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Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the
Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions. History Pre-indepen ...
of
Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango trees (''ekamra'')). Bhubaneswar is dubbed the "Temple City", a
nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
earned because of the 700
temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
s which once stood there. In contemporary times, it has emerged as an education hub and an attractive business destination. Although the modern city of Bhubaneswar was formally established in 1948, the history of the areas in and around the present-day city can be traced to the 7th century BCE and earlier. It is a confluence of Hindu,
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
and
Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
heritage and includes several Kalingan temples, many of them from 6th–13th century CE. With
Puri Puri () is a coastal city and a municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is also known as '' ...
and
Konark Konark is a medium town in the Puri district in the state of Odisha, India. It lies on the coast by the Bay of Bengal, 65 kilometres from the capital of the state, Bhubaneswar. It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple, also known as t ...
it forms the 'Swarna Tribhuja' ("Golden Triangle"), one of Eastern India's most visited destinations. Ramesh Prasad Mohapatra, ''Archaeology in Orissa'', Vol I, Page 47, B. R. Publishing Corporation, Delhi, 1986, Bhubaneswar replaced
Cuttack Cuttack (, or officially Kataka ) in Odia is the former capital and the second largest city in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' which literally ...
as the capital on 19 August 1949, two years after
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
gained its
independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
from Britain. The modern city was designed by the German architect
Otto Königsberger Otto H. Königsberger (13 October 1908 – 3 January 1999) was a German architect who worked mainly in urban development planning in Africa, Asia and Latin America, with the United Nations. Early life Königsberger was born in Berlin in 1908 ...
in 1946. Along with Jamshedpur and
Chandigarh Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which a ...
, it was one of modern India's first planned cities.BBSR Metropolitan/City Population section of Bhubaneswar and
Cuttack Cuttack (, or officially Kataka ) in Odia is the former capital and the second largest city in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' which literally ...
are often referred to as the 'twin cities of Odisha'. The metropolitan area formed by the two cities had a population of 1.7 million in 2011. The Bhubaneswar metro area has a population of around a million people, and is categorised as a Tier-2 city. Bhubaneswar and Rourkela are the two cities in smart city mission from Odisha.


Etymology

''Bhubaneswar'' is the anglicisation of the Odia name "Bhubaneśwara"(ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର), derived from the word ''Tribhubaneśwar'' (ତ୍ରିଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର), which literally means the Lord (Iśwar) of the Three Worlds (Tribhuban), which refers to
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
.


