Balasore

With the sea water receding approximately 5 kms during low tide and advancing to the shore during high tide every day, the Chandipur Beach at Odisha offers a truly unique and captivating sight. Easily accessible via train, the beach is merely 16 kms from the Balasore Railway Station on Howrah-Madras line of South Eastern Railways. Watching the sea vanish right in front of your eyes and then observing its return is a very rare site. And to add more to this hide and seek of water, the Casuarina trees and creeper sand dunes seem to be swaying on a melodious musical note. A small fishing village community is found adjacent to the beach which is lined with casuarina trees and from where one can hire a boat and venture into the Bay of Bengal. For the more romantic, take a cruise at the confluence of the Budhabalanga River on a moonlit night. Other than being a tourist spot there are quite a few temples like Panchalingeshwara temple and Bhudara Chandi ShrineTemple situated not very far from the beach. An elaborate beach festival, showcasing the dance forms, art and culture of the state, has become an annual affair here and takes place every February.

Panchalingeshwar Temple is located in Balasore district of Orissa. It named after the five Shivalinga that are enshrined inside. The temple is on top of a hillock near the Nilagiri hill. The Shivalingas are said to have been enshrined by Sita, the wife of Lord Rama during their exile. Another story holds that King Banasura worshiped the Swayambhu Lingas at this place given its beauty. A perennial stream, which is the main attraction of the area, regularly washes the Shivalingas as it flows over them. To reach to the temple one has to lie flat on the rock parallel to the stream to touch and worship the lingas inside the water stream. The history of the construction of this temple is still a mystery. There are two legends associated with the shrine. One says that these Shiva Lingas were enshrined by Goddess Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, during the period their exile. While the other one goes like that a great devotee of Lord Shiva and a powerful demon - King Banasura installed the five lingas here to worship Lord Shiva. These five lingas are the prominent attractions of this Lord Shiva’s temple in Odisha.

Khirachora Gopinatha Temple is in Remuna. It is a little town 9 km west of Balasore railway station, about halfway between Howrah and Bhubaneswar in Odisha. The name "Remuna" is from the word "Ramaniya" which means very good-looking. "Khirachora" in Odia means Stealer of Milk and Gopinatha means the Divine Consort of Gopis. The reference is to child Krishna's love for milk and milk products. Lord Gopinatha, flanked by Sri Govinda and Sri Madana Mohana, is made of black stone. Sri Gopinatha stands in bas-relief. Govinda and Madana Mohana, who were brought from Vrindavana in about 1938 by a devotee named "Chaitanya Dasa Babaji", are standing freely. It is said that Sri Rama carved Gopinatha with His arrow and that Sita worshiped this deity in Chitrakuta. During vanavasa to show the next avatara vigraha to Sita. King Langula Narasingha Deba, the king of Utkala, brought this deity to Remuna in the 13th century from Chitrakuta. This king arranged to have dug the two big tanks, Brajapokhari and Kutapokhari. One can get delicious khira here called as Amruta Keli. The Gopinatha khira is a preparation of homemade condensed milk, sugar, and cream, with a sprinkling of raisins. It comes in pots, which are personally tasted by Lord Gopinatha.

New Jagannath Temple at Balgopalpur in Balasore, district of Odisha, India by Emami Paper Mills. Lord Jagannath is above caste, creed and religion. Everyone, including foreigners, can visit the new Jagannath temple here at Balasore, unlike Jagannath temple at Puri. Padma Vibhusan Raghunath Mahapatra is the architect and sculptor of this temple. It is built at an expenditure of Rs 11 crores. The temple is seventy-eight feet high scintillating shrine and it has been constructed on three acres of land on the premises of Balasore town Balgopalpur-based Emami Paper Mill. The temple claimed to be a replica of the Puri Jagannath Temple also bears the world-renowned Black Pagoda Konark Sun Temple's tinge with sixteen Konark Wheels engraved on it apart from four horses.A beautiful place with amazing architecture and wonderful scenario.

Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary is an ideal place for nature lovers and animal enthusiasts.Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the district of Balasore. The hilly terrain and the deciduous forest support the wide range of animal species that have made it their natural habitat. The whole topography of the place provides ample scope for trekking and hiking. Interestingly Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary is connected to Simlipal through Sukhpada hills and Nato hills. Some of the animals that you might encounter while on a trip to the sanctuary are elephant, gaur, sambar, tiger, leopard etc. With some measure of luck, you can also view the rich avian life that consists of peafowl, myna, hornbills, and a wide species of reptiles. There are two rest houses in Kuldiha that serves as your accommodation option. However make an early booking to avoid last minute rush. There is a perennial stream nearby which is an ideal picnic spot and serves as a welcome respite after the tiring trip in the Wildlife sanctuary.

Chandaneswar Temple is a famous Shiva temple situated in Baleswar, Odisha. It is said to be one of the oldest temples in and around Digha. This temple of Lord Shiva is famous for its accessible location and is the center of worship for devotees of the deity. A black statue of Nandi is also a prime attraction of this holy temple. One can always find throng of devotees around the shrine and the temple bell starts ringing from the daybreak as the priests starts chanting mantras. Men and women start pouring in to offer flower, fruits, sweet and milk to the Lord. A huge annual fair in the Solar New Year Pana Sankranti, the first day of the Odia calendar, is celebrated on the premises. The Odia new year Maha Vishuva Sankranti day is very famous around the premises of the shrine. Locally called Uda Parba, Nila Parba after worshiping Nilakanth Shiva, Chadaka Yatra, a half million people gather around the shrine and do fasting of several days to fulfil their wishes. Temple is well illuminated and looks wonderful to see.