Bengal and Orissa
Departing from Calcutta, this original itinerary takes you to eastern India, to the heart of Bengal and Orissa, off the beaten track. You can relax in the small town of Puri, enjoy a boat trip on Lake Chilika, visit the sublime temples of Bhubaneshwar and Konarak and finally go and meet the tribes of Orissa where the markets are the occasion for many exchanges.
Day 1: CALCUTTA
Welcome to Calcutta. Check-in at your hotel and then explore the city: the white marble Victoria Memorial, a monument representative of the British era, Dalhousie Square with its proud buildings, Saint John’s Church, the flower market, the famous Howrah Bridge.
Day 2: CALCUTTA
Visit the Archaeological Museum, which houses the most important collection of art and archaeology in the country. Discovery of the Kali temple, the mission of Mother Teresa and the Nirmal Hriday, a surprisingly small and world-famous home. Visit the Christian cemetery of Park Street, then splendid Jain temples. Finally, to conclude this day, visit the house-museum of Rabindranath Tagore, the greatest Indian poet of the modern era (1861-1941).
Day 3: CALCUTTA / BUBANESHWAR
Departure by train for Bhubaneshwar, capital of Odisha. Arrival early in the afternoon, in this city, quite quiet and green, where modern buildings and extraordinary ancient temples rub shoulders … it was nicknamed “the city of 500 temples”. Visit of the very beautiful tribal museum which gives an idea of the diversity of the ethnic groups of Odisha. Visit of the sculpted caves of Udayagiri, near Bhubaneshwar.
Day 4: BUBANESHWAR / DHAULI / PURI
Discovery of the sacred basin of Bindu Sagar dating from the 8th century, located near the main temples in the old town of Bubaneshwar. Then visit the most notable temples among the dozens of medieval Hindu temples in the city of Bhubaneshwar. You can admire the pure forms of the Lingaraj temple, the quintessence of Kalinga architecture. It is the largest temple dedicated to Shiva and the jewel of the temples of Bhubaneshwar. Direction Puri with a stop en route to Dhauli to observe a magnificent monolithic elephant, on which Ashoka had his edicts engraved around 260 BC and converted to Buddhism after the bloody conquest of ancient Kalinga. Then discovery of the “temple of Peace”, the Shanti Stupa, whose high hemispherical dome can be seen from afar from the plain. Arrival in Puri.
Day 5: PURI / KONARAK / JAGANNATH / PURI
After a stop in a fishing village, go back up along the shore of the Bay of Bengal towards the temple of Konarak. The sanctuary represents a gigantic solar chariot, which seems to have run aground on the sand dunes. Return to Puri where the atmosphere is quite astonishing, mixing religious life, around the large Jagannath Mandir temple, and seaside life along the Marine Drive and the long beach. Passage by the Swargadwar beach, linked to many myths: a Hindu making his last In the temple of Jagannath, where the holy of holies houses statues sculpted, originally, by Vishnu himself, the secret of the cult is jealously preserved and non-Hindus cannot enter. The Brahmins of the temple dared to refuse access to Indira Gandhi herself. We will discover it from the outside, then we will soak up the atmosphere of this high place of tantrism by strolling on the market along the route taken by the chariots carrying the divine statues during the summer procession, when pilgrims converge by the hundreds of thousands.
Day 6: PURI / CHILIKA LAKE / GOPALPUR
It is time to stroll in the lush countryside of Orissa, where, among the palm trees, rice ripens three times a year. From village to village, discovery of a rural world rich in traditions and beliefs deeply rooted in everyday life. Stop in the village of Pipli, known for its brightly colored fabrics. Discovery of a village of Orissa painters: families paint their houses in an elegant way, typical of Orissa traditions passed down through the generations. You will have the pleasure at the end of your stay, to attend a performance of Odissi dances. Arrival at Chilika Lake, the largest lagoon in Asia, home to hundreds of thousands of migratory birds from Central Asia as well as Mongolia, Southeast Asia and Siberia. Boat trip of about 2 hours in this paradise for ornithologists and nature lovers. Then discovery of the eco village of Manglajodi. Continuation to the small seaside town of Goaplpur whose old town bears witness to its glorious maritime past. The coastline is magnificent with its vast deserted beaches fringed with coconut trees and bordered by sand dunes.
Day 7: GOPALPUR / BERHAMPUR / TAPTAPANI / RAYAGADA
Drive to Rayagada with a visit to a weavers’ village in Berhampur en route, which makes silk fabrics and a stop at Taptapani, famous for its hot springs with supposed healing properties. Further on, you pass through small hamlets of the Austro-Asiatic Saora tribe, renowned for their artistic sense. Their religious culture is similar to shamanism. They practice slash-and-burn agriculture in the forest environment and cultivate many varieties of cereals on terraces. Dance and music practices occupy an important part of their artistic and cultural universe. The Saora are polygamous and the home revolves around the woman who is ardent at work and who does not hesitate to work in the fields alongside her husband while taking on domestic chores.
Day 8: RAYAGADA / CHATIKONA / JEYPORE
Rayagada is a region of meadows, forests, waterfalls and terraced valleys, densely inhabited by colorful ethnic and tribal groups. The scenic beauty and heritage of the land is an unexplored paradise. Visit the markets locally called ‘haat’. Meet the Kondh tribal community who were once famous for their human sacrifice. Explore their lifestyle and the various handicraft villages. Visit the weekly market (Wednesday only) of Kondha Dongriya at Chatikona. The Dongariya Kondhas are one of the ethnic tribal groups native to Orissa who have preserved their culture and tradition to this day. Visit the village of Minapai, which specializes in bamboo handicrafts, which produces basketry (baskets, baskets etc.). Continue to Jeypore.
Day 9: JEYPORE / ONUKUDELLI / JEYPORE
Visit the weekly Bonda market in Onkudelli which takes place every Thursday. The women, lightly dressed in accordance with their religious traditions, wear pearl necklaces and copper jewelry. Their heads are shaved and they wear palm leaf headdresses and colorful nets. The Bonda practice bartering and hunting. Then visit another ethnic group of the Gadabbas tribe. Men and women tie their long hair with linseed oil and decorate it with forest flowers and various ornaments. On the way, stop in a village of the Paraja tribe whose features are very different from other aboriginal groups in India. Their social structures are quite rigid and their tradition prohibits any proximity with other communities including the Brahmin caste.
Day 10: JEYPORE / NUAGAON / KOTAPAD / JAGDALPUR
Visit the Nuagaon market and the Kotapad village. This small tribal village in Orissa is dedicated to the production of superb geometric patterned weavings. Drive to Jagdalpur and visit the anthropological museum.
Day 11: JAGDALPUR / MARDOOM / JAGDALPUR
Visit the Murias market of Mardoom (Saturday). The inhabitants of Mardoom and its surroundings, depend mainly on forest products and agriculture as their main source of income. Then discover the impressive Chitrakoot waterfalls on the Indravati River, particularly spectacular after the summer monsoon. The waters of the river make a dizzying fall of 29m. Continue to Jagdalpur. Visit a Gond Muria village where we will attend the dance of the buffalo horn, originally a hunting ritual mainly performed by the Maria often considered by other communities as the most primitive tribal group of the Bastar district.
Day 12: JAGDALPUR / KONDAGAON / NARAYANPUR / KANKER
Drive to Kanker. Visit Kongadaon to a craft center specializing in wood and lost wax casting, a technique that allows them to make bronze idols. Also visit the village of Kadai Chipta famous for its wrought iron crafts.
Day 13: KANKER / RAIPUR
Visit the Kanker Palace, belonging to the family of the last Maharajah. Road to Raipur. On the way, stop at Rajim to discover delicately decorated Vishnuite sanctuaries and a very beautiful statue of Buddha.
Day 14: RAIPUR / DELHI
Transfer to Raipur airport in the early morning. Flight to Delhi in the morning.
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