History

Bhubaneswar stands near the ruins of
Sisupalgarh Sisupalgarh or Sisupalagada is situated in Khurda District in Odisha, India and houses ruined fortifications. It used to be the capital of ancient Kalinga. It is identified with Kalinganagara of Kharavela and Tosali of Ashoka. It is one of ...
, the ancient capital of the erstwhile province of Kalinga. Dhauli, near Bhubaneswar was the site of the Kalinga War (-261 BCE), in which the
Mauryan The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...
emperor
Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
invaded and annexed
Kalinga Kalinga may refer to: Geography, linguistics and/or ethnology * Kalinga (historical region), a historical region of India ** Kalinga (Mahabharata), an apocryphal kingdom mentioned in classical Indian literature ** Kalinga script, an ancient writ ...
. One of the most complete
edicts An edict is a decree or announcement of a law, often associated with monarchism, but it can be under any official authority. Synonyms include "dictum" and "pronouncement". ''Edict'' derives from the Latin edictum. Notable edicts * Telepinu Pro ...
of the
Mauryan The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...
Emperor,
Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
, dating from between 272 and 236 BCE, remains carved in rock, to the southwest of the modern city. After the decline of the Mauryan empire, the area came under the rule of
Mahameghavahana dynasty The Mahameghavahana dynasty (, 2nd or 1st century BC to early 4th century CE) was an ancient ruling dynasty of Kalinga after the decline of the Maurya Empire. In the first century B.C., Mahameghavahana, a king of Chedirastra (or Cetarattha, i. ...
, whose most well-known ruler is
Kharavela Kharavela (also transliterated Khārabēḷa) was a monarch of Kalinga in present-day Odisha, India, who ruled during the second or first century BCE. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is ...
. His
Hathigumpha inscription The Hathigumpha Inscription is a seventeen line inscription in Prakrit language incised in Brahmi script in a cavern called Hathigumpha in Udayagiri hills, near Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. Dated between 2nd-century BCE and 1st-century CE, it ...
is located at the
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves, formerly called Kattaka Caves or Cuttack caves, are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance near the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. The caves are ...
near Bhubaneswar. The area was subsequently ruled by several dynasties, including
Satavahana The Satavahanas (''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty based in the Deccan region. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavahana rule began in the la ...
s, Guptas, Matharas, and Shailodbhavas. In the 7th century, Somavamshi or Keshari dynasty established their kingdom in the area, and constructed a number of temples. After the Kesharis, the Eastern Gangas ruled Kalinga area until the 14th century CE. Their capital Kalinganagara was located in present-day Bhubaneswar City. After them, Mukunda Deva of the Bhoi dynasty – the last Hindu ruler of the area until the Marathas – developed several religious buildings in the area. Most of the older temples in Bhubaneswar were built between 8th and 12th centuries, under
Shaiva Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...
influence. The
Ananta Vasudeva Temple Ananta Vasudeva Temple ("Temple of the Infinite Vāsudeva", Odia:ଅନନ୍ତ ବାସୁଦେବ ମନ୍ଦିର) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Krishna, an ''avatar'' of Vishnu located in Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Odisha, Ind ...
is the only old temple of
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
in the city. In 1568, the
Karrani dynasty The Karrani dynasty ( ps, کرلاڼي, Karlāṇī, bn, কররাণী, Korrāṇī) was founded in 1564 by Taj Khan Karrani, an ethnic Pashtun from the Karlani tribe, hailing from Bangash district. It was the last dynasty to rule the Sultan ...
of Afghan origin gained control of the area. During their reign, most of the temples and other structures were destroyed or disfigured. In the 16th century, the area came under pachamani Mughal control. The
Marathas The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
, who succeeded the Mughals in the mid-18th century, encouraged pilgrimage in the region. In 1803, the area came under
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
colonial rule, and was part of the
Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...
(until 1912),
Bihar and Orissa Province Bihar and Orissa was a province of British India, which included the present-day Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha. The territories were conquered by the British in the 18th and 19th centuries, and were governed by the then Indian C ...
(1912-1936) and
Orissa Province Orissa Province was a province of British India created in April 1936 by the partitioning of the Bihar and Orissa Province. Its territory corresponds with the modern-day State of Odisha. On 22 March 1912, both Bihar and Orissa divisions were ...
(1936-1947). The capital of the British-ruled Orissa Province was
Cuttack Cuttack (, or officially Kataka ) in Odia is the former capital and the second largest city in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' which literally ...
, which was vulnerabile to floods and suffered from space constraints. Because of this, on 30 September 1946, a proposal to move the capital to a new capital was introduced in the Legislative Assembly of the Odisha Province. After independence of India, the foundation of the new capital was laid by Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
on 13 April 1948. The name of the new capital came from "Tribhubaneswara" or "Bhubaneswara" (literally "Lord of the Earth"), a name of
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
, the deity of the Lingaraja temple. The Legislative Assembly of
Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
was shifted from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar in 1949. Bhubaneswar was built as a modern city, designed by German architect
Otto Königsberger Otto H. Königsberger (13 October 1908 – 3 January 1999) was a German architect who worked mainly in urban development planning in Africa, Asia and Latin America, with the United Nations. Early life Königsberger was born in Berlin in 1908 ...
with wide roads, gardens and parks. Though part of the city followed the plan, it grew rapidly over the next few decades, outstripping the planning process. According to the first census of independent India, taken in 1951, the city's population was just 16,512. From 1952 to 1979, it was administered by a
Notified Area Council A nagar panchayat (town panchayat; ) or Notified Area Council (NAC) in India is a settlement in transition from rural to urban and therefore a form of an urban political unit comparable to a municipality. An urban centre with more than 12,000 ...
or a ''nagar panchayat''; a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
was established only on 12 March 1979. By the 1991 census, the population of Bhubaneswar had increased to 411,542. Accordingly, on 14 August 1994, the
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation or BMC is the local urban governing body of the city of Bhubaneswar in the Indian state of Odisha. The municipal corporation consists of democratically elected members, is headed by a mayor and administers the ...
was established.


