10-Day Odisha Tribes and Temples Tour from Delhi to Visakhapatnam

• Arrive at the airport in Delhi, meet our staff representative, and transfer to the hotel.

Overnight.

• Transfer to the airport and board your flight to Bhubaneswar.
• On arrival, receive assistance and transfer to the hotel.
• Later, tour the capital city of Odisha, once the capital of the Kalinga Empire. Visit some of the medieval temples among the 500 temples around the sacred Bindu Sagar Lake. Pass by the Lingaraja Temple, which can only be visited externally. It stands 54 metres high, is dedicated to Tribhuvaneswar, the Lord of the Three Worlds, and is surrounded by more than 50 temples and minor shrines.
• Visit the Mukteswar Temple, which dates back to the 10th century and features refined and elaborate decorations that reflect a mixture of Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu styles.
• Explore the Parsurameswar Temple, dedicated to Shiva and built in the 7th century.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a visit to the city of Bhubaneswar.
• Explore the Rajarani Temple, striking for the elegance of its sculptures and its series of nymphs of amazing sensuality.
• Head to the Hindu and Jain caves of Khandagiri and Udaigiri, located about 5 km from Bhubaneswar.
• Visit the Tribal Museum, which showcases the culture and traditions of the tribes of Orissa.

Dinner and overnight.

• Drive to Puri, one of the four important pilgrimage centres for Hindus, also known for the Rath Yatra Festival.
• Along the way, stop at Konark to visit the famous Sun Temple, a wonder of Hindu religious art.
• Arrive in Puri and go for a walking tour around the famous Shri Jagannath Temple, the Lord of the World, built in the 12th century and boasting a 65-metre-high tower. Only Hindus can visit the temple from inside.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• After breakfast, drive to Gopalpur. En route, stop at the fisherman's village of Mangalajodi, located on Chilika Lake and known to birdwatchers. This is one of India's most fascinating landscapes, including land, sea, lagoons, canals, and lakes, where peasant-fishermen live on plots of land and water.
• Continue southwest through rural landscapes and traditional Hindu villages along Chilika Lake, an extensive lagoon coast of India separated from the Bay of Bengal by a 60 km long strip of sand.
• Arrive in Gopalpur, where you can enjoy the sunset on the beach.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• After breakfast, depart for Baliguda. The tribal area of Orissa starts here, and you may see the Malliah Kondh tribes.
• In the afternoon, go on an excursion to the Malliah Kondh villages. These tribes are famous for the tattooed-faced women, whose drawings represent the snout of the tiger.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• After breakfast, visit other nearby villages of the Malliah Kondh.
• Continue to Bisamkatak to visit villages inhabited by the Desia Kondh tribes. They used to make human sacrifices a few years ago, but now the ritual has been replaced by animal sacrifices on special occasions only.
• Continue to Rayagada for dinner and overnight.

• Breakfast and drive to Chatti Kona. The route is full of landscapes and natural views. Reach the market of Chatti Kona, held on Wednesday only, and witness the ladies and gents of the Dongariya Kondh tribe.
• In the afternoon, continue to Semiliguda, the commercial centre of Koraput. Arrival in Semiliguda.

Dinner and overnight.

Please note: Chattikona Market is held only on Wednesday.

• Spend the day on an excursion to the weekly tribal market of Onukudelli. See and admire the Bonda and Gadhaba women in their traditional costumes. They belong to Tibetan-Burmese origin. The Bondas, also known as the 'Pygmies of Orissa', are among the most primitive and warlike tribes, keeping their customs and traditions intact. The Gadaba are among the oldest tribes of Odisha.

Dinner and overnight in Semiliguda.

Please note: Onukudelli Market is held only on Thursday.

• Breakfast at the hotel and drive to Visakhapatnam. En route, stop at the Kundali tribal market, the meeting point of all ethnic groups and the main tribal market of Orissa.
• Arrive in Visakhapatnam and transfer to the airport. Board the flight to Delhi.
• Arrive in Delhi and transfer to the international airport.

Please note: Kundali Market is held only on Friday.