Bhubaneswar is the capital and the largest city of theIndian state ofOdisha. It is located in theKhordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted asChakra Khetra andEkamra Khetra (Area adorned with a mango tree).[5] Bhubaneswar is dubbed the "Temple City", anickname earned because of manytemples which are standing there.[6][7] In contemporary times, the city is a hub of sports, tourism and IT in the country. Although the modern city of Bhubaneswar was formally established in 1948, the history of the areas in and around the present-day city can be traced to the 1st century BCE. It is a confluence ofHindu,Buddhist andJain heritage and includes severalKalingan temples, many of them from 6th–13th century CE. WithPuri andKonark, it forms the "Swarna Tribhuja" (lit.'Golden Triangle'), one of Eastern India's most visited destinations.[8][9]
Bhubaneswar replacedCuttack as the capital of Odisha on 13 April 1948.[10][11] The modern city was designed by the German architect,Otto Königsberger, in 1946.[12] Along withJamshedpur andChandigarh, it was one of modern India's first planned cities.[13] Bhubaneswar andCuttack are often referred to as the 'twin cities of Odisha'. The area formed by the two cities had a population of 1.7 million in 2011.[14] It is categorised as aTier-2 city.[15] Bhubaneswar andRourkela are the two cities in smart city mission fromOdisha.
Bhubaneswar is the anglicisation of theOdia name "Bhubaneśwara"(ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର), derived from the wordTribhubaneśwara (ତ୍ରିଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର), which literally means the Lord (Iśwara) of theThree Worlds (Tribhubana), which in this context refers toShiva.[16]
Remains of the ancient city ofSisupalagada, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, dated to 7th century BCEHathigumpha inscriptions at the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves near Bhubaneswar
In the 7th century,Somavamshi or Keshari dynasty established their kingdom and constructed a number of temples. After the Kesharis, theEastern Gangas ruled Kalinga area until the 14th century CE. Their capital was located in present-dayCuttack City. After them,Mukunda Deva of theBhoi Dynasty – the last Hindu ruler of the area until theMarathas ruled Odisha from Cuttack.[10] Most of the older temples in Bhubaneswar were built between 8th and 12th centuries, underShaiva influence.[18] TheAnanta Vasudeva Temple is the only old temple ofVishnu in the city.[19] In 1568, theKarrani dynasty of Afghan origin gained control of Odisha . During their reign, most of the temples and other structures were destroyed or disfigured.[10]
In the 16th century, the area came under pachamaniMughal control. TheMarathas, who succeeded the Mughals in the mid-18th century, encouraged pilgrimage in Odisha. In 1803, the area came underBritish colonial rule and was part of theBengal Presidency (until 1912),Bihar and Orissa Province (1912–1936) andOrissa Province (1936–1947).[10]
The capital of the British-ruled and post-independent Orissa State was alsoCuttack, which was vulnerable to floods and suffered from space constraints. Because of this, in September 1946, a proposal to move the capital to a new capital was introduced in the Legislative Assembly of the Odisha Province.[20] After independence of India, the foundation of the new capital was laid on 13 April 1948.[10] The Legislative Assembly ofOdisha was shifted from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar in 1949.[10] Bhubaneswar was built as a modern city, designed by German architectOtto Königsberger with wide roads, gardens and parks.[21] Though part of the city followed the plan, it grew rapidly over the next few decades, outstripping the planning process.[22] According to the first census of independent India, taken in 1951, the town's population was just 16,000. From 1952 to 1979, it was administered by aNotified Area Council or anagar panchayat; amunicipality was established only on 12 March 1979. During this time, due to fear of wild animals and forested areas, Cuttack continued to be the people's favourite destination. The government officials lived at Cuttack and came to Bhubaneswar for work. The government then forced the officials to live at Bhubaneswar. Then some traders came to set up some shops. By the 1991 census, the population of Bhubaneswar had increased to 411,542. Accordingly, on 14 August 1994, theBhubaneswar Municipal Corporation was established.[10]