Geography

Bhubaneswar is in Khordha district of
Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
. It is in the
eastern coastal plains The Eastern Coastal Plains is a wide stretch of landmass of India, lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. It is wider and leveled than the Western Coastal Plains and stretches from Tamil Nadu in the south to West Bengal in the n ...
, along the axis of the
Eastern Ghats The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats pass through Odisha, Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka as well as Telangana. They are eroded and cut ...
mountains. The city has an average altitude of above sea level. It lies southwest of the
Mahanadi River The Mahanadi is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and finally merged with Bay ...
that forms the northern boundary of Bhubaneswar metropolitan area, within its
delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also ...
. The city is bounded by the Daya River to the south and the
Kuakhai River Kuakhai River is a distributary of Mahanadi River which flows by Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Mahanadi River branches off at Naraj, Cuttack as Kathajodi River, then immediately it is bifurcated, with its southern branch flowing as Kuakhai River. The Kush ...
to the east; the Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary and Nandankanan Zoo lie in the western and northern parts of Bhubaneswar, respectively. Bhubaneswar is topographically divided into western uplands and eastern lowlands, with hillocks in the western and northern parts. Kanjia lake on the northern outskirts, affords rich
biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
and is a
wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...
of national importance. Bhubaneswar's soils are 65 per cent laterite, 25 per cent
alluvial Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. All ...
and 10 per cent
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
. The
Bureau of Indian Standards The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India under Department of Consumer affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standar ...
places the city inside seismic zone III on a scale ranging from in order of increasing susceptibility to earthquakes. The
United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
reports that there is "very high damage risk" from winds and cyclones. The 1999 Odisha cyclone caused major damage to buildings, the city's infrastructure and cost many human lives. Floods and waterlogging in the low-lying areas have become common due to unplanned growth.


Urban structure

The Bhubaneswar urban development area consists of the
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation or BMC is the local urban governing body of the city of Bhubaneswar in the Indian state of Odisha. The municipal corporation consists of democratically elected members, is headed by a mayor and administers the ...
area, 173 revenue villages and two other municipalities spread over . The area under the jurisdiction of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation covers . The city is somewhat
dumbbell The dumbbell, a type of free weight, is a piece of equipment used in weight training. It can be used individually or in pairs, with one in each hand. History The forerunner of the dumbbell, halteres, were used in ancient Greece as lifting ...
-shaped with most of the growth taking place to the north, northeast and southwest. The north–south axis of the city is widest, at roughly . Growth in the east is restricted due to the presence of
Kuakhai River Kuakhai River is a distributary of Mahanadi River which flows by Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Mahanadi River branches off at Naraj, Cuttack as Kathajodi River, then immediately it is bifurcated, with its southern branch flowing as Kuakhai River. The Kush ...
and by the wildlife sanctuary in the northwestern part. The city can be broadly divided into the old town, planned city (or state capital), added areas and outer peripheral areas. It is subdivided into Units and Colonies. The old town or "Temple Town", the oldest part of the city, is characterised by many temples, including the Lingaraja, Nilakantha Siva, Rajarani and Muktesvara temples, standing alongside residential areas. Additional structures include the Somabaresvara Siva Temple and the
Kartikesvara Siva Temple Kartikesvara Siva Temple (Location: Lat. 20° 14’27" N., Long. 85° 50’ 12"E., Elev. 73 ft) is situated at a distance of about 100 m from eastern gateway of Lingaraj temple. It is on the left side of the temple road leading from Lingar ...
. The area is congested, with narrow roads and poor infrastructure. Among neighbourhoods in the old town are Rajarani Colony, Pandaba Nagar, Brahmeswara Bagh, Lingaraja Nagar, Gouri Nagar, Bhimatangi and Kapileswara. The planned city was designed in 1948 to house the capital. It is subdivided into units, each with a high school, shopping centres, dispensaries and play areas. While most of the units house government employees, Unit V houses the administrative buildings, including the State Secretariat, State Assembly and the Raj Bhavan. Private residential areas were later built in other areas of the planned city, including
Saheed Nagar Saheed Nagar WNS or Sahid Nagar is a neighbourhood and major commercial area in Bhubaneswar, Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th large ...
and Satya Nagar. Unit I, popularly known as the Market Building, was formed to cater to the shopping needs of the new capital's residents. Later, markets and commercial establishments developed along the
Janpath Janpath (meaning People's Path, formerly known as Queensway), is one of the main roads in New Delhi. It starts out as Radial Road 1 in Connaught Place, adjacent to Palika Bazaar, and runs north–south perpendicular to, and past Rajpath ...
and
Cuttack-Puri Road National Highway 316 (NH 316) is a National Highway in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most po ...
at
Saheed Nagar Saheed Nagar WNS or Sahid Nagar is a neighbourhood and major commercial area in Bhubaneswar, Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th large ...
, Satya Nagar, Bapuji Nagar and Ashok Nagar. A dedicated institutional area houses educational and research institutes, including Utkal University, the
Institute of Physics The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a UK-based learned society and professional body that works to advance physics education, research and application. It was founded in 1874 and has a worldwide membership of over 20,000. The IOP is the Physic ...
, the
Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) (formerly, Regional Research Laboratory, Bhubaneswar) is an advanced research institute in the field of mineralogy to materials engineering, established in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It was establ ...
and Sainik School. Indira Gandhi Park, Gandhi Park and the Biju Patnaik Park are located in the unit. The added areas are mostly areas lying north of National Highway 5, including Nayapalli, Jayadev Vihar,
Chandrasekharpur Chandrasekharpur is a commercial area in Odisha's capital city, Bhubaneswar. Landmarks * Bhubaneswar Golf Club * Bhubaneswar Driving Test Center * Bhubaneswar Stock Exchange * Software Technology Parks of India Economy Information Technolog ...
and Sailashree Vihar, Niladri vihar which were developed by Bhubaneswar Development Authority to house the growing population. With the development of the new areas such as Chandrasekharpur the city is now divided roughly into North(newer areas) and South Bhubaneswar (older areas) by the NH-5 highway. The peripheral areas are outside the municipal boundary or have subsequently been included within the extended boundary, including Tomando, Patia and Raghunathpur. Most of these areas were developed in a haphazard manner, without proper planning. The Master Planning Branch of the
Bhubaneswar Development Authority Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) is a statutory agency which is responsible for development and beautification of Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is ...
developed the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) in 2010. According to the Odisha Development Authorities Act, 1982, the Development Authority has control over the planning for municipal areas. Apart from the CDP, BDA has also created Zonal Development Plans for some of the areas under the CDP. Bhubaneswar secured the top rank in the
Smart city A smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data. Information gained from that data is used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently; in retur ...
list in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.


