BEACHES

Balighai Beach:- The casuarina fringed Balighai beach, located 58 km from Bhubaneswar is a famous picnic spot. The juxtaposition of gentle casuarina-lined river with crashing, desolate ocean coast is a strange and extremely beautiful one. One may also catch a glimpse of the shy Baliharina a kind of deer who inhabit the area. The Sea Turtle Research Centre is another attraction of this beach.
Beleswar Beach:-Site of a Shaivite shrine, Beleswar, located 65 km from Bhubaneswar has an interesting beach where several fun filled hours can be spent
Chandrabhaga Beach:-Close to the famous Sun Temple of Konark, is a lovely and quiet beach - Chandrabhaga.Located 70 km from Bhubaneswar The beach, known for its beauty and solitude, has long served as a counterfoil to the exquisite and intricate sculptures on the Sun Temple, where visitors would let the simple lines of the sea wash away all their worries and refresh them.

Puri Beach:-For centuries now, the beach at Puri has been the venue of countless pilgrims taking the traditional purification dip for Puri is the abode of Lord Jagannath and considered one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage destination. However, for decades now, both Indian and foreign beach lovers have made it their special haunt.
The fine white sands of Puri beach and the roar of the breakers rolling in from the Bay of Bengal have fascinated visitors throughout the ages. As it is with all the beaches of Orissa, overcrowding is never a problem and the sight of holiday-makers having entire stretches of the beach to themselves is not uncommon.
The local fishermen, with their catamarans and wide brimmed cane hats are welcomed by tourists for they not only provide you with a ride on their boats but also act as lifeguards if you wish. And yes,they are also expert masseurs. With excellent beach facing hotels and guest houseS.Located 52 kms from Bhubaneswar

Ramchandi Beach:-On the confluence of the river Kusabhadra and the Bay of Bengal, Ramchandi is a beautiful beach. Goddess Ramchandi, the presiding deity of the Konark region is worshipped here with reverence. Situated 75 km from Bhubaneswar, Ramchandi is an ideal place to spend a couple of fun-filled hours.
Baliharachandi Beach:- Though Baliharachandi, located 80 km from Bhubaneswar, is known for the shrine of Goddess Harachandi, the lonely beach with its meandering sand dunes can be quite enchanting.

TEMPLES

Mukteswar Temple(950 AD):- Often referred to as the “Gem of Orissan Architecture” this temple has been built on the lines of the kalinga school of temple architecture . this temple too is a deviation in that the architects have blended old and new techniques of planning and execution. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva Mukteswara , is carved with figures of ascetics in various poses of meditation and scenes from the store house of Indian fables, the ‘Panchatantra’.A dip in a sacred well to the east of the temple is supposedly a cure for infertility.

Rajarani Temple(1050 AD):-The Rajarani temple stands alone in a green field .Its one of the latest of the Bhuabneswar temples and is particularly finely sited. Its an essay in grace and poise and is particularly interesting in that it has no presiding deity. The name of this temple is supposed to be derived from the red gold sand stone used – Rajarani b eing the local name for the stone

Lingaraj Temple (11^TH CENTURY AD):-The great temple of bhubaneswar is off limits to all non-Hindus.close to the wall,on the northern side, is a viewing platform,originally erected for Lord Curzon during the days of the Raj.The temple is dedicated to Tribhuvaneswar or ‘Lord of the three worlds’,also known as Bhubaneswar . the temple is dedicated to Lord Siva the ‘Lingam’ here is unique in that it is a ‘hari hara’ lingam-half Siva and half Vishnu. there are 150 shrines within the immense Lingaraja complex ,many of them extremely interesting in their own right

Dhauli:-Just 8 km away from Bhubaneswar looking down on the plains that bore witness to the gruesome war waged on kalinga by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, stand the rock edicts of Dhauli. It was here that king Ashoka; full of remorse renounced his blood thirsty campaign and turned to Buddhism. The edicts are a living testimony to the king’s change to heart. He urges his administrators to rule the land with justice and compassion. The edicts are so remarkable that they have been excellently preserved, despite the fact that they date back to the 3^rd century BC. The rock edicts are topped by a sculpted elephant, the universal symbol of Lord Buddha. The Shanti Stupa or the peace pagoda, built through the Indo-Japanese collaboration, is located on the opposite hill

SANCTUARIES:-

Nandan Kanan means '"garden of pleasure", and this combination of zoo, botanical garden and sanctuary 20 km from Bhubaneswar, in the splendid environs of the Chandaka Forest, along the rippling waters of the lake.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS:-

Orissa State Museum in the city has a rich collection of sculptures, coins,copper plates, stone inscriptions,lithic and bronze-age tools, rare palm leaf manuscripts and traditional folk and musical instruments
Tribal Research Institute's Museum,

Regioanl Research Scince Centre

Pathani Samant Planetarium

BDA Nicco Park