Bhubaneswar is topographically divided into western uplands and eastern lowlands, with hillocks in the western and northern parts.[24]Kanjia lake on the northern outskirts, affords richbiodiversity and is awetland of national importance.[25] Bhubaneswar's soils are 65 per centlaterite, 25 per centalluvial and 10 per centsandstone.[26] TheBureau of Indian Standards places the city insideseismic zone III, on a scale ranging fromI to V in order of increasing susceptibility to earthquakes.[27] TheUnited Nations Development Programme reports that there is "very high damage risk" from winds andcyclones.[27] The1999 Odisha cyclone caused major damage to buildings, the city's infrastructure and cost many human lives.[28] Floods and waterlogging in the low-lying areas have become common due to unplanned growth.[26][29]
TheBhubaneswar urban development area consists of theBhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area, 173 revenue villages and two other municipalities spread over 1,110 km2 (430 sq mi).[30][31] The area under the jurisdiction of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation covers 186 square kilometres (72 sq mi).[1] The city is somewhatdumbbell-shaped with most of the growth taking place to the north, northeast and southwest.[32] The north–south axis of the city is widest, at roughly 22.5 kilometres (14.0 mi). Growth in the east is restricted due to the presence ofKuakhai River and by the wildlife sanctuary in the northwestern part.[32] The city can be broadly divided into the old town, planned city (or state capital), added areas and into Units and Colonies.
The old town or "Temple Town", the oldest part of the city, is characterised by many temples, including theLingaraja,Nilakantha Siva,Rajarani andMuktesvara temples, standing alongside residential areas. Additional structures include theSomabaresvara Siva Temple and theKartikesvara Siva Temple. The area is congested, with narrow roads and poor infrastructure.[32] Among neighbourhoods in the old town are Rajarani Colony, Pandaba Nagar, Brahmeswara Bagh, Lingaraja Nagar, Gouri Nagar, Bhimatangi, Kapilaprasad and Sundarpada.
The planned city was designed in 1948 to house the capital. It is subdivided into units, each with a high school, shopping centres, dispensaries and play areas. While most of the units house government employees, Unit V houses the administrative buildings, including the State Secretariat, State Assembly and the Raj Bhavan. Private residential areas were later built in other areas of the planned city, includingSaheed Nagar and Satya Nagar. Unit I, popularly known as the Market Building, was formed to cater to the shopping needs of the new capital's residents. Later, markets and commercial establishments developed along theJanpath andCuttack-Puri Road atSaheed Nagar, Satya Nagar, Bapuji Nagar and Ashok Nagar. A dedicated institutional area houses educational and research institutes, includingUtkal University, theInstitute of Physics, theInstitute of Minerals and Materials Technology and Sainik School. Indira Gandhi Park, Gandhi Park and the Biju Patnaik Park are located in the unit.[32]
The added areas are mostly areas lying north of National Highway 5, including Nayapalli, Jayadev Vihar,Chandrasekharpur andSailashree Vihar,Niladri vihar which were developed byBhubaneswar Development Authority to house the growing population.[32] With the development of the new areas such as Chandrasekharpur, the city is now divided roughly into North (newer areas) and South Bhubaneswar (older areas) by the NH-5 highway.