Climate

Bhubaneswar has a
tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
, designated ''Aw'' under the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
. The annual mean temperature is ; monthly mean temperatures are . Summers (March to June) are hot and humid, with temperatures in the low 30s C; during dry spells, maximum temperatures often exceed in May and June. Winter lasts for only about ten weeks, with seasonal lows dipping to in December and January. May is the hottest month, when daily temperatures range from . January, the coldest month, has temperatures varying from . Extreme temperatures have ranged from . Rains brought by the
Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line betwee ...
branch of the south west summer monsoon lash Bhubaneswar between June and September, supplying it with most of its annual rainfall of . The highest monthly rainfall total, , occurs in August.


Economy

Bhubaneswar is an administrative, information technology, education and tourism city. Bhubaneswar was ranked as the best place to do business in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
by the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
in 2014. Bhubaneswar has emerged as one of the fast-growing, important trading and commercial hub in the state and eastern India. Tourism is a major industry, attracting about 1.5 million tourists in 2011. Bhubaneswar was designed to be a largely residential city with outlying industrial areas. The economy had few major players until the 1990s and was dominated by retail and small-scale manufacturing. With the
economic liberalisation Economic liberalization (or economic liberalisation) is the lessening of government regulations and restrictions in an economy in exchange for greater participation by private entities. In politics, the doctrine is associated with classical liber ...
policy adopted by the
Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
in the 1990s, Bhubaneswar received investment in
telecommunications Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...
, information technology (IT) and higher education. In 2011, according to a study by
Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India Associated may refer to: *Associated, former name of Avon, Contra Costa County, California * Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto, a school in Canada *Associated Newspapers, former name of DMG Media, a British publishing company See also *Associat ...
, Bhubaneswar had the highest rate of employment growth among 17 Tier-2 cities in India. It has been listed among the top ten emerging cities in India by
Cushman and Wakefield Cushman & Wakefield plc is a global commercial real estate services firm. The company's corporate headquarters is located in Chicago, Illinois. Cushman & Wakefield is among the world's largest commercial real estate services firms, with revenues ...
, taking into consideration factors like demographics, physical, social and real estate infrastructure, current level and scope of economic activities and government support. In 2012, Bhubaneswar was ranked third among Indian cities, in starting and operating a business by the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
. Bhubaneswar has been traditionally home to handicrafts industry, including silver filigree work, appliqué work, stone and wood carvings and patta painting, which significantly contributes to the city's economy. The late 2000s saw a surge of investments in the real estate, infrastructure, retail and hospitality sectors; several shopping malls and organised retails opened outlets in Bhubaneswar. In the
informal sector An informal economy (informal sector or grey economy) is the part of any economy that is neither taxed nor monitored by any form of government. Although the informal sector makes up a significant portion of the economies in developing countrie ...
, 22,000 vendors operate in regulated or unregulated vending zones. As of 2001, around 2.15% of the city's workforce was employed in the
primary sector The primary sector of the economy includes any Industry (economics), industry involved in the extraction and production of raw materials, such as farming, logging, fishing, forestry and mining. The primary sector tends to make up a larger portio ...
(agriculture, forestry, mining, etc.); 2.18% worked in the
secondary sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in constructi ...
(industrial and manufacturing); and 95.67% worked in the
tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
(service industries). The Department of Industries established four industrial areas in and around Bhubaneswar, in the Rasulgarh, Mancheswar, Chandaka, and Bhagabanpur areas. Industrial sector in Bhubaneswar includes paper, steel, automobile, food, pharma and electronics industries. A large number of companies including
Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation The Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation also known as OMFED is a state government cooperative under the ownership of Ministry of Cooperation, Government of Odisha. It is situated at Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Odisha. It is ...
,
Bharat Biotech Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) is an Indian multinational biotechnology company headquartered in the city of Hyderabad, India engaged in the drug discovery, drug development, manufacture of vaccines, bio-therapeutics, pharmace ...
, Topaz Solar,
Britannia Industries Britannia Industries Limited is an Indian company specialised in food industry, part of the Wadia Group headed by Nusli Wadia. Founded in 1892 and headquartered in Kolkata, it is one of India's oldest existing companies and best known for it ...
