Pipili or Pipli is a town and a NAC under jurisdiction of Puri district in the Indian state of Odisha. It is famous for appliqué work locally known as Chandua which is considered as the traditional art form of Orissa.The village of Pipli was set up for accommodating the craftsmen of Orissa. Initially, the craftsmen only made banners, umbrellas and canopies for the festive occasions, but with the popularity of the art, the artisans started making many items of utility. Pipli is a town of artisans famous for their colorful fabrics. The applique work of Pipili is probably most well-known handicraft in Puri and surrounding areas.The craft involves embroidering and stitching of small pieces of colored cloth with flowers, animals, village scene and traditional designs on to a larger base cloth. The cloth used for patch as well as base is cotton with different color combinations. The usual appliqué patchwork items are Garden Umbrellas, Wallets, Wall Hanging, lampshades, Pouches & Bags.

he lake is studded with small islands including the most charming Honeymoon Island and the Breakfast Island. Spreads across 1,100 sq. km, the pear shaped lake extends from Bhusandpur in Puri district in the North to Rambha-Malud in Ganjam district in the South, separated from the Bay of Bengal by a 60 km long narrow strip of marshy islands and sand-flats. The lake is an ecosystem with large fishery resources. It sustains more than 150,000 fisher-folk living in 132 villages on the shore and islands. In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.The lake also acts as one of the most supportive ecosystems in the name of Chilika Lake Sanctuary. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent. Birds from Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea and other remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and southeast Asia, Ladakh and Himalayas come here. White bellied sea eagles, graylag geese, purple moorhen, jacana, 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.

Being richly famous for the presence of aquatic wildlife, Chilika Lake sanctuary also houses Irrawaddy dolphins which are different from the other dolphins as their color and dorsal fin being less prominent. Apart from the avi-faunal species, the region also highlights varied wild animals such as blackbuck, golden jackals, spotted deer and hyenas. Chilika Lake Sanctuary is favorably known for its dynamic sunrise and sunset views. One of the most famous tourist attractions near Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary is Kalijai Temple, devoted to Goddess Kalijai. Makar Sankranti is celebrated with great pomp and cheer at the temple that attracts numerous travelers & devotees.Chilika Lake is the most popular destination for eco-tourism in Orissa. Apart from having the presence of exotic wildlife in the area, the lake and its vicinity holds rich floral system with abundance of aquatic as well as non-aquatic plants. The recent environmental survey revealed the presence of more than 710 species of plants in and around the Chilika Lake. Such a huge variety of flora and fauna including numerous rare and endangered species of all forms has been the main reason for considering Chilika Lake as Ramsar site.

Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves have derived their names, owing to their location on two hills, Udayagiri and Khandagiri. Mentioned as Kumari & Kumara Parvatas in Hathi Gumpha inscription, the two caves face each other across the road. These two hills represent one of the earliest groups of Jaina rock-cut architecture in eastern India in the field of architecture, art and religion. The caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri, called Lena in the inscriptions, were dug out mostly during the reign of Kharavela for the abode of Jaina monks during 1st century BC. These caves were first brought to the notice by A. Stirling in 1825 AD.There are total 33 rock-cut caves on both the hills out of which 18 caves are excavated on Udayagiri hill while 15 are on the Khandagiri hill. The name Udayagiri means Hill of Sunrise. The Rani Gumpha or the Queen’s Cave is the largest and the architectural marvel of the entire complex. It is a two storied monastery supported by many columns and terraces. The cave contains beautiful sculptures of dancing women, royal entourage, and musical instruments. In Udayagiri, Hathi Gumpha (Cave 14) and Ganesha Gumpha (Cave 10) are especially well known due to their sculptures and reliefs as well as due to their historical importance. Hathi Gumpha contains carved chronicles of King Kharavela’s reign – the famous Hathi Gumpha inscription.Of the 15 Caves in Khandagiri, Ananta Gumpha (Cave 3) is the most impressive one. The cave is named after carvings of two serpents on the entrance. The carvings on the walls of the cave depict figures of women and children, athletes, lions, bulls and many other animals. The Navamuni Gumpha (Cave 7) carries sculptures depicting 9 Jain Tirthankaras while the Barabhuji Gumpha has two relief images of twelve armed Sasana Devis. There are few Tirthankara sculptures also found in this cave. Khandagiri offers a fine view of Bhubaneswar from its summit

the ISKCON, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in 1991, this temple serves as an alternative to Lord Jagannath Temple of Puri as that temple is restricted to Indians. It houses Lord Krishna, Balarama, Gaura Nithai, Subhadra and Jagannatha. Focused on propagating and educating spiritual knowledge, techniques of spiritual life to society at large, the temple follows the great scriptures of India, Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.Built with white stone, the temple looks like a half open lotus or a blooming lotus. Showcasing the ideology of the ISKCON movement, the temple organises kirtans, bhajans and pooja on a regular basis. The temple also promotes the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy name of God. Different Vaishnav festivals are carried out on regular basis at the temple.

Konark Sun Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated in the heart of Konark town in Orissa state. Renowned all over the world for its architecture, Konark Sun Temple is among the prime places to visit in Konark and is often used in promoting Konark Tourism.Dedicated to Sun God, Konark Sun Temple was built by King Narasimhadeva I of Eastern Ganga dynasty in the 13th century CE to commemorate his victory over Muslims invaders. European sailors used this temple tower for navigation, but dubbed it the Black Pagoda for the frequent shipwrecks that occurred along the coast. This temple is one of the grandest temples of India and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. Konark was sacked by the Muslim Yavana army in the 15th century. The central statue enshrined in the temple was smuggled away to Puri by priests, but the Sun Temple was badly damaged in the attack. In the late 19th century, the remnants of this temple were excavated.The temple reflects the grandeur of the traditional style of Kalinga Architecture. The temple is originally said to be built at the mouth of river Chandrabhaga but the waterline receded since then. Built from Khondalite rocks, the temple is designed in the shape of a chariot that is pulled by seven horses on 24 wheels, carrying the sun god to the heavens. It is carefully oriented towards the east so that the first rays of sunrise strikes the principal entrance. A major part of the structure is now lie in ruins, however, the temple is still amongst the fine specimens of architecture in India.The main entrance of the temple is on the eastern side. The original temple had a main sanctum sanctorum but, due to the weight of the heavy structure and weak soil of the area it fell in 1837. The audience hall still stands and is the prime structure in the surviving ruins. The temple also comprises a ‘Nat Mandapa’ or Dancing Hall that is profound in its carvings.On the entrance, one can see two huge lions that appear to be guarding the temple. There is a flight of steps to reach the main shrine. Inside the temple, walls imprinted with intricate carvings, sculptures and bas-reliefs. The main sanctum represents the regal stride of the Lord Surya. The beautiful image is carved of high-quality green chlorite. Two smaller ruined temples – Vaishnava Temple and the Mayadevi Temple have been discovered nearby.The temple walls are carved with exquisite stone sculptures include deities, animals, floral patterns, sensuous women, mythical beasts and aquatic monsters. The 24 giant wheels are beautifully carved and each of the eight spokes bears a medallion containing figurative carvings. Friezes above and below the wheels depict military processions and hunting scenes, with thousands of rampaging elephant