The peripheral areas are outside the municipal boundary or have subsequently been included within the extended boundary, including Tomando, Patia and Raghunathpur. Most of these areas were developed in a haphazard manner, without proper planning.[33] The Master Planning Branch of theBhubaneswar Development Authority developed the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) in 2010.[34] According to the Odisha Development Authorities Act, 1982, the Development Authority has control over the planning for municipal areas.[35] Apart from the CDP, BDA has also created Zonal Development Plans for some of the areas under the CDP.[34] Bhubaneswar secured the top rank in theSmart city list in India.[36][37]
Bhubaneswar has atropical savanna climate, designatedAw under theKöppen climate classification. Temperatures in Bhubaneswar usually range from 11 to 44 °C (52 to 111 °F). It experiences five primary seasons: winter (December to January), when temperatures can drop to 11 °C (52 °F); spring (February); summer (March to May), when temperatures can reach 44 °C (111 °F) or higher; monsoon (June to October); and post-monsoon (November). The annual mean temperature is 27.4 °C (81.3 °F); monthly mean temperatures are 22–32 °C (72–90 °F).[38] Summers (March to June) are hot and humid, with temperatures in the low 30s C; during dry spells, maximum temperatures often exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in May and June.[38] Winter lasts for only about ten weeks, with seasonal lows dipping to 15–18 °C (59–64 °F) in December and January. May is the hottest month, when daily temperatures range from 32–42 °C (90–108 °F). January, the coldest month, has temperatures varying from 15–28 °C (59–82 °F). The highest and lowest temperatures ever recorded in Bhubaneswar are 46.7 °C (116.1 °F) on 5 June 2012 and 8.2 °C (46.8 °F) on 30 December 2018.[39] The official weather station for the city is theBiju Patnaik Airport. Weather records here date back to 1 July 1948.
Rains brought by theBay of Bengal branch of thesouth west summer monsoon[40] lash Bhubaneswar between June and September, supplying it with most of its annual rainfall of 1,657.8 mm (65 in). The highest monthly rainfall total, 374.6 mm (15 in), occurs in August.[41]
Source 2: NOAA (sun, 1971–1990),[45] Tokyo Climate Center (mean temperatures 1991–2020)[46]
Bhubaneswar has been ranked 7th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results'[47]
Bhubaneswar is an administrative, information technology, education and tourism city.[24] Bhubaneswar was ranked as the best place to do business in India by theWorld Bank in 2014.[48] Bhubaneswar has emerged as one of the fast-growing, important trading and commercial hub in the state and eastern India.[49] Tourism is a major industry, attracting about 1.5 million tourists in 2011.[24][50] Bhubaneswar was designed to be a largely residential city with outlying industrial areas. The economy had few major players until the 1990s and was dominated by retail and small-scale manufacturing. With theeconomic liberalisation policy adopted by theGovernment of India in the 1990s, Bhubaneswar received investment intelecommunications, information technology (IT) and higher education.[24]
In 2011, according to a study byAssociated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, Bhubaneswar had the highest rate of employment growth among 17 Tier-2 cities in India.[51] It has been listed among the top ten emerging cities in India byCushman and Wakefield, taking into consideration factors like demographics, physical, social and real estate infrastructure, current level and scope of economic activities and government support.[52] In 2012, Bhubaneswar was ranked third among Indian cities, in starting and operating a business by theWorld Bank.[53]Bhubaneswar has been traditionally home to handicrafts industry, including silver filigree work,appliqué work, stone and wood carvings andpatta painting, which significantly contributes to the city's economy.[24] The late 2000s saw a surge of investments in the real estate, infrastructure, retail and hospitality sectors; several shopping malls and organised retails opened outlets in Bhubaneswar.[54][55][56][57] In theinformal sector, 22,000 vendors operate in regulated or unregulated vending zones.[58][59]
As of 2001, around 2.15% of the city's workforce was employed in theprimary sector (agriculture, forestry, mining, etc.); 2.18% worked in thesecondary sector (industrial and manufacturing); and 95.67% worked in thetertiary sector (service industries).[24]