, SMS Group and Jockey International have there manufacturing plant. In 2009, Odisha was ranked ninth among Indian states in terms of software export by
NASSCOM The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) is an Indian non-governmental trade association and advocacy group, focused mainly on the technology industry of India. Established in 1988, NASSCOM is a non-profit organis ...
, with most IT/ITES companies established in Bhubaneswar. In 2011–12, Odisha had a growth rate of 17% for software exports. According to a 2012 survey, among the tier-2 cities in India, Bhubaneswar has been chosen as the best for conducting IT/ITES business. The government fostered growth by developing of IT parks such as Infocity-1, Infovalley, STPI-Bhubaneswar and JSS STP. Infocity was conceived as a five-star park, under the Export Promotion Industrial Parks (EPIP) Scheme to create infrastructure facilities for setting up information technology related industries.
Infosys Infosys Limited is an Indian multinational information technology company that provides business consulting, information technology and outsourcing services. The company was founded in Pune and is headquartered in Bangalore. Infosys is the s ...
and
Tech Mahindra Tech Mahindra is an Indian multinational information technology services and consulting company. Part of the Mahindra Group, the company is headquartered in Pune and has its registered office in Mumbai. Tech Mahindra is a 6.0 billion company ...
have been present in Bhubaneswar since 1996. Other software companies, firms and Multinational Companies include
Tata Consultancy Services Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an Indian multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company with its headquarters in Mumbai. It is a part of the Tata Group and operates in 150 locations across 46 countries. In July ...
,
Wipro Wipro Limited (formerly, Western India Palm Refined Oils Limited) is an Indian multinational corporation that provides information technology, consulting and business process services. Thierry Delaporte is serving as CEO and managing directo ...
, IBM,
Genpact Genpact is an American professional services firm legally domiciled in Bermuda with its headquarters in New York City, New York. The company currently employs more than 100,000 people and provides services to clients in over 30 countries worldwi ...
,
Firstsource Firstsource Solutions Limited is an Indian business process management company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is owned by RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. Firstsource provides business process management in the banking and financial services, cu ...
,
Mindtree Mindtree Ltd was an Indian multinational information technology services and consulting company, headquartered in Bangalore. It is a part of the Larsen & Toubro Group. Since its foundation in 1999, the company has employed over 38,518 employ ...
, MphasiS,
Ericsson (lit. "Telephone Stock Company of LM Ericsson"), commonly known as Ericsson, is a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm. The company sells infrastructure, software, and services in informa ...
,
Semtech Semtech Corporation is a supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms for consumer, enterprise computing, communications and industrial end-markets. It is based in Camarillo, Ventura County, Southern California. I ...
,
Reliance Communications Reliance Communications Limited (RCOM) was an Indian mobile network provider headquartered in Navi Mumbai that offered voice and 2G and 3G and 4G data services. In February 2019, the company filed for bankruptcy as it was unable to sell asse ...
,
PricewaterhouseCoopers PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounti ...
,
Bharti Airtel Bharti Airtel Limited, commonly known as (d/b/a) Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecommunications services company based in New Delhi. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands. Currently, ...
,
DLF (company) Delhi Land & Finance (DLF Limited) is a commercial real estate developer. It was founded by Chaudhary Raghvendra Singh in 1946 and it is based in New Delhi, India. DLF developed residential colonies in Delhi such as, Model Town, Rajouri Garden ...
,
Capgemini Capgemini SE is a multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company, headquartered in Paris, France. History Capgemini was founded by Serge Kampf in 1967 as an enterprise management and data processing company. The comp ...
and
Deloitte Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of professio ...
. It also houses the headquarters of
POSCO India POSCO India Private Limited (commonly POSCO India or Posco-India) is an Indian subsidiary of Korean conglomerate POSCO. Its parent company POSCO signed a memorandum of understanding in June 2005 with the state government of Odisha to construct a ...
, a subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate
POSCO POSCO (formerly Pohang Iron and Steel Company) is a South Korean steel-making company headquartered in Pohang, South Korea. It had an output of of crude steel in 2015, making it the world's fourth-largest steelmaker by this measure. In 2010, i ...
and Govt. of India owned
National Aluminium Company National Aluminium Company Limited (abbreviated as NALCO; incorporated in 1981) is a government company having integrated and diversified operations in mining, metal and power under the ownership of the Ministry of Mines and Government of India ...
(NALCO). Apart from the big multinationals, some 300 small and mid-size IT companies and business startups have offices in Bhubaneswar.


