Blogs from Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India, Asia

Mangalajodi is a relatively unexplored tourism destination in the Khurda district of Odisha. This scenic village located on the northern banks of Asia’s largest brackish water lake; Chilika Lagoon just 75 kms from Bhubaneswar toward Berhampur, which is also a Ramsar site and popularly known as “Birds Paradise”.The climatic condition and the ecosystem attract more than 300 species of migratory and resident birds from different parts of the globe during the winter. This fragile eco-system hosts more than a lakh birds every year and along with the serenity it attracts nature lovers and wildlife enthusiast from all across the world. But, just before few decades the village was very much defamed as poachers’ village. Poaching of birds was rampant, one of the major sources of livelihood for the villagers along with large scale fishing and agriculture. ... read more

"Jagannatha Swami Nayana Patha Gami Bhabatu mey" "Odishan"culture is very well known as "Jagannath Culture".Our deity is "Lord Jagannath".Apart from Jagannath Mandir at Puri unlikely at Balasore one new Jagannath Temple has been built by Emami Paper Mill at Remuna in Balasore district of Odisha . Balasore is a city of Odisha on the east coast on the Bay of Bengal.It is well connected by rail and road from Kolkata and Bhubaneswar the capital of Odisha.It is only 240 km away from Kolkata by road and 200 km away from Bhubaneswar . The Architecture as well as illumination during night time is matter of pride for people of Balasore and the Tourists rush to this Temple to have a night view . Many tourist from all over Odisha and adjoining states like West Bengal and Bihar ... read more

Ci risiamo! Le ondate di freddo che puntualmente spazzano la pianura del Gange costringono anche questa volta il Mercante ad una precipitosa ritirata verso zone dal clima piu' favorevole, dove poter recuperare le forze perdute causa epidemie varie e preparare la strategia per un futuro contrattacco al Nord del paese. E dove scappare se ci si ritrova impantanati nel profondo Uttar Pradesh? La soluzione piu' semplice e' quella di piantare a terra un paletto di legno e con una corda misurare il raggio piu' breve da qui alla prima spiaggia che si incontra; fatto su una mappa in scala ridotta non dovrebbe comportare troppe fatiche. La risposta al nostro interrogativo si trova ancora una volta nella santissima e benedetta citta' di Puri, in Orissa. Qui, tra una giornata di ozio e l'altra, ritrovero' appieno le mie ... read more

Before leaving Rajahmundry this morning at Mani insistence, I visited the river front where a festival was underway and large numbers of people were being fed out of large steel pots, looking happy despite the morning heat and noise. I had to keep moving otherwise I would be surrounded by camera toting people trying to photograph me. The next destination was an old temple out in a rice field near the town Pithapurum the people here were also celebrating festival which was most colourful. The people here mainly speak Telegu which Mani does not do asking directions from locals was difficult so we failed to find the temple. We continued the journey north to Visakhapatnam or Visag for short, this city by Andra Pradesh standards is clean and pleasant. About 40 kilometers before arrival we stopped ... read more

I had braced myself for my return to India and the being reunited with my beloved Gladys the wonder bike (Royal Enfield). When I left in January 2012, she was singing sweetly. I knew that 18 months was a long time to not have her in my care, and that there was risk involved with her not having the daily attention she was accustomed to. My friend Prabhu had done his best to keep up with the responsibility, and in the end we had agreed to lend her out to a few people just so she would get a regular run. Perhaps one of the choices that eventuated was not as prudent as we might have thought.... Gladys was not a happy trooper.... she sounded bad, was misfiring, her self pinion was broken for one thing ... read more