Destination Features

 
The word ‘Orissa’ conjures images of architectural splendour, endless seascapes, and forests pulsating with wildlife. It has something to offer to all kinds of travellers. The state has always offered a mix of fun, history and spirituality. This mix is probably what has been the strongest pull for tourists exploring the eastern Indian state.

But for those seeking an experience beyond the obvious, the state offers a rich bouquet of eco-diversity. Going by the recent trend it seems those bitten by travel bug are lapping them up. The teeming aquatic life in the brackish water of Chilika, biodiversity of Similipal National Park, expanse of Gahirmatha coast and dense mangrove forests of Bhitarakanika are just too tempting for adventure seekers. But natural bounties of Orissa are waiting to be explored to the fullest.

Orissa’s ethnic charm also remains unexposed. The primitive life of Bondas in the hilly terrains of Koraput and Santhal in Mayurbhanj provides glimpse to the world of tribals and their cultures. But then maybe they should be best left undisturbed and untouched by modern life.

But for me, visiting Orissa is like retreating into my cocoon. It’s home where I have spent 25—and the best—years of life. Life anywhere else wouldn’t have been the same. My childhood in the tribal dominated district Keonjhar is my priceless memory. So are my years spent—thanks to my father’s transferable job—in coastal districts of Balasore (eastern Orissa), Ganjam (south Orissa), Cuttack and the capital city of Bhubaneswar. I have not explored western Orissa—more famous for starvation deaths than its pristine beauty—much.