Orissa Temple & Tribal Tour

Day 01ARRIVE AT KOLKATA

Arrive at Kolkata by International flight. After traditional Indian style ‘Swagat’ (Welcome) by Exceptional Escapes representative, he will assist you at the airport & transfer you to the hotel for check in. Kolkata is the cultural capital of India where rich cultural heritage can be experienced in daily life. Tourists especially visit this city to experience its unique and lively culture. It is the birthplace of renowned poets and philosophers. Appreciation of art and literature is in the blood of the people here. Aptly called the ‘City of Joy’, Kolkata is ideally located on the bank of the Hooghly River in West Bengal. This city is well known for the massive colonial architecture and art galleries.  Kolkata surely offers various astonishing attractions to fall in love with.

Overnight at hotel - Kolkata

Day 02KOLKATA

Post Breakfast Guided city tour of Kolkata; 

Victoria Memorial: Victoria Memorial is the memorial of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom who also carried the title of Empress of India. The structure was designed by Sir William Emerson in an architectural style similar to Taj Mahal. It was built between 1906 & 1921. It is a majestic white marble building surrounded by a sprawling garden. You can also visit Fort William, St. John’s Church, Tagore’s castle & slot, marble Palace

Howrah Bridge:Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans over the Hooghly River in West Bengal A cantilever bridge is the one built using cantilevers. These are structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. The bridge does not have nuts and bolts and was built by riveting the whole structure.
Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart) WAS opened in the year 1952 by Mother Teresa, ALSO CALLED Home for Dying Destitute in Kolkata. She & her fellow nuns took in dying Indians off the streets & brought them to this home to care for them till their last days, so that they might be able to die in peace & with dignity.

Birla Mandir: Birla Mandir is a Hindu temple on Ashutosh Chowdhury Avenue, Ballygunge, built by the patriarch of Birla family. This temple is open in the morning from 5.30 A.M. to 11 A.M. and in the evening from 4 .30 P.M. to 9 P.M.

Belur Math: Belur Math sprawls over forty acres of land on the western bank of the Hooghly (Ganga), in Howrah district, an hour’s drive from Kolkata. It is a place of pilgrimage for people from all over the world irrespective of their religious faiths.  Even people not interested in religion come here for the peace it exudes.

Rest of the day at leisure for shopping & exploring the local market of KOLKATA.
Overnight Hotel – Kolkata (B)

Day 03KOLKATA – BHUBANESHWAR {BY INDIGO FLIGHT 6E-377 @ 10:10/1105 HRS}

Post breakfast late morning transfer to the airport to board the flight to Bhubaneswar. On arrival after traditional Indian style ‘Swagat’(Welcome) by Exceptional Escapes representative, he will assist you at the airport & transfer you to hotel for check in.

Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, is also popularly known as the 'Temple City of India'. Being the seat of Tri Bhubaneswar or 'Lord Lingaraj', Bhubaneswar is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre. Bhubaneswar has been the place where temple building activities of Orissan style flowered from its very inception to its fullest culmination extending over a period of over 1,000 years. The new Bhubaneswar with its modern buildings and extensive infrastructure perfectly complements its historic surroundings.

Rest of the time is FREE to relax.
Overnight at Hotel – Bhubaneshwar (B)

Day 04BHUBANESWAR

Post breakfast, proceed for a guided city tour of Bhubaneswar. The city has some stunning temples clustered around the Bindusagar Tank. Of the original 7000, only 500 presently exist from the 7th century to the 11th century. Of these the most outstanding is the 11th century Lingaraja Temple which represents the peak of Orissa art and the late 10th century and beautifully decorated Mukteswara Temple which belongs to the end of the phase of temple building. Close to the Mukteswara Temple is the Parasurameswara Temple, a small but richly decorated shrine of Shiva that was built in the 7th century. It is one of the best preserved. It has sculptures featuring amorous couples, animals and floral motifs.

Rajarani temple and Vaital Temple: Rajarani Temple is an 11th-century Hindu temple located in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, India. The temple is believed to have been known originally as Indreswara. It is locally known as a "love temple" because of the erotic carvings of women and couples in the temple.

64 Yoginis Temple Is a Tantric Temple (it’s one of important Shakti Peetha); with hypaethral architecture as tantric prayer rituals involve worshiping the bhumandala (environment consisting all the 5 elements of nature - fire, water, earth, sky and ether).
Overnight hotel – Bhubaneswar (B)

Day 05BHUBANESWAR – KONARK – PURI (56 KMS. - 1.5 HRS.)

Post Breakfast drive to Puri, en-route visiting Dhauli and Pipli villages.