Demographics


Population

As per the 2011 census of India, Bhubaneswar had a population of 837,737, while the metropolitan area had a population of 881,988. As per the estimate of
IIT Kharagpur Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) is a Public university, public institute of technology established by the Government of India in Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. Established in 1951, the institute is the first of the Indi ...
, which made a development plan, the Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Urban complex, consisting of , has a population of 1.9 million (). , the number of males was 445,233, while the number of females were 392,504. The decadal growth rate was 45.90 per cent.


Literacy

Effective male literacy was 95.69 per cent, while female literacy was 90.26 per cent. About 75,237 were under six. Bhubaneswar's
literacy rate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...
is 93.15 per cent—significantly higher than the national average of 74.04 per cent.


Language

The main language spoken in the city is Odia. However,
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
and
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
are understood by most residents. Although
Odias The Odia (), formerly spelled Oriya, is an Indo-Aryan ethnic group native to the Indian state of Odisha who speak Odia language. They constitute a majority in the eastern coastal state, with significant minority populations in neighboring An ...
comprise the vast majority, migrants from other states like
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
,
Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
,
West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
,
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
and
Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
also dwell in the city. Growth in the information technology industry and education sector in Bhubaneswar changed the city's demographic profile; likely infrastructure strains and haphazard growth from demographic changes have been a cause of concern.


Religion

Bhubaneswar is a very religiously diverse city.
Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
form the majority in the city with more than 95% of the total population, as of 2011 Census of India.
Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
forms the second largest minority with 3.3% and
Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
with 0.92%. There is also a significant minority population of Sikhs, Buddhists and
Jains Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
.


Governance and Politics


Civic Administration

The
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation or BMC is the local urban governing body of the city of Bhubaneswar in the Indian state of Odisha. The municipal corporation consists of democratically elected members, is headed by a mayor and administers the ...
(BMC) oversees and manages civic infrastructure for the city's 67 wards. It started as a Notified Area Committee in 1946 and was upgraded to a municipal corporation in 1994. Orissa Municipal Corporation Act, 2003 is the governing act. Residents of each ward elect a corporator to the BMC for a five-year term. Standing committees handle urban planning and maintain roads, government-aided schools, hospitals and municipal markets. As Bhubaneswar's apex body, the corporation discharges its functions through the mayor-in-council, which comprises a mayor, a deputy mayor and other elected members. The executive wing is headed by a Commissioner. There are 13 administrative departments under BMC: PR & Communication, Disaster Management, Finance, Health & Sanitation, Engineering, Revenue & Tax, Electrical, Environment, Social Welfare, IT and Social Projects, Establishment, Land & Assets, Enforcement & Recovery. The responsibilities of the municipal body include drainage and sewerage, sanitation, solid waste management and street lighting. The tenure of the last elected body ended in January 2019 and new elections have not taken place yet, because the High Court struck down the delimitation process that was carried out for exceeding 50% reservations of seats. Ward committees have been formed in Bhubaneswar and are very active. The Committees are responsible for issues such as public health, sanitation, street lighting and conservancy in their respective wards. There is no fixed number of members in the committees. The processes for the municipal budget 2020-21 was initiated in February 2020, but it is unclear if they have continued after the lockdown was announced. The budget for 2020-21 was supposed to be aroound Rs. 700, an increase of 51.8% from the 2019-20 budget. The increase was supposedly to fund the various socio-economic welfare schemes in the city. The key revenue sources for BMC are: Holding Taxes, tax from advertisements, rent from municipal properties such as markets, shopping complexes, and kalyan mandaps (marriage halls), fees and user charges, and grants from state and central governments.


Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha Constituencies

Citizens of Bhubaneswar elect one representative to India's lower house, the
Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...
, and three representatives to the state legislative assembly, through the constituencies of Bhubaneswar North, Ekamra-Bhubaneswar, and Bhubaneswar Central. The last Lok Sabha election was in 2019, when Aparajita Sarangi from
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
won the seat. The last state assembly election took place in 2019 as well, when all three
Vidhan Sabha The State Legislative Assembly, or Vidhan Sabha, or also Saasana Sabha, is a legislative body in the states and union territories of India. In the 28 states and 3 union territories with a unicameral state legislature, it is the sole legislati ...
seats in Bhubaneswar were won by
Biju Janata Dal The Biju Janata Dal (; BJD) is a regional political party in the Indian state of Odisha founded and led by Naveen Patnaik, the current Chief Minister of Odisha and the son of former Chief Minister of Odisha Biju Patnaik, after whom the party ...
: Susant Kumar Rout from North, Ashok Chandra Panda from Ekamra, and Ananta Narayan Jena from Central.


Judicial and Police Institutions

As the seat of the
Government of Odisha The government of the Indian state of Odisha and its 30 districts consists of an executive, led by the Governor of Odisha, a judiciary, and a legislative branch. Like other states in India, the head of state of Odisha is the Governor, appoi ...
, Bhubaneswar is home to the
Odisha Legislative Assembly The Odisha Legislative Assembly is the unicameral state legislature of Odisha state in India. The seat of the Legislative Assembly is at Bhubaneswar, the capital of the state. The Legislative Assembly comprises 147 Members of Legislative As ...
and the state secretariat. Bhubaneswar has lower courts: the Court of Small Causes and the District Civil Court decide civil matters; the Sessions Court rules in criminal cases. The Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Police Commissionerate, established in 2008, is a city police force with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation in the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack area. Shri S.K. Priyadarshi, IPS is the police commissioner.


Public utilities

Electricity is supplied by the state-operated
Central Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha TP Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL) (earlier Central Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha (CESU)) is responsible for medium voltage power transmission and distribution across 9 districts of Odisha. Originally, the licence to opera ...
.
TATA Power Tata Power Company Limited is an Indian electric utility company based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and is part of the Tata Group. The core business of the company is to generate, transmit and distribute electricity. With an installed electri ...
as a private entity started Power distribution in the city by the end of 2020. Fire services are handled by the state agency
Odisha Fire Service Odisha Fire Service (OFS) is the state owned service that attends firefighting/rescue calls throughout the Indian state of Odisha. It was established in 1944 during World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbrevi ...
. Drinking water is sourced from the Mahanadi, Kuakhai and Daya rivers.
Water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
and sewerage are handled by the
Public Health Engineering Organisation Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO) is a public agency formed in 1956 by the Government of Odisha, under the administrative control of Housing and Urban Development Department assigned with task of providing water supply and sewerage ...
. As of 2015, 35% of the city was covered by piped water connections, 1.4% of the households had metered water connection, and the extent of non-revenue water in the city ran to 62.5%. The Engineering Department of BMC creates and maintains roads. 26.7% of the city is covered by sewage network, while more than 50% of the households are dependent on onsite containment systems, such as septic tanks. There is no
sewage treatment plant Sewage treatment (or domestic wastewater treatment, municipal wastewater treatment) is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge to the surrounding en ...
in Bhubaneswar right now, but one is being built using
JNNURM Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) was a massive city-modernization scheme launched by the Government of India under the Ministry of Urban Development. It envisaged a total investment of over $20 billion over seven years. ...
funds. The waste from the limited sewage network flows untreated into the Daya river. There is one septage treatment plant for fecal sludge with a capacity of 75 KLD. The municipal corporation is responsible for the solid waste management in the city. The average municipal waste generated in the city is 480 kg/m3 for wet waste and 600 kg/m3 for wet waste. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation BMC has introduced door to door collection through battery operated garbage collection vehicle. It is trying to introduce segregation at source by providing two waste bins to every household, one each for dry and wet waste. Landfilling is the most common method of waste disposal in Bhubaneswar. State-owned
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Bharat, or Bharath, may refer to: * Bharat (term), the name for India in various Indian languages ** Bharata Khanda, the Sanskrit name for the Indian subcontinent (or South Asia) * Bharata, the name of several legendary figures or groups: ** Bhar ...
, or BSNL, as well as private enterprises, among them
Reliance Jio Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, doing business as Jio, is an Indian telecommunications company and a subsidiary of Jio Platforms, headquartered in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It operates a national LTE network with coverage across all ...
,
Bharti Airtel Bharti Airtel Limited, commonly known as (d/b/a) Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecommunications services company based in New Delhi. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands. Currently, ...
,
Vodafone Idea Vodafone Idea (or Vi, and/but stylised as ''V!'') is an Indian telecom operator with its headquarters based in Mumbai and Gandhinagar. It is a pan-India integrated GSM operator offering 2G, 3G, 4G, 4G+, VoLTE, and VoWiFi service. As of 31 ...
, are the leading telephone, cell phone and
internet service provider An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise private ...
s in the city.