In 2009, Odisha was ranked ninth among Indian states in terms of software export byNASSCOM, with most IT/ITES companies established in Bhubaneswar. In 2011–12, Odisha had a growth rate of 17% for software exports.[63] According to a 2012 survey, among the tier-2 cities in India, Bhubaneswar has been chosen as the best for conducting IT/ITES business.[64] The government fostered growth by developing of IT parks such as Infocity-1, Infovalley,STPI-Bhubaneswar and JSS STP.[65][66] Infocity was conceived as a five-star park, under the Export Promotion Industrial Parks (EPIP) Scheme to create infrastructure facilities for setting up information technology related industries.Infosys andTech Mahindra have been present in Bhubaneswar since 1996. Other Multinational Companies includeAccenture,Cognizant,Tata Consultancy Services,Wipro,IBM,Genpact,Firstsource,Mindtree,MphasiS,Ericsson,Semtech,Reliance Communications,PricewaterhouseCoopers,Bharti Airtel,DLF (company),Capgemini,Happiest Minds, Concentrix, RiR Electronics, Synopsis, EY andDeloitte. It also houses the headquarters ofPOSCO India, a subsidiary of South Korean conglomeratePOSCO and Govt. of India ownedNational Aluminium Company(NALCO). Apart from the big multinationals, some 300 small and mid-size IT companies and business startups have offices in Bhubaneswar.[66]
Lulu International Shopping Malls Private Limited plans to set up shopping malls, hypermarkets, agri sourcing and logistics hub with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore.[67]
As per the2011 census of India, Bhubaneswar had a population of 837,737, while the metropolitan area had a population of 881,988.[71] As per the estimate ofIIT Kharagpur, which made a development plan, the Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Urban complex, consisting of 721.9 square kilometres (278.7 sq mi), has a population of 1.9 million (as of 2008[update]).[72] As of 2011[update], the number of males was 445,233, while the number of females were 392,504. The decadal growth rate was 45.90 per cent.[citation needed]
Effective male literacy was 95.69 per cent, while female literacy was 90.26 per cent. About 75,237 were under six. Bhubaneswar'sliteracy rate is 93.15 per cent[71]—significantly higher than the national average of 74.04 per cent.[73]
The main language spoken in the city isOdia. However,English andHindi are understood by most residents. AlthoughOdias comprise the vast majority, migrants from other states likeAndhra Pradesh,Bihar,West Bengal,Rajasthan andJharkhand also dwell in the city. Growth in the information technology industry and education sector in Bhubaneswar changed the city's demographic profile; likely infrastructure strains and haphazard growth from demographic changes have been a cause of concern.
Bhubaneswar is a religiously diverse city.Hindus form the majority in the city with more than 95% of the total population, as of2011 Census of India.Muslims forms the second largest minority with 3.3% andChristians with 0.92%. There is also a significant minority population ofSikhs,Buddhists andJains.[75]
TheBhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) oversees and manages civic infrastructure for the city's 67wards.[76] It started as a Notified Area Committee in 1946 and was upgraded to a municipal corporation in 1994.[77] Orissa Municipal Corporation Act, 2003 is the governing act.[78] Residents of each ward elect a corporator to the BMC for a five-year term. Standing committees handle urban planning and maintain roads, government-aided schools, hospitals and municipal markets.[79]
As Bhubaneswar's apex body, the corporation discharges its functions through the mayor-in-council, which comprises a mayor, a deputy mayor and other elected members. The executive wing is headed by a Commissioner. There are 13 administrative departments under BMC: PR & Communication, Disaster Management, Finance, Health & Sanitation, Engineering, Revenue & Tax, Electrical, Environment, Social Welfare, IT and Social Projects, Establishment, Land & Assets, Enforcement & Recovery.[80] The responsibilities of the municipal body include drainage and sewerage, sanitation, solid waste management and street lighting.[24]
The tenure of the last elected body ended in March 2022 and new elections have already took place.[81][82] Ward committees have been formed in Bhubaneswar and are very active.[83] The Committees are responsible for issues such as public health, sanitation, street lighting and conservancy in their respective wards. There is no fixed number of members in the committees.