Dhauli is where Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great, renounced bloody warfare and embraced the teachings of Buddha after victory over the kingdom of Kalinga. You can visit the Peace Pagoda known as the Shanti Stupa built in early 1970 by Japanese. You can stop at two ancient rock edicts, today eclipsed by the presence of the Pagoda. Dating from 260 BC they outline Ashoka's detailed instructions to his administrators to rule with gentleness and fairness. The sculpted elephant atop the edict signifies the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism after his Kalinga victory. Our next stop is the colorful village of Pipli where we can see Oriya Handicrafts, and the main specialty is applique work.

Afternoon drive to Konark

 In Konark, visit the - Chariot of The Sun God, built by King Langula Narasimha Deva in the thirteenth century A.D. during the golden era of Orissan art. This crowning piece of Orissan architecture and sculpture is sheer poetry in stone.

Every day the Sun rises from the lap of the blue ocean close by and casts its first gentle rays on the sanctum sanatorium and then circles the temple during the course of the day, illuminating the three magnificent images of the morning Sun, the mid-day sun and the setting sun. Later you will drive to Puri.

Overnight at hotel – Puri (B)

Day 06PURI

Post Breakfast, you can visit Puri is one of the four most important pilgrimage destinations for Hindus. Also visit the Jagannath Temple of Puri. The temple of Lord Jagannath (God Vishnu), who is considered the preserver of the world in Hinduism, attracts thousands on feast every day, particularly at the time of 'Rath Yatra' (the car festival). The Jagannath temple is also referred as the white Pagoda and accommodates 5000 priests in its premises. It's an experience to observe the activities of the pilgrims visiting this unique temple. It is one of the most sacred temples in India. By afternoon you will visit Puri beach. It is also known as one of India's finest beaches and it attracts millions of travelers to India with its strategic setting and religious importance.

Overnight at hotel – Puri (B)

Day 07PURI – GOPALPUR (200 KMS. - 5 HRS.)

Post breakfast, drive to Gopalpur enroute to Chilika Lake, famous for bird sanctuary. The drive to Chilika Lake takes us through scenic countryside and attractive villages. Chilika lies in the heart of coastal Orissa. The pear-shaped lake is dotted with small islands and has an impressive array of bird life, both native and migrant. White bellied sea eagles, greylag geese, herons and flamingos are among the many species which make the lake a bird watcher's delight. Chilika, in fact, is home to one of the world's largest breeding colonies of flamingos. Other than the birds, Chilika's shores are home to black buck, spotted deer, golden jackals and hyenas, and the lake is rich in aquatic life. Its waters harbour around 160 species of fish, crustaceans and other marine creatures, including the famous Chilika dolphin. Fishing is an important source of livelihood for the local people and hundreds of small fishing boats set sail each morning to bring in the day's catch from the lake.

Afterwards we will drive to Gopalpur on Sea, an ancient sea port. Sand dunes, groves of coconut palm and casuarinas separate the small town from the beach. Upon arrival check-in at the hotel.

Overnight at hotel - Gopalpur (B)

Day 08GOPALPUR – RAYAGADA (210 KMS. - 5 HRS.)

Post Breakfast, Morning at leisure.

 By afternoon we drive to Rayagada and reach there in the evening. We are now in the tribal belt of Orissa. Orissa has the third highest concentration of tribals in India and because of the remoteness of the areas where they live, the tribes are untouched by modern times.

Each has a distinct language and pattern of social and religious customs. Though economically challenged with a very low rate of literacy, the tribal groups have a highly developed sense for body paintings, ornaments, weaving and wall paintings. Music and dance are also an integral part of their ceremonies and seasonal festivals.

Overnight at hotel – Rayagada (B)

Day 09RAYAGADA – DAY EXCURSION TO SAORA (45 KMS. - 1 HRS.)

Post breakfast we will go for Day excursion to Saora tribal villages. We will visit the villages of the Langia Saoras, a major tribe that lives in hilly areas. In contrast to other tribes who live in clans, they live in extended families descended from a common ancestor. The village is administered by a headman who is assisted by a religious leader and village shamans, or medicine men. They are able to communicate with deceased ancestors. The walls of the mud houses are decorated with remarkable paintings and traditional designs known as IKONS.

Saora are one of the oldest known tribes of Orissa. They do shifting cultivation. The ceremonies and festivals of the Saoras are the occasions when the social bonds are cemented. The Saoras also practice both sorority and levirate forms of marriage, i.e a man can marry his deceased wife's younger sister and a woman can marry her deceased husband's younger brother.

Later you can explore the tribal markets (Markets open on Mondays only).

Overnight at hotel – Rayagada (B)

Day 10RAYAGADA – DAY EXCURSION TO KOTHGARH (100 KMS. - 3 HRS.)

Post Breakfast, we will go for Day excursion to Kothgarh tribal area to visit Kutia Kondh tribes. Many of them speak Kuvi, a language derived from the Dravidian strain of Southern India. Human sacrifice has now been replaced with animal sacrifice. During animal sacrifices, they offer the blood to their supreme goddess represented by a piece of wood or stone to ensure fertility of the soil. The members of this tribe still use bows and arrows to protect themselves from wild animals. (Markets are open on Tuesdays only). Return to Rayagada in the evening.

Overnight at hotel – Rayagada (B)

Day 11RAYAGADA – CHATIKONA - JEYPORE (240 KMS. - 7 HRS.)

Post Breakfast drive to Jeypore. En route at Chatikona, we visit a few Dongariya Kondh villages. Dongariya Kondh is a very primitive tribe. They live on the top of the mountain and do shifting cultivation.

Jeypore, the commercial nerve centre of Koraput district, endowed with falls and forests thronged with colorful wildlife has all such facilities to serve as the convenient base for visiting the places of interest in and around. (Markets open on Wednesdays only).

Overnight at hotel – Jeypore (B)

Day 12JEYPORE – EXCURSION TO ONUKUDELLI (180 KMS. - 4.5 HRS.)

Post breakfast we drive and visit the home of the approximately 6000 members of the fierce Bondas (naked people) of Tibetan-Burmese origin. They live in the remote hills and keep themselves isolated. They grow rice by shifting cultivation and keep domesticated cows and goats. They can only be seen when they come to trade at the local weekly market. The Bonda women are noticeable by their bead necklaces, striking brass and silver necklaces and their shaved heads decorated with plaits of palmyra leaves. We will also visit the colorful Godabas, a Munda tribe that speaks in the Austro-Asiatic dialect called Remo.

The Gadabas are one of the very primitive and colourful tribes of Orissa. They build their houses in two rows facing each other with a broadway left between them. The economic life of the Gadabas mainly depends on agriculture.

(Markets are open on Thursdays only). Return to Jeypore in the evening.

Overnight at hotel – Jeypore (B)

Day 13JEYPORE – EXCURSION TO KUNDULI (130 KMS. - 4.5 HRS.)

Post breakfast, we will drive to Kunduli, via Sunabeda, to visit the tribal villages of Paroja and Mali. The weekly market is among the biggest and most colourful in the region. The Parojas are one of the well-known major tribes of Orissa. They are broadly divided into two sections, Bada Paroja & Sana Paroja. Men usually wear loincloths, napkins and women wear coarse and cheap sarees. (Markets open on Fridays only)

Overnight at hotel - Jeypore

Day 14JEYPORE – GUPTESWAR – VISAKHAPATNAM (225 KMS. - 7 HRS)

Post breakfast, we will drive to Gupteswar to visit the Dhuruba tribal village. They are one of the oldest tribes of Orissa and found in Koraput district of Orissa. As regards the family, the father acts as the head and manages the family. The income of the family members goes to the headman and it is the head man's duty to fulfill the needs of the family members. Both nuclear and joint families are found among the Dhurubas. We can also visit the caves which were believed to have been the refuge of Lord Rama during his days in exile and the place where he worshiped God Shiva. (Markets are open on Saturdays only). Later we will move on for Visakhapatnam. Upon arrival check in at the hotel.

Overnight at hotel – Vishakhapatnam (B)

Day 15VISHAKHAPATNAM – KOLKATA {INDIGO 6E -6038@1535/1710 HRS}

Post Breakfast we will visit Simhachalam Temple near Visakhapatnam. It is one of the most important Vaishnavite shrines of South India. It has Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy as the presiding deity. Eastern Ganga King Narasimha built the central shrine in 1267 A.D. With more than 252 inscriptions describing the antecedents of the temple, it is historically important. The deity at Simhachalam, the lion-man incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu appears like a Sivalinga when covered with sandalwood paste. The original shape of the deity in the tribhanga posture has two hands with the head of a lion on a human torso.

In the evening transfer to the airport to board the flight for Kolkata. Arrive and transfer to the hotel.

Overnight at hotel – Kolkata (B)

Day 16KOLKATA DEPARTURE

In the morning transfer to the international airport to board a flight for onward journey.

Tour Concludes: Exceptional Escapes Manager will assist you with your transfer to the airport for boarding onward flight.