Education

Bhubaneswar is a centre for higher education in the Eastern Region and is considered the education hub of Eastern India with several government and privately funded Universities and colleges.
IIT Bhubaneswar Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar (IIT Bhubaneswar) is a public technical university established by the government of India in 2008, located at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The institute admits a students for bachelor's, master's progra ...
,
NISER The National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) is an autonomous premier public research institute in Jatani, Odisha, India under the umbrella of Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India. The institute is a constituent ...
Bhubaneswar,
AIIMS Bhubaneswar All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar (AIIMS Bhubaneswar), formerly Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose All India Institute of Medical Sciences, is a medical college and medical research public university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, ...
and NIFT Bhubaneswar are some of the elite institutions of country which are located in the city. Utkal University Bhubaneswar is the oldest university in Odisha and the 17th oldest university in India.


Primary and secondary education

Odia and English are the primary languages of instruction. Schools in Bhubaneswar follow the "10+2+3" plan for Regular Graduates and "10+2+4" plan for Technical studies. Schools in Bhubaneswar are either run by the state government or private organisations. Students typically enroll in schools that are affiliated with any of the following mediums of education. * BSE, Odisha * CHSE, Odisha * CBSE *
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is a privately held national-level board of school education in India that conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Examination for Class X and the Indi ...
* SCTE&VT, Odisha Notable union government schools in the city include *
Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1, Bhubaneswar Kendriya Vidyalaya No.1, Bhubaneswar ( Hindi :-''केन्द्रीय विद्यालय नं 1,भुवनेश्वर'', Odia :- ''କେନ୍ଦ୍ରୀୟ ବିଦ୍ୟାଳୟ -୧,ଭୁବନେଶ୍ବର'') is ...
, *
Sainik School The Sainik Schools are a system of schools in India established and managed by the Sainik Schools Society under Ministry of Defence (MoD). They were conceived in 1961 by V. K. Krishna Menon, the then Defence Minister of India, to rectify the reg ...
, Notable state government schools in the city include *
Badagada Government High School, Bhubaneswar Badagada Government High School, Bhubaneswar, is a high school in the capital city of Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The school was started in 1963 by the Government of Odisha. It is considered as one of the oldest government schools in the city of Bhuban ...
*
Capital High School, Bhubaneswar Capital High School, located in Bhubaneswar, is one of the oldest schools in the Indian state of Odisha and was established in 1951. The school is situated in unit-III near Ram Mandir and is adjacent to St. Joseph's High School and The Blind Sch ...
*
Government High School, Saheed Nagar Government High School, Saheed Nagar(established : 1968) is a government high school located in Bhubaneswar . It is co-ed school . The medium of teaching is Odia language, Odia . It is located at a central place of Bhubaneswar called Saheed Nagar ...
Notable private schools in the city include *
DAV Public School, Unit-8, Bhubaneswar DAV Public School, Unit-8, Bhubaneswar is a co-educational school in Bhubaneswar, Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest stat ...
, *
D.A.V. Public School, Chandrasekharpur D.A.V. Public School, Chandrasekharpur is a public school in Chandrasekharpur in the state of Odisha, India located in Sailashree Vihar, Chandrasekharpur - a residential township in the northern part of the temple city of Bhubaneswar. Established ...
, *
Loyola School, Bhubaneswar Loyola School, Bhubaneswar, is a private Catholic primary and secondary school located in Bhubaneswar, in the state of Odisha, India. The co-educational, English-medium school was founded by the Jesuits in 2001. The current principal of the scho ...
, *
Sai International School, Bhubaneswar SAI International School is a CBSE cum IGCSE affiliated, day-cum boarding, co-educational school in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It was founded by Late Dr. Bijaya Kumar Sahoo in 2008, and is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, New D ...
, * St. Joseph's High School, Bhubaneswar,


Higher education

Several colleges are affiliated with universities or institution based in Bhubaneswar or elsewhere in India. Most offer a wide range of programs in STEM and applied research and are rated highly by the
Ministry of Human Resource Development The Ministry of Education ( MoE; formerly the Ministry of Human Resource Development from 1985 to 2020) is a ministry of the Government of India, responsible for the implementation of the National Policy on Education. The Ministry is further d ...
, India.


Engineering and applied sciences institutions

* C. V. Raman Global University *
Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), formerly the Freshwater Aquