudeva Temple
Ananta Vasudeva Temple
Ananta Vasudeva Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu located in Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Orissa, India. The temple was constructed in the thirteenth century, and the complete murties of Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra are worshipped there. Balarama...
and Vindusagar tank in the only temple of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
in the city of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. The temples in Bhubaneswar are thus regarded as having been built from the 8th to 12th century of Shaiva
Shaivism
Shaivism is one of the four major sects of Hinduism, the others being Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism. Followers of Shaivism, called "Shaivas," and also "Saivas" or "Saivites," revere Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shaivas believe that Shiva is All and in all, the creator, preserver, destroyer,...
influence.
The Jain
Derasar
A derasar is a temple for followers of Jainism, except for non-murtipujak Svetambaras. Derasar is a word used in Gujarat, Kutch and parts of Rajasthan, in other parts of India, the term Jain Mandir is used for all the Jain temples. Jain idols of Tirthankaras are worshipped there...
and Buddhist shrines give a clear picture about the settlements around Bhubaneswar in the first two centuries B.C, and one of the most complete edicts of the Mauryan emperor, Ashoka
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
, dating between 272-236 B.C, remains carved in rock just 5 miles to the southwest of the modern city.
In 1936, Orissa became a separate province in British India with Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
as its capital. Notably, Cuttack was Orissa's capital since 12th century. When India got independence in 1947, Orissa became one of the states of the Indian union. But for some reasons, most visibly Cuttack's vulnerability to floods and space constraints, the capital was changed to Bhubaneswar which was built into a modern city. The city planning of Bhubaneswar was given by German Architect Otto Königsberger
Otto Königsberger
Otto H. Königsberger was a German architect who worked mainly in urban development planning in Africa, Asia and Latin America.-Early life:...
. Bhubaneswar was formally inaugurated in 13 April 1948 as the capital of the Indian state of Orissa.
Modern Bhubaneswar was originally planned by Königsberger to be a well planned city with wide roads and many garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s and park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s. Though part of the city has stayed faithful to the plan, it has grown rapidly over the last few decades and has made the planning process unwieldy.
The State Museum of Bhubaneswar offers an extensive selection of archaeological artefacts, weapons, local arts and crafts as well as insights into Orissa's natural and tribal history. The Tribal Research Institute Museum with its authentic tribal dwellings, created by the tribal craftsmen offers a bird's eye view of the State's tribal heritage.
Geography and climate
Weather
Bhubaneswar is situated between 21° 15' North Latitude 85° 15' Longitude and at an altitude of 45 meters above sea levelAbove mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. Geographically, Bhubaneswar is situated in the eastern coastal plains of Orissa and south-west of the Mahanadi River
Mahanadi River
The Mahanadi in East Central India. It drains an area of around 141,600 km2 and has a total course of 858 km. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Orissa.-Source:...
. The city is subdivided into a number of townships and housings.
The city has a tropical climate, specifically a tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories "Aw" and '"As."...
. The average temperatures range between a minimum of around 12 °C (54 °F) in the winter to a maximum of 45 °C (113 °F) in summer. Sudden afternoon thunderstorms are common in April and May. The south-west monsoons appear in June. The average annual rainfall is 154 cm, most of which is recorded between June and October.
Economy
Report by Orissa diary correspondent;
With the economic liberalisation policy adopted by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in the 90s, Bhubaneswar received large investments in the fields of telecommunications, IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
and higher education, particularly engineering. The city is home to around 105 engineering colleges (as of 2011) and the number is growing every year. The city is also home to many tutorials and coaching institutes who prepare students for various entrance exams.
[Retail] and Real Estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
have also emerged as big players. Recent times have seen large scale retail chains such as Reliance, Vishal MegaMart, Big Bazaar
Big Bazaar
Big Bazaar is a chain of hypermarket in India. Currently, there are 210 stores across 80 cities and towns in India. Big Bazaar is designed as an agglomeration of bazaars or Indian markets with clusters offering a wide range of merchandise including fashion and apparels, food products, general...
, Pantaloon
Pantaloon
Pantaloon or Pantaloons may refer to:*Pantaloons, a style of trousers*Pantaloon Retail India, a large retailer in India*The Pantaloons, an English touring theatre company*Pantaloon, a character in the Harlequinade-See also:...
, Pal Heights, Indulge, New Leaf, Habib's
Habib's
Habib's is a Brazilian fast food franchising specialised in Middle Eastern cuisine. It has more than 300 outlets across the country and has recently begun expansion into foreign markets. It is known for very low prices and exotic dishes...
, have outlets in Bhubaneswar. Large corporates like DLF Universal and Reliance Industries
Reliance Industries
Reliance Industries Limited is an Indian conglomerate company headquartered at Mumbai, India. The company operates through three business segments: petrochemicals, refining, and oil and gas, other segment of the company includes textile, retail business, special economic zone development and...
have also entered the real estate market in the city. DLF Limited is developing an Infopark spread over an area of 54 acres (218,530.4 m²) in the city. Expanding its business portfolio, the Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
-based Saraf Group, promoters of Forum Mart shopping malls is constructing another Shopping mall named Forum Lifestyle mall a 550000 sq ft (51,096.7 m²) lifestyle mall in Bhubaneswar with 1,200 car parks. The rich minerals resources of Orissa have been the backbone of the economy dominated by Government.Steel Authority of India Limited
Steel Authority of India Limited
Steel Authority of India Limited from 116950 The company's current chairman is C.S Verma. With an annual production of 13.5 million metric tons, SAIL is the 14th largest steel producer in the world....
(SAIL) and private organizations like Jindal
Jindal
Jindal is a gotra in the Agrawal community in India that is often used as a family name. Jindal may refer to:* Jindal Steel and Power Limited, an Indian corporation founded by O. P. Jindal* Jindal Park, in Thanesar, Kurukshetra district, India...
, Vedanta
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
and TATA Group
Tata Group
Tata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Tata Group is one of the largest companies in India by market capitalization and revenue. It has interests in communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy,...
. Despite this rapid growth, an ample number of the populace live in slums. Migration from rural areas, especially from the northern districts of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, has led to the growth of slums which are a major challenge to the city's growth. The slum dwellers work as auto rickshaw
Auto rickshaw
An auto rickshaw or three-wheeler is a usually three-wheeled cabin cycle for private use and as a vehicle for hire. It is a motorized version of the traditional pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw...
drivers or small vendors but this is not true for everyone. A lot of them are unemployed and are being drawn into crime.The main problem of the city is transport as the quality and length of roads have not increased with respect to the rise in number of vehicles. Purchasing power of people of this city is quite high and has led to a boom of shopping establishments in recent times.
Infosys
Infosys Limited, formerly Infosys Technologies Limited is a global technology services company headquartered in Bangalore, India. It is the second largest IT exporter in India with 133,560 employees as of March 2011. It has offices in 33 countries and development centers in India, China,...
and Satyam Computer Services Ltd.
Satyam Computer Services Ltd.
Mahindra Satyam is a Brand identity of Satyam Computer Services Limited. Satyam Computer Services Limited was founded in 1987 by B Ramalinga Raju. Mahindra Satyam is a part of the Mahindra Group which is one of the top 10 industrial firms based in India...
have been present in Bhubaneswar since 1996. Other software companies includes, TCS
Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services Limited is a global IT services, business solutions and outsourcing company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is the largest provider of information technology in Asia and second largest provider of business process outsourcing services in India...
, Mindfire Solutions
Mindfire Solutions
Mindfire Solutions is an India-based offshore software development company providing customized solutions and services to its global clients. Founded in Delhi in the year 1999 by Chinmoy Panda who is also the current CEO, Mindfire Solutions is now an ISO 9001:2000 certified company and a Microsoft...
, Wipro
Wipro
Wipro Limited formally Western India Products Limited is a global IT services and consulting company headquartered in Bangalore, India. As of 2011, Wipro is the second largest IT services company by turnover in India and employs more than 120,000 people worldwide as of March 2011...
. Apart from the big multinational IT/ITES companies, there are many small and mid-sized IT companies and business start ups which have set up their offices in Bhubaneswar. The abundant availability of local talents, the quality of life in the city and the pro-active local administration are the primary forces towards IT investments into the city. The The Ind-US Entrepreneurs (TiE)
TiE
TiE is a global nonprofit dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship. TiE has 54 chapters in 13 countries, with a total membership exceeding 13,000. TiE is most closely affiliated with the South Asian business community, and is recognized as an important networking forum for entrepreneurs and investors...
helps in creating a platform to connect the Orissa businesses and entrepreneurs worldwide.
Road
The headquarters of the Orissa State Road Transport Corporation(OSRTC) are located in Bhubaneshwar. The Bhubaneswar Bus Station is situated at Barmunda, 8 km from the city centre and OSRTC operates a regular fleet of buses connecting Bhubaneshwar to various cities in OrissaOrissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
like Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
,Jajpur, Jajpur Road Bhawanipatna
Bhawanipatna
Bhawanipatnais the headquarters of Kalahandi District.Bhawanipatna is a town of numerous temples dedicated to different deities of Hindu pantheon. Named after its presiding deity "Bhawani-Shankar", it is the most convenient base for touring various places of interest in the district and the nearby...
