ODISHA and a changed ME

Aalu Dum - Dahi Bara

There is not much hype about Odisha, and thus very few have any interest to visit there. And it applied to me as well before I went there. To start with, my visit to Odisha never really started on a good note. I was all left out from my friends to come hereafter spending quite a good time down in the south. At first, I visualized Odisha as a state where I would get fish and solely fish. On googling, I found out two more things about Odisha, namely, Konark and Puri. I was aghast at the thought of going there. Being an atheist, I was going to get stuck in the city of temples. But as someone said, there lies some positivity even in the negativity. And so I left for Odisha with a little hope to find anything of that sort. 

Konark beach

I came to Odisha and got tangled in my 'work' but this was always the go-to place for me whenever I needed to get away from my 'work'. The road trip from Bhubaneswar to Konark (roughly around 65 km) had introduced me to the beautiful landscapes of Odisha which everyone should explore. Konark-Puri marine drive (adjacent to this beach) gave me the chance to test the roar of my Pulsar engine. :P

Shanti Stupa, Dhauligiri

View of the meadow from Shanti Stupa, Dhauligiri

It is believed that Dhauligiri was the battlefield of the Kalinga War. As a result of the bloodbath taken in this war, the water of the river Daya (seen in the above picture) got red, making Ashoka understand the gloomiest side of the battle, turning him into the propagator of peace. Later, with his help, Dhauli became a major Buddhist center, when he built several stupas and pillars here. The lush green area, around it, makes it a place that can be visited any time round the clock(not recommended at night, unless you are a vampire :P). It is situated 8 km south of Bhubaneswar.

Regional Museum of Natural History, Bhubaneswar

Some random street picture

In the foothills of Dhauligiri

Preserving history and religion through art

Different carved sandstones were put together to form a piece of art. These types of sculptures can be found at most places wide Odisha.

Eye-popping moment

This temple was very near to my office (Infosys, SEZ campus) at Bhubaneswar, situated alongside the Jatni-Bhubaneswar road. Legend says that travelers should pay homage to the deity of this temple in return for the blessings for the safe journey.

Stone sculptures

Sudarshan Art and Crafts Village have wonderful sculptures to see, located just beside Pal Heights.

Konark Beach

Bicycling my way to work :P

This 'history-guy' was always there with me in almost all the adventures I had in Bhubaneswar. This was one from the Bhubaneswar-Konark road trip.

😂

Sometimes who just have no choice but to ride with the guy with a cap. :P

Ways of life

Taxi-ng times

Trip to Mahendragiri hills

It was the most dangerous and memorable event of my life. 15 bikes 1 destination, it was filled with several ups and downs. Two accidents, flat tires, engine problems, AP checkpoint tragedy, offroading, breathtaking views, free food at top of the Mahendragiri hill are a few I would remember for a long.

Night (early morning) at Puri Beach

It was one of the boring nights when I decided to head out to witness the sunrise at Puri beach. But it was one of the unlucky mornings for me.

Hardshell

Khandgiri caves

Part II

Mysterious beach at Chandipur (near Balasore)

The beach is unique in that the water recedes up to 5 kilometers during the ebb tide. We were able to see and touch different sea creatures. Fresh fish and crab bought and cooked out here made our trip a wonder-tasteful one. This beach is used by DRDO for conducting missile tests.

Konark Temple

Ram Mandir, Bhubaneswar

Culture of Bhubaneswar

What really surprised me was that you can find the Tulsi plant at every house's door in Bhubaneswar.

Food of Bhubaneswar

Although this is a picture of the chat ( I assume), what is more famous here is the Aalu dum-Dahi bara. People go crazy over it. Another delicacy Dalma is an Odiya version of sambar. Everything is good in Odisha but Odiya food (to me at least). No offense to Odiya people.

Some dam on the way to Mahendragiri Hills

Chilka lake Backwaters

Although I never got the chance to visit the famous Chilka lake, I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of it on my way to Mahendragiri Hills.

Small waterfall at Mahendragiri Hills

View of the Mahendragiri Hills

Way to Pandav Temples

Legend says that it was Mahendragiri Hills where Pandavas came during their exile. We witnessed several temples built by Pandavas (spread across mountains). It is a place for hikers, bikers, and mythological nerds. Free lunch offered by sadhu Maharaj to all 15 of us charged us to make a downhill route.

City landscape

When I left Odisha, I realized that it has given me valuable life lessons. It taught me that people come and go in your life but you and your life should always move on. It made me realize that your 'friends' are not your friends. Those who are close to you in your bad times are your real friends. Odisha taught me to make ways to enjoy when you have limited options. It also made me realize that my body can bear 46 degrees Celsius.

Many positives came out from earlier speculated negative Odisha and it has contributed a lot to what I am today. I stayed in Odisha for about a year, and I realized that people out there are innocent and helpful (to me at least 😛). I left Odisha with quite a lot of experiences, friends, memories, and a fractured leg.😜

If you loved reading this story I wrote for you, you could at least buy me a coffee ☕, or else if you know someone who would love reading about this, please share this story with them. Just do the good deed. Cheers. 🙌

Until the next time...

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