The processes for the municipal budget 2020–21 was initiated in February 2020, but it is unclear if they have continued after the lockdown was announced.[84] The budget for 2020–21 was supposed to be around Rs. 700, an increase of 51.8% from the 2019–20 budget. The increase was supposedly to fund the various socio-economic welfare schemes in the city. The key revenue sources for BMC are: Holding Taxes, tax from advertisements, rent from municipal properties such as markets, shopping complexes, and kalyan mandaps (marriage halls), fees and user charges, and grants from state and central governments.[85]
As the seat of theGovernment of Odisha, Bhubaneswar is home to theOdisha Legislative Assembly and the state secretariat. Bhubaneswar has lower courts: the Court of Small Causes and the District Civil Court decide civil matters; the Sessions Court rules in criminal cases.[92] TheBhubaneswar–Cuttack Police Commissionerate, established in 2008, is a city police force with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation in the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack area.[93][94] Shri S.K. Priyadarshi, IPS is the police commissioner.[95]
Electricity was earlier being supplied by the state-operatedCentral Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha.[26]TATA Power- TP-CODL, as a private entity, started power distribution in the city by the end of 2020.[96] Fire services are handled by the state agency,Odisha Fire Service. Drinking water is sourced from the Mahanadi, Kuakhai and Daya rivers.Water supply andsewerage are handled by thePublic Health Engineering Organisation.[24] As of 2015, 35% of the city was covered by piped water connections, 1.4% of the households had metered water connection, and the extent of non-revenue water in the city ran to 62.5%.[97] The Engineering Department of BMC creates and maintains roads.[98]
26.7% of the city is covered by sewage network, while more than 50% of the households are dependent on onsite containment systems, such as septic tanks.[99] There is nosewage treatment plant in Bhubaneswar right now,[when?] but one is being built usingJNNURM funds.[97][100] The waste from the limited sewage network flows untreated into the Daya river. There is one septage treatment plant for fecal sludge with a capacity of 75 KLD.[101]
The municipal corporation is responsible for the solid waste management in the city. The average municipal waste generated in the city is 480 kg/m3 for wet waste and 600 kg/m3 for wet waste.[102] Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation BMC has introduced door to door collection through battery operated garbage collection vehicle.[103] It is trying to introduce segregation at source by providing two waste bins to every household, one each for dry and wet waste.[104] Landfilling is the most common method of waste disposal in Bhubaneswar.[102] State-ownedBharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, orBSNL, as well as private enterprises, among themReliance Jio,Bharti Airtel,Vodafone Idea, are the leading telephone, cell phone andinternet service providers in the city.[105][106]
Bhubaneswar is a centre for higher education in the Eastern Region and is considered the education hub of Eastern India with several government and privately funded Universities and colleges.[107][108]IIT Bhubaneswar,NISER Bhubaneswar,AIIMS Bhubaneswar andNIFT Bhubaneswar are some of the elite institutions of country which are located in the city.Utkal University Bhubaneswar is the oldest university in Odisha and the 17th oldest university in India.
Odia and English are the primary languages of instruction. Schools in Bhubaneswar follow the"10+2+3" plan for Regular Graduates and"10+2+4" plan for Technical studies. Schools in Bhubaneswar are either run by the state government or private organisations. Students typically enroll in schools that are affiliated with any of the following mediums of education.
Several colleges are affiliated with universities or institution based in Bhubaneswar or elsewhere in India. Most offer a wide range of programs inSTEM and applied research and are rated highly by theMinistry of Human Resource Development, India.