, Sambalpur
Sambalpur
Sambalpur is a city in Sambalpur district in the Indian state of Orissa.It lies at a distance of 321 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar. In the year 1876, Sambalpur was established as a municipality. It is currently the headquarters and the largest city of Sambalpur district. It is also...
, Berhampur
Berhampur
Brahmapur , nicknamed "The Silk City", is a city located in the eastern coastline of Ganjam district of the Indian state of Orissa, about south to state capital, Bhubaneswar.It is also dubbed as "The Dance City" of Orissa after Prince Dance Group and Harihar Das made the state famous in India's...
, Balasore
Balasore
Balasore is a strategically located city in the state of Orissa, about north of the state capital Bhubaneswar, in eastern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Balasore district. It is best known for Chandipur beach. It is also the site of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defense...
, Jeypore
Jeypore
Jeypore, is the largest town in the Koraput district of Orissa, India. Along with Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Balasore, Puri and Berhampur, Jeypore is one of the prominent places of Orissa. It is encompassed by hills of the Eastern Ghats and the more famous Araku hills on three...
, Rourkela
Rourkela
Rourkela is located in the northwestern tip of the Indian state of Orissa at the heart of a rich mineral belt. It is situated about north of state capital Bhubaneswar.It is surrounded by a range of hills and encircled by rivers. One of the largest steel plants of the Steel Authority of India...
and also connects it with the neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
and Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
.Bhubaneswar is connected to the rest of the country by National Highways-NH 5
National Highway 5 (India)
National Highway 5 is a major National Highway in India that runs along India's east coast through the states of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The northern terminal is at Jharpokharia in Orissa and the southern terminal is at Chennai in Tamil Nadu...
, NH 203
National Highway 203 (India)
National Highway 203 connects Bhubaneswar and Konarak in Orissa, India. It covers a distance of 97 km. It passes through Pipili and Puri.-See also:* National Highway 203A* National Highways Development Project-External links:*...
. Bhubaneswar has its City Public Transport run by Bhubaneswar Puri Transport Service Limited(BPTSL) and Dream Team Sahara(DTS). A fleet of 100 buses for Bhubaneswar has transformed the city's traffic and tourism. The city buses are marked green and route information is displayed on LED Display Boards for commuters. The fares are inexpensive and the routes cover all major destinations across the city. In addition to this the launch of radio taxis in Bhubaneswar is planned.
Rail
The East Coast RailwayEast Coast Railway
The East Coast Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones of Indian Railways came into existence from 1 April 2003.The geographical jurisdiction of this railway zone extends over three states encompressing almost all parts of Orissa along with parts of Srikakulam, Vizainagaram and Visakhapatnam...
has its headquarters in Bhubaneswar. Bhubaneswar Railway Station(BBS) is one of the main stations in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is located in the city center and is connected to major cities of the country such as New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Kochi
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...
, Jamshedpur, Raipur, Ranchi
Ranchi
-Climate:Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate. However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar...
, Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
, Siliguri
Siliguri
Siliguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck - a very narrow strip of land linking mainland India to its north-eastern states. It is also the transit point for air, road and rail traffic to the neighbouring countries of Nepal,...
, Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
, Hyderabad, Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
, Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
, Bokaro
Bokaro Steel City
Bokaro Steel City is one of the largest Industrial city situated in the State of Jharkhand, in India. Bokaro is the 48th cleanest city in India and second in Jharkhand after Jamshedpur and one of the best cities to live in India...
etc. by daily express and passenger trains. Bhubaneswar is also one of the major Indian cities to get a world-class railway station soon.It has five railway stations within its city limits, namely (from North to South) Patia Halt, Mancheswar, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar station ( near Master canteen) and Lingaraj Temple Road
Lingaraj Temple Road
Lingaraj Temple Road is halt station located in Bhubaneswar city. Only ordinary trains stop at that station and express trains do not stop....
.
Air
Biju Patnaik AirportBiju Patnaik Airport
Biju Patnaik Airport , also known as Bhubaneswar Airport, is situated in the city of Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India. It is currently the only major airport in Orissa...
also known as Bhubaneswar Airport is currently the only major domestic airport in Orissa. It is situated 3 km south of the city. There are regular flights to many destinations across India from this airport like New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Raipur, Goa, Srinagar, Chennai, Bagdogra & Port Blair.
It has been learnt from the recent visit of the Honourable Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel that the Biju Patnaik, alias Bhubaneswar Airport would soon be upgraded to an international one, with all the benefits of an international airport, heightening the glory of the state and the country.
Demographics
As per the estimate of IIT Kharagpur, which made a comprehensive development plan for the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Urban complex, the metro area of Bhubaneswar has a population of 1,900,000. As per the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. In 2001, the city had an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 65.4%. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Although Oriyas comprise the vast majority, there are large groups of Marwaris, Punjabis, Bengalis and Telugus. A good majority are followers of the Jagannath cult as is the case throughout the state of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
.Due to the boom in the education sector, the city has seen a huge influx of student from outside the city and state. Most of the students are from the neighbouring states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, West Bengal and Chattisgarh.
The main language spoken in the city is Oriya
Oriya language
Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
, however, Hindi and English are understood by most people of the city.
Culture
Bhubaneswar at one point in time is supposed to have had over a thousand temples. Although a large number of temples have given way for urban infrastructure, Bhubaneswar still abounds in temples of various deities. This has earned it the tag of the Temple City. The most famous ones are Lingaraj TempleLingaraj Temple
Lingaraj Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Harihara, another name for Shiva and is one of the oldest temples of Bhubaneswar, a revered pilgrimage center and the capital of the state of Orissa, India....
, Lakshmanesvara group of temples, Parasuramesvara Temple, Svarnajalesvra Temple, Muktesvara Temple, Rajarani Temple, Vaital Temple, Brhamesvara temple, Meghesvara temple, Vaskaresvara Temple, Ananta Vasudeva Temple, Sari Temple, Kapilesvara Temple, Markandesvara temple, Yamesvara temple, Chitrakarini temple, Sisiresvara Temple. Apart from the ancient temples few other important temples were built in recent times that includes Ram Mandir, Maa Kanakdurga Pitha, ISKON etc. The Lingaraj Temple towers above the cityscape and is visible from far. Careful conservation has helped save many of these symbols of Oriya culture.
There has been a recent awareness towards preserving the ethos of Oriya culture in the form of Classical Odissi dance, handicrafts, sand artistry, sculpturing as well as theatre and music. Boundary walls and gardens are increasingly being redone to depict the folk art of the region.
The Ekamra Haat is the popular hand-loom and handicrafts market that was constructed recently to popularise them. Similarly SRJAN, the Odissi dance academy founded by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra the legendary Odissi dancer is located here. The Rabindra Mandap in central Bhubaneswar plays host to a number of cultural engagements and it also has a modern amphitheatre to host theatre and private functions.
At Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri and Udaygiri (on the way to Paradip) Buddhist sites of great historical significance have been excavated. The site at Ratnagiri is the most extensive and the carvings and sculpture are highly regarded for their proficiency and artistic merit.
Khandagiri & Udayagiri (Jain Heritage)
The twin hills of Khandagiri & UdayagiriUdayagiri and Khandagiri Caves
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance near the city of Bhubaneswar in Orissa, India. The caves are situated on two hills Udayagiri and Khandagiri, mentioned as Kumari Parvat in Hathigumpha inscription...
, 8 km from Bhubaneswar, served as the site of an ancient Jain
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
monastery
Matha
A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...
which was carved into cave-like chambers in the face of the hill. These caves, with artistic carvings, date back to the 2nd century BC. Of particular note of their artistic carvings are the Rani Gumpha (Queen's Cave) and the Hati Gumpha (Elephant Cave). The Hati Gumpha has carved chronicles of King Kharavela's reign.
Lingaraj Temple
The 10th- or 11th-century Lingaraja templeLingaraj Temple
Lingaraj Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Harihara, another name for Shiva and is one of the oldest temples of Bhubaneswar, a revered pilgrimage center and the capital of the state of Orissa, India....
of Bhubaneswar has been described as "the truest fusion of dream and reality." It is dedicated to Shiva.
The Lingaraja temple has been rated one of the finest examples of Hindu temples in India by Ferguson, the noted art critic and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
. The surface of the 55 m-high Lingaraja temple is covered with carvings. Tradition among Hindus exist to visit the Lingaraj Temple before visiting the Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
temple at Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
.
Dhauli Giri
Just 8 km away from Bhubaneswar looking down on the plains that bore witness to the gruesome war waged on Kalinga by the Mauryan emperorMaurya Empire
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in ancient India, ruled by the Mauryan dynasty from 321 to 185 BC...
Ashoka
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
stand the rock edicts
Edicts of Ashoka
The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, made by the Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty during his reign from 269 BCE to 231 BCE. These inscriptions are dispersed throughout the areas of modern-day Bangladesh, India,...
of Dhauli
Dhauli
Dhauli hills are located on the banks of the river Daya, 8 km south of Bhubaneswar in Orissa . It is a hill with vast open space adjoining it, and has major Edicts of Ashoka engraved on a mass of rock, by the side of the road leading to the summit of the hill...
. It was here that Ashoka, full of remorse after the Kalinga War
Kalinga War
The Kalinga War was a war fought between the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka the Great and the state of Kalinga, a feudal republic located on the coast of the present-day Indian state of Orissa. The Kalinga war is one of the major battles in the History of India. Kalinga put up a stiff resistance,...
in 261 BC, renounced his bloodthirsty campaign and turned to Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. Ashoka erected two main edicts in Kalinga, one in Dhauli and the other in Jayagarh. The principles of Ashoka which reflect his compassion were inscribed on all the other edicts in his empire except Kalinga. In the Kalinga edicts, he warned the people of Kalinga not to revolt and that he would take appropriate action if they did. This is in sharp contrast to all of his other edicts and proof of his political acumen.
The edicts are remarkably well preserved, despite the fact that they date back to the 3rd century BC. A sculpted elephant, the symbol of Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
, tops the rock edicts. The Shanti
Kshanti
Kshanti or khanti is patience, forbearance and forgiveness. It is one of the practices of perfection of both Theravāda and Mahāyāna Buddhism....
Stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
or "peace pagoda", built through Indo-Japanese collaboration, is located on the opposite hill.
Fairs & Festivals
On the day of Ashokashtami in the month of March, the image of Lingaraja (Shiva) and other deities are taken in a procession from Lingaraja Temple to the Rameshwara Temple. Hundreds of devotees participate in pulling the temple carTemple car
Temple cars are chariots used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart....
that carries the deities. The deities remain in the Rameshwara Temple for four days.
At the end of January comes Adivasi Mela, a fair that displays the art, artifacts, tradition, culture, and music of the tribal inhabitants of Orissa.
Durga Puja
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
is also an important festival. Various pandal
Pandal
A pandal is fabricated structure, either temporary or permanent, in a religious ceremonies including weddings.It is derived from Tamil...
s are constructed throughout the city. The largest pujas are the Shahid Nagar Durga Puja, the Nayapalli Durga Puja, and the Rasulgarh Durga Puja. Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
Puja at Laxmisagar
Laxmisagar
Laxmisagar or Laxmi Sagar is a famous place in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. Etymologically the name is derived from the words "Laxmi", meaning the Hindu Goddess of Wealth, and "Sagar", which in Sanskrit means the sea or ocean...
near Jharapada is also very famous.
Ratha-Yatra "Temple car Festival" is the most important festival in Orissa and the pride of Orissa. This festival is held to commemorate Jagannath, who is said to have been the incarnation of India's revered deities, Vishnu and Krishna. Held for nine days, the colorful Jagannath Yatra attracts tourists not only from all over India, but also from abroad. On the first day of this Yatra, statues of Jagannath - whose temple car's name is Nandighosh - Jagannath's brother Balarama
Balarama
Balarama , also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an Avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
and his sister Subhadra
Subhadra
Image:Jagannath, Baladev and Subadra in Radhadesh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=|Subhadra, flanked by her brothers Balarama and Jagannatha . Deities of the Radhadesh temple in Belgium...
are taken in a procession to the Gundicha Temple
Gundicha Temple
Gundicha Temple or the Garden House of the Hindu God Jagannath is situated in the temple town of Puri in the state of Orissa, India. While it remains vacant most of the year, it is occupied by idols of the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra for nine days every year during the annual Rath...
, which is two kilometers away from the Jagannath Temple. On the ninth day, the statues are brought back with due ceremony. All these deities are worshipped by the lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
s of devotees that throng the city during these nine days.
Cuisine
Bhubaneswar is a gastronomic delight, famous for its seafood and sweets.Fresh Lobsters and crabs brought in from the Chilika Lake nearby are sold each morning at the local Haats (Markets) along with various kinds of fish, meat, fruits and vegetables of every possible hue. The Haat is a special feature of Bhubaneswar which initially evolved as weekly markets, but now are open throughout the week and can be safely considered the lifeline of Bhubaneswar. Rasgulla, Chhena Poda, Rasabali
Rasabali
Rasaabali Oriya:ରସାବଳି is a sweet dish from Orissa, India. Unlike some other popular Oriya desserts, such as rasagolla which have spread throughout India through Bengal, the popularity of rasabali remains largely confined within Orissa...
, Chennajhilli and various other sweets that originated in Orissa as well as spicy fast food such as the local Cuttack-chaat and "dahi bara-aloo dum", various kinds of rolls are sold all over the city. There are a number of restaurants specialising in North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
n, South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
n, Chinese, Continental and Thai cuisines. Traditional Oriya food such as Dahi-Pakhal are also being marketed for tourists as well as the working professionals. Yet another culinary delight is the "Mahaprasad" from the Jagannath Temple, Puri and the Abadha of Lingaraj Temple
Lingaraj Temple
Lingaraj Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Harihara, another name for Shiva and is one of the oldest temples of Bhubaneswar, a revered pilgrimage center and the capital of the state of Orissa, India....
and Ananta Vasudeva Temple
Ananta Vasudeva Temple
Ananta Vasudeva Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu located in Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Orissa, India. The temple was constructed in the thirteenth century, and the complete murties of Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra are worshipped there. Balarama...
in Bhubaneswar. Besides that, a lot of temples have now started giving "prasad" for devotees on daily basis and some of them are ISKON Temple, Shani Temple at Vani Vihar Square and Kali
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
temple at Baramunda. Bhubaneswar is also famous for its famous `Khhaii' which are made up of paddy, jaggery
Jaggery
Jaggery is a traditional unrefined non-centrifugal whole cane sugar consumed in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It is a concentrated product of cane juice without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in color...
and coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
pieces. Also famous are the various peethas like Chakuli Pitha
Chakuli Pitha
Chakuli Pitha is an Oriya flat, rice based fried cake traditionally made in the state of Orissa.-Ingredients:Rice flour , black gram , refined edible oil most favorable will be ghee or mustard oil,salt .It traces its origin during early 4th Century BC when Buddha had tasted the Chakra apoopa from...
, Ariselu
Ariselu
Ariselu or Arisa is a South Indian sweet dish from the North-eastern part of old Madras Presidency and present day Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Arisa or Arisalu is a Telugu word which means rice. It is also called kajaya in Kannada...
, Enduri Pitha
Enduri Pitha
Enduri Pitha is a variety of Pitha made in the Indian state of Orissa on the occasion of Prathamastami.-Ingredients:Turmeric leaves, Black Gram, Rice flour, Coconut, Jaggery, Black pepper, Chhena-Benefits:...
and kakara pitha
Kakara pitha
A very sweet deep fried cake from Orissa offered to God and served hot or cold on many festivals.-Ingredients:Atta – 300 gmChinni -250 gmNadia – ½ a CoconutGujurati – 4 pcsChhena-100 gm...
.
Education
Bhubaneswar is home to several educational and research institutions of national and international importance including the IIT Bhubaneswar, Xavier Institute of Management, BhubaneswarXavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar , is a business school in India, located in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the eastern Indian state of Orissa.-Foundation:...
, Institute of Physics
Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
, Institute of Mathematics and Applications, Utkal University
Utkal University
Utkal University, Bhubaneswar is the oldest university in Orissa and the 17th oldest university in India. It is a teaching-cum-affiliating university that has produced some of the best brains in Orissa. There are at 26 post-graduate departments at the university campus for studies and research in...
, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology
Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology
Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology was established in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India in 1962. It is the second oldest agricultural university in the country. It is dedicated to agriculture related research, extension and education.At present, the University has 8 constituent colleges...
, IIIT Bhubanswar, Biju Patnaik University of Technology
Biju Patnaik University of Technology
The Biju Patnaik University of Technology was created by an act of the Orissa state legislature in November 2002. Almost all the engineering, pharmacy, architecture and most of the colleges offering MBA, MCA, M.Tech, M.Pharma degree programmes are either constituent or affiliated colleges of BPUT...
, the affiliating university to most of the engineering and other professional courses in Orissa. Great Lakes Institute of Management
Great Lakes Institute of Management
Great Lakes Institute of Management is a business school located in the South Indian city of Chennai...
is planning to open a campus in the city very soon. Some other institutes of importance includes Siksha O Anusandhan University
Siksha O Anusandhan University
Siksha O Anusandhan University is a university in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India. The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, declared Siksha O Anusandhan deemed to be a university on 17 July 2007...
, KIIT University, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar
College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar
The College of Engineering & Technology, Bhubaneswar, , is a college of engineering in Bhubaneswar, India.Established as College of Engineering & Technology of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology in 1981, CET Bhubaneswar is now a constituent college of Biju Patnaik University Of...
, Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management,[International Management Institute, Bhubaneswar], orissa engineering college
Orissa Engineering College
Orissa Engineering College , Bhubaneswar, is the first private leading engineering college in Orissa. It was set up in 1986 by Shri Kamini Kanta Patnaik. OEC is a part of Nabajyoti Charitable Trust. The institute provides courses in B.Tech, M.Tech and MBA...
, C. V. Raman College of Engineering, Bhubaneshwar
C. V. Raman College of Engineering, Bhubaneshwar
C. V. Raman College of Engineering, Bhubaneshwar also called as CVRCE is one of the premier and prestigious Engineering & Management Institution in the Eastern Zone of Orissa, which was established in the year of 1995 under C.V...
, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, an autonomous institute of Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar
National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar
The National Institute of Science Education and Research is a research institution in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India. The Prime Minister of India laid the foundation stone on August 28, 2006, establishing the institute along the lines of the IISc in Bangalore, and its five sister institutions, the...
, National Institute of Fashion Technology
National Institute of Fashion Technology
National Institute of Fashion Technology is a prestigious fashion institute in India. It was set up in 1986 under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India and is a premier institution in design, management and technology, developing professionals leadership positions in the...
, National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research
National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research
Swami Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research is an autonomous Institute functioning under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of India. It is located in Olatpur, 30 km from Cuttack...
, KIIT Law School
KIIT Law School
KIIT Law School is a law school imparting legal education to the students. The institution is situated in Bhubaneswar, Orissa within the KIIT University campus and is affiliated to the same. KLS offers five years integrated course in B.A. LLB., BBA. LLB. and BSc...
, [Institute Of Management & Information Science], Rama Devi Women's College, BJB College as well as over 100 other private colleges geared towards engineering, biotechnology and management. Bhubaneswar also hosts 1000 of private vocational Training Centers for Computer Software & Hardware Training like Lakshya, Java Point, ISDAC, Interface etc.Bhubanehswar is home to many schools and junior collages.Bhubaneshwar is also the regional head of CBSE.
Media
Bhubaneswar has numerous newspaper publications, television and radio stations. OriyaOriya language
Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
dailies enjoy the maximum readership share in the city & the top Oriya language newspapers are Samaja
Samaja
The Samaja is an Oriya daily newspaper published in Cuttack, Orissa, India; started in 1919, it is one of the oldest papers in this region. Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das, a prominent freedom fighter and social worker started it as a weekly from Satyabadi of Puri district of Orissa to facilitate the...
, Sambad, Dharitri, Anupam Bharat, Khabar, Pragatibadi, Orissa Bhaskara and Samaya
Samaya
The samaya , is a set of vows or precepts given to initiates of an esoteric Vajrayana Buddhist order as part of the abhiṣeka ceremony that creates a bond between the guru and disciple.According Keown, et al., Samaya may be defined as:*A particular system of teaching or...
. Popular Oriya language magazines are Saptahik Samaya, Saptahik Samaja etc. Popular English language newspapers published and sold in Bhubaneswar include the Times of India, The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
, The Pioneer
The Pioneer
The Pioneer or The Pioneers may refer to:* The Pioneer , a sculpture by Solon H. Borglum listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places*The Pioneers , a sculpture by Lorado Taft...
, The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
, and The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as the Indian Express, under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu. In 1991, following the death of the then owner Ramnath Goenka, the Goenka...
. Newspapers are also printed in other Indian languages.
Numerous Indian
Television in India
Television is one of the major mass media of India and is a huge industry and has thousands of programmes in all the states of India. The small screen has produced numerous celebrities of their own kind some even attaining national fame. TV soaps are extremely popular with housewives as well as...
and international television channels can be watched in Bhubaneswar through one of the Pay TV companies or the local cable television provider. The national television broadcaster, Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
, provides two free terrestrial channels.
The wide range of Oriya
Oriya language
Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
cable channels available includes OrissaTV
OrissaTV
Orissa TV or OTV is a regional Oriya language Indian cable television station. It is the flagship channel of the Bhubaneswar-based Orissa Television Network.It was started and promoted by Mrs Jagi mangat Panda...
, Tarang TV
Tarang TV
Tarang Television, commonly known as Tarang TV, is one of the Orissa’s most popular Oriya-language based general entertainment channel. Based in Bhubaneswar, India, it is owned by Orissa Television Ltd. Tarang is a digitally encrypted 24x7 Oriya entertainment channel. It gives viewers family...
, ETV Oriya,KAMYAB TV, Kanak TV, Naxatra News
Naxatra News
Naxatra News, the news and current affairs channel on Orissa, is the first 24 hour news channel of NK Media Ventures and has taken giant strides ever since its inception in 2009. It is the first 24-hour Oriya current affairs and news channel in Orissa. Promoted by Prabhat Ranjan Mallick ,...
, DD Oriya
DD Oriya
DD Oriya is a state owned TV channel telecasting from Doordarshan Kendra Bhubaneshwar.-History:DD Oriya is a leading round the clock satellite channel broadcasting in Oriya language. It was launched in 1994. DD Oriya broadcasts serials, cultural programmes, infotainment programmes, news and current...
,Ollywood TV,Tarang Music
Tarang Music
Tarang Music is a 24-hour music channel led by the well-known Orissa Television Ltd of India. The channel features Oriya music from Ollywood and Various other music video from Orissa...
, Prathana, STv Samachar, Mbc TV, Ekamra. The key web portals (news) based in Bhubaneswar include Breaking News Online, The Broken Scooter, Orissa Diary, Orissa News Today and Tathya News Agency.
There are many radio stations in Bhubaneswar, with stations like Radio Chocholate, Red FM
Red FM
The name Red FM refers to more than one radio station:* Red FM , a commercial radio network covering the remote areas of Western Australia* Red FM , an Indian radio brand with stations broadcasting at 93.5 MHz across the country...
, Big FM
Big FM
92.7 BIG FM is a nationwide private FM radio station in India owned by Indian businessman Anil Ambani. It broadcasts at 92.7 MHz ....
and FM Rainbow broadcasting on the FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
band, and All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
stations broadcasting on the AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
band.
Ollywood, the Oriya
Oriya language
Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
film industry based in Bhubaneswar, produces around 30 films every year.
Health
Industrial and infrastructural development has boosted the healthcare market in Bhubaneswar, attracting corporates to set up base in the temple city.The city's first corporate hospital, Kalinga Hospital, now offers kidney transplantation, LV Prasad Eye Institute has taken the lead in dealing with complicated ophthalmic cases, while high risk cardiac cases are dealt with by Aditya CARE Hospital, Kalinga Hospital and Apollo Hospital with Aditya CARE Hospital is the largest and the only hospital which offers only super specialized cardiac facilities in the state. With Hemalata Cancer Hospital now providing all three branches of oncology treatment, especially linear accelerator with IMRT and CT stimulation, the high cancer burden of the state has been taken care of.In the current scenario, while existing hospitals are introducing cutting edge technology, scaling up and even planning larger hospitals, corporates are rushing in to grab a pie of the market. Diagnostic giants like Dr Lalpathlabs, Ranbaxy and Piramal Diagnostics have set-ups there. Even stem cell banking, a relatively new concept, is picking up here. Cryobanks International India, which deals in umbilical cord blood stem cell banking, has opened a collection centre in Bhubaneswar. As many as three private medical colleges (Hi-Tech Medical College, Sum Medical College and Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences) have come up in Bhubaneswar in the last few years. Kalinga hospital is the first and the oldest corporate hospital of Orissa which offers multi-speciality treatment but when it comes to service Aditya CARE hospital is the best care provider
for heart patients even with the space constraints. Aditya CARE has become a major player in cardiac surgery under the auspices of Dr. M P Tripathy, Director and chief cardiologist, Dr, K V Raj Shekhar Rao as the chief cardiac surgeon and Dr. Vivek Chowdhary as the chief cardiac anesthesiologist.
On March 2010 Apollo Hospitals opened its 49th hospital in Bhubaneswar near the sainik school.
Apollo Hospitals, Bhubaneswar, is a 350-bedded tertiary care hospital with state-of-the-art technology, spread over a campus area of about7.5 acres (30,351.5 m²) with a built-up area of approximately 206158 sq ft (19,152.7 m²), inaugurated on the 5th of March, 2010. AIIMS Bhubneshwar is also coming up in Bhubaneshwar and is set to open in 2012.
Sports
Bhubaneswar's major sporting arena is the Kalinga Stadium. It has facilities for Athletics, Football, Hockey, Basketball, Tennis, Table tennis and Swimming. The second phase of construction is in progress which includes galleries modeled along stadiums in New Zealand. It hosted its first Ranji Trophy match in November. Barabati StadiumBarabati Stadium
The Barabati Stadium is a cricket venue in the east Indian city of Cuttack, Orissa. It is home ground of Orissa cricket team and is operated by Orissa Cricket Association. The Barabati Stadium is one of the older grounds in India, having hosted several touring sides – including the MCC, the West...
, Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
, Orissa's only venue for international cricket matches, is located around 25 km away. With the completion of 2nd phase of the Railway Stadium, Bhubaneswar will have an international standard Cricket stadium.
The Elite Football League of India
Elite Football League of India
The Elite Football League of India is a proposed men's professional American football league in India. When play begins in late 2012, there will be ten teams, located in various cities across India...
(EFLI) - an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
league slated for a Fall 2012 kickoff - has announced that the Bhubaneswar Warhawks will be a member-franchise. The team's first season will be played in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, and it will be Bhubaneswar's first professional American football franchise.