Cultural tour of Orissa

Arrival at Visakhapatnam

Arrival at Visakhapatnam International Airport.
Complete immigration procedures and collect your luggage, our operator will wait for you outside the Terminal for your hotel transfer.
Arrival at the hotel and check-in. Standard Check-in at 14:00 / Check out at 12:00.

Rushikonda Beach: –  Rushikonda Beach is a beautiful beach located on the coast of Bay of Bengal in Vishakhapatnam, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. APTDC, which is responsible for this natural beauty, has done a great job in maintaining the beach and ensuring that this natural attraction remains pristine. Rushikonda Beach is therefore rightly called the ‘Jewel of the East Coast’, for its essential and pristine beauty.

Overnight stay at your own expense  in  Visakhapatnam. 

Visakhapatnam-Rayagada (205 Km, 5 hours)

After breakfast, drive to Rayagada.

On arrival at Rayagada transfer to hotel. 

Free time to discover the local market in Rayagada. 

Overnight stay at Rayagada.

Rayagada-Chatikana-Jeypore (508 km, 5 hours and 10 minutes)

After breakfast, drive to Jeypore. 

En route visit  Chatikona  to see the beautiful colorful weekly market of the Dongria Kondh tribe (ONLY ON WEDNESDAY). This tribe is one of the most primitive of the Dongria Kondh and lives on the high slopes of the Niyamagiri hills.

Along the way, you will visit  Minapai (the bamboo handicraft village).

Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. 

Overnight stay  at Jeypore.

Jeypore-Ankadelli-Jeypore (Return 126 km, 3 hours)

After breakfast, drive to Jeypore. 

En route visit Ankadelli :-  Ankadelli to visit the famous Bonda tribes, who come to shop at the weekly market (ONLY ON THURSDAYS). Unique opportunity to see such a colorful concentration of tribals in one place. Bonda women wear colorful jewelry.

After that we visit Bodo Gadaba villages like Kangrapada, Peta, Mali village. If possible watch Gadaba Dhemsa dance in the village.

Return to Jeypore and transfer to hotel. 

Overnight stay  at Jeypore.

Jeypore-Kunduli-Rayagada (175 km, 4 hours and 15 minutes)

After breakfast, drive to Jeypore. 

On the way visit Kunduli, the weekly market of Paraja tribes (weekly market starts only on Friday). It is the largest market in the tribal area.

Paraja Tribe: – The Parajas appear to have inhabited this country from about the 2nd century AD. (District Gazetteers, Koraput, 1966). They say that their original home is “Bastaria” as they migrated from the Bastar area of ​​Madhya Pradesh (now Chatisgarh). Paraja is a conglomeration of various endogamous sections and is not a compact community. As compared to other tribal communities, they show some cultural differences, especially in the pattern of settlement, dress and ornaments, economic life, beliefs and worship, customs, manners and folk tradition.

Upon arrival at Rayagada transfer to hotel. 

Overnight stay at Rayagada. 

Rayagada-Taptapani (152 km, 3 Hours 30 minutes) Taptapani-Gopalpur (68 Km, 1 hour 30 minutes)

After breakfast, drive to Goplapur.

Along the way you will visit Taptapani – It is famous for a perennial hot spring of medicinal sulphuric water which is located on the state highways connecting Berhampur with Western Odisha. Being surrounded by a cluster of hills and dense forests, the serenity of nature in Taptapan. The place as such attracts a large number of tourists of all categories. Poets, writers, scholars, picnickers, holiday makers and newlyweds can make the most of the place in all seasons.

Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel.

Overnight stay at Gopalpur.

Gopalpur-Puri (145 km, 4 hours and 15 minutes)

After breakfast, drive to  Puri . 

Enroute visit Chilika Lake at Barkul:-  Queen of natural beauty, Chilika, the largest brackish water lake in Asia covering an area of ​​over 1,100 sq km is a major attraction for tourists for fishing, bird watching and boating. In winter Chilika flutters with thousands of indigenous and migratory birds of many varieties from far and near even from distant Siberia.

At Chilika take a boat cruise to visit Bird Island (it is the paradise for resident and migratory birds) and Nalabana Island (it is a reed forest and famous for long range migratory birds in winter).

Upon arrival in Puri transfer to hotel. 

Overnight stay in Puri.  

Puri-Konark (36 Km, 50 minutes) Konark-Pipli (44 Km, 1 hour) Pipli-Bhubaneshwar (23 Km, 40 minutes)

After breakfast, drive to Bhubaneshwar.  

Shree Jagannath Temple (Photo Stop Outside): –  According to folklore, before being known as Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), the Lord was worshipped as ‘Purushottama’, the creator, protector and destroyer of the world. The present structure of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri is believed to have been built by King Ananta Varman Chodaganga Deva, who was the founder of the Ganga dynasty, in the 12th century AD

Puri Beach Market: –  Choose from a wide range of authentic Odisha handloom sarees, dress materials and handicrafts, gorge on lip-smacking street food and soak up the cheerful vibes of the market.

Puri Beach or Golden Beach: –  Puri Beach or Golden Beach is a beach in the city of Puri, Odisha, India. It is on the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is known as a tourist attraction and a Hindu holy place.

Continue the journey to Konark. 

The Surya Mandir (Sun Temple):-  The Sun Temple of Konark, built in the mid-13th century, is a huge conception of artistic magnificence and engineering dexterity. King Narasimhadeva I, the great ruler of the Ganga dynasty, built this temple, with the help of 1200 artisans over a period of 12 years (1243-1255 AD). Since the ruler used to worship the sun, the temple was considered as a chariot for the sun god.

En route visit Pipli Tribal Market in Pipli:-  The tarasa or heart-shaped wooden pieces made here are used in chariots during festivals. In fact, in the Chandan Yatra, there are processions where deities are covered with chattris made of applique. This applique work dates back to ancient times. It involves embroidering and stitching small pieces of cloth with depictions of flowers, animals, village scenes and other traditional designs on a larger cloth that forms the base.

Upon arrival in Bhubaneshwar transfer to hotel. 

Overnight stay in Bhubaneswar.