The Eastern Regional Centre of Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), was established in 1996. One IATA Authorised Training Centre (ATC) is located in the city. Several regional management educational institutions also have travel and tourism related courses in their curriculum.[citation needed]
A public bicycle sharing project named Mo Cycle has been started by the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) and the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT). The scheme aims to reducetraffic congestion, promote non-motorized transport in the city and ensure better last mile connectivity. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik in November 2011 inaugurated Mo Cycle.[112] Around 400 cycle stands have been set up across the city. Around 2,000 bicycles have been ordered from three companies – Hexi, Yaana and Yulu. Hexi (from Hero Cycles) will provide 1,000 bicycles and Yaana and Yulu will provide 500 each. The availability of rentals Bicycles are accessed by the Dedicated mobile app – "mo app".[113]
Internal public transport is maintained byMo Bus (My Bus) service administered by CRUT(Capital Region Urban Transport) along with connecting nearest cities like Cuttack and Puri.The headquarters of theOdisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) is in Bhubaneswar. The main Bhubaneswar inter-state bus terminus is at Barmunda, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the city centre, from where OSRTC and private operators run buses connecting Bhubaneswar to cities in Odisha and with the neighbouring states ofAndhra Pradesh,Jharkhand,West Bengal andChhattisgarh.[114] Bhubaneswar is connected to the rest of Odisha and India byNational Highway-NH 16, which is a part of the Kolkata-Chennai prong of theGolden Quadrilateral,NH 203, State Highway 13 (Odisha) and State Highway 27 (Odisha). Asian Highway-AH 45 passes through the city.[31]
One of the many fly-overs in the city.ISBT Baramunda
Bhubaneswar has roads in grid form in the central city. Bhubaneswar has approximately 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) of roads, with average road density of 11.82 square kilometres (4.56 sq mi).[24]ISBT Baramunda is the major bus terminus in the city from where buses ply to all the districts in Odisha as well as to neighbouring state's cities likeKolkata,Visakhapatnam,Raipur andRanchi. The city bus service calledMo Bus plies across Bhubaneswar by Capital Region Urban Transport Authority run by Bhubaneswar Development Authority.[115] A fleet of 300+ buses cover all major destinations includingCuttack,Puri andKhordha.[115]Auto rickshaws are available for hire and on a share basis throughout the city. In parts of the city,cycle rickshaws offer short trips.[116] To ease traffic jams, over-bridges at major road junctions and expansion of roads are under construction.[117][118] In a study of six cities in India, Bhubaneswar was ranked third concerning pedestrian infrastructure. The city scored 50 points out of a maximum of 100.
TheEast Coast Railway has its headquarters in Bhubaneswar.[119]Bhubaneswar railway station is one of the main stations of the Indian railway network. It is connected to major cities by daily express and passenger trains and daily service to all metro cities is available from here. However, the station is overloaded by existing traffic. Currently, the station has six platforms. There are plans to add two more platforms.[120]
Biju Patnaik International Airport (IATA: BBI, ICAO: VEBS) also known as Bhubaneswar Airport, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of the city centre, is the major and sole international airport in Odisha. There are daily domestic flights from Bhubaneswar toDelhi,Hyderabad,Mumbai,Kolkata,Vishakhapatnam,Chennai andBangalore and international flights from Bhubaneswar to Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok. The major carriers from Bhubaneswar areIndigo,Vistara,Akasa Air, andAirAsia India. In March 2013, a new domestic terminal with a capacity of handling 30 million passengers per year was inaugurated to handle increased air traffic.[122] On 10 July 2015, the first international flight took off from Terminal 2 ofBiju Patnaik International Airport.
Muktesvara deula, covered with erotic ancient carvings, known for its quality of sculpturesRavindra Mandapa, an auditorium in Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar is supposed to have had over onethousand temples, earning the tag of the 'Temple City of India'.[123] Temples are made in theKalinga architectural style with a pine spire that curves up to a point over the sanctum housing the presiding deity and a pyramid-covered hall where people sit and pray.
The twin hills ofKhandagiri and Udayagiri, served as the site of an ancientJainamonastery which was carved into cave-like chambers in the face of the hill. These caves, with artistic carvings, date back to the 2nd century BCE.Dhauli hills has major edicts ofAshoka engraved on a mass of rock and a whitePeace Pagoda, built by the Japan Buddha Sangha and the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha in the 1970s. Apart from the ancient temples, other important temples were built in recent times includingRam Mandir andISKCON.
Bhubaneswar along with Cuttack is the home of the Odia cinema industry, dubbed "Ollywood", where most of the state's film studios are situated.
Odia culture survives in the form of ClassicalOdissi dance, handicrafts, sand artistry and sculpturing as well as theatre and music. Boundary walls and gardens are increasingly being redone to depict the folk art of the state.[125][126]Odissi, the oldest of the eight survivingclassical dance forms of India can be traced from archaeological evidence of the temples in Bhubaneswar.[127][128][129]
Odissi dance is generally accompanied byOdissi music. Srjan, the Odissi dance academy founded by GuruKelucharan Mohapatra, the legendary Odissi dancer is found here.[130][131] The Rabindra Mandapa in central Bhubaneswar plays host to cultural engagements, theatre and private functions.[132]
Though Odia women traditionally wear thesari,shalwar kameez and of late, Western attire is gaining acceptance among younger women.[133] Western-style dress has greater acceptance among men, although the traditionaldhoti andkurta are seen during festivals.[134]
TheOdisha State Museum offers archaeological artefacts, weapons, local arts and crafts as well as insights into Odisha's natural and indigenous history.[135] TheTribal Research Institute Museum hosts authentic tribal dwellings created by tribal craftsmen.[136]Nandankanan Zoological Park, located on the northern outskirt of the city, is India's first zoo to joinWorld Association of Zoos and Aquariums.[137][138] The State Botanical Garden (Odisha) and Regional Plant Resource Center, popularly known asEkamra Kanan, a park and botanical garden, has a large collection of exotic and regional fauna. TheEkamra Haat is a hand-loom and handicrafts market. Nicco Park and Ocean World are amusement parks. Other museums includePathani Samanta Planetarium,Regional Museum of Natural History, Regional Science Center and State Handicrafts Museum.
On the day of Ashokashtami in the month of March or April, the image of Lingaraja (Shiva) and other deities are taken in a procession from Lingaraja Temple to the Mausima Temple, where the deities remain for four days.[139] Hundreds of devotees participate in pulling thetemple car that carries the deities, known asRukuna Ratha.[140]Ratha-Yatra, "Temple Car Festival," is the most important festival in Odisha and Bhubaneswar.[141] The festival commemorates Jagannatha, who is said to have been the incarnation of India's revered deities, Vishnu andKrishna.Durga Puja, held in September–October, is an occasion for glamorous celebrations.[142][143]
As a part of the Ekamra Festival, many cultural sub-festivals take place in January in Bhubaneswar which includes Kalinga Mahotsaba (for traditional martial arts), Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsaba (for classical dance forms), Rajarani Music Festival (for classical music) and Mukteswara Dance Festival (for Odishi dance).[144] Residents engage inkhattis, or leisurely chats, that often take the form of freestyle intellectual conversation.[145]
The Adivasi Mela, held in January, is a fair that displays the art, artefacts, tradition, culture, and music of the tribal inhabitants of Odisha.[149] The Toshali National Crafts Mela, held in December, showcases handicrafts from all over India and from foreign countries.[150] Other important fairs in the city include the Rajdhani Book Fair, Dot Fest[151] and Khandagiri Utsav.[152][153] Two international literary festivals are held in the city,Kalinga Literary Festival[154][155] and Mystic Kalinga Festival.[156][157] In modern times, Bhubaneswar hosts a literary festival, the Odisha Literary Fest.[158]
Street foods such asgupchup (a deep-fried crêpe, stuffed with a mix of mashed potatoes and boiled yellow peas, and dipped in tamarind-infused water),cuttack-chaat,dahibara aloo dum (a deep-fried doughnut-shaped lentil dumpling marinated in yogurt-infused water and served alongside potato curry) andbara-ghuguni are sold all over the city.[161] Traditional Oriya food such asdahi-pakhala (rice soaked in water with yogurt and seasonings) which is considered as a body coolant, accompanied bybadi chura orsaga are consumed during the months of April–June.[162]
Theabadha ofLingaraja Temple andAnanta Vasudeva Temple served for devotees is considered a vegetarian culinary delight. Other vegetarian dishes areDalma (made of lentils and vegetables boiled together and then fried with other spices) andSantula (lightly spiced steamed vegetables).[160]
Kalinga Football Stadium during Indian Super League games
Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre, a hockey academy for sub-junior and junior category, has also been set up at Kalinga Stadium after Government of Odisha, Tata Steel & Tata Trusts (Hockey Ace foundation) joined hands to initiate a three-pronged program under the HPC banner ofGovernment of Odisha.[167] The construction of a gallery and stadium renovation is under way. An air-conditioned indoor stadium, with a capacity of 2000 spectators for badminton, volleyball, basketball and table tennis games is also being constructed.[163]Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha's only venue for international cricket matches, is located around 25 kilometres (16 mi) away.[168] Bhubaneswar has a franchise of Odisha Premier League, Bhubaneswar Jaguars, which started in 2010.Bhubaneswar Golf Club, a nine-hole golf course is situated in Infocity.[169]
Kalinga Stadium Rock Climbing Centre
The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Stadium commonlyKIIT Stadium is a new multipurpose stadium located as a part of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University Campus or KIIT University in Bhubaneswar with a capacity of 40,000.
The2017 Asian Athletics Championships was the 22nd edition of the Asian Athletics Championships. It was held from 6–9 July 2017 at theKalinga Stadium. Bhubaneswar is the third Indian city to host the Asian Athletics Championships, with Delhi being the first, in 1989, and Pune, the second, in 2013.[170]
The FIH and the IOA president, Narindar Batra stated in a ceremony that Bhubaneswar is emerging as the new sports capital of India while unveiling the new logo for the Indian hockey team jersey, which is sponsored by the government of Odisha. The state, Batra mentioned, provides equal importance and opportunity for all sports such as cricket, football, field hockey, tennis, badminton, chess and many more.[171]
^Das, Piyush (2016).Memory of a Stream: Gandhabati, Sacred Cultural Landscape of Ekamara Kshetra (Bhubaneswar). New Delhi: Copal Publishing. p. 42.ISBN978-9383419401.
^History, Religion and Culture of India. P.180. S. Gajrani
^Fergusson, James (2013). "ORISSA". In Burgess, James; Spiers, Richard Phene (eds.).History of Indian and Eastern Architecture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 92–116.doi:10.1017/cbo9781139814638.007.ISBN978-1-139-81463-8.The oldest temple in the town of Bhuvancrwar is probably that called Pararuramejwar (Woodcut No. 312), which, from the termination of the name, as well as the Linga in the cella, and subjects portrayed in the three principal niches of the tower, mark it as a Saiva shrine.
^Bengal District Gazetteer: Puri. P.242. L.S.S. O'Malley
^Swain, S; et al. (2018). "Development of an ARIMA Model for Monthly Rainfall Forecasting over Khordha District, Odisha, India".Recent Findings in Intelligent Computing Techniques. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing. Vol. 708. Singapore: Springer. pp. 325–331.doi:10.1007/978-981-10-8636-6_34.ISBN978-981-10-8635-9.{{cite book}}:|journal= ignored (help)
^ab"BDA Snapshot"(PDF). Bhubaneswar Development Authority. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 23 January 2013. Retrieved26 December 2012.
^abcde"City Structure"(PDF).Environmental Management Plan for Bhubaneswar. Forest and Environment Department, Government of Odisha. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 24 January 2014. Retrieved26 December 2012.
^Khichar, M. L.; Niwas, R. (14 July 2003)."Know your monsoon".The Tribune. Chandigarh, India.Archived from the original on 18 June 2007. Retrieved9 June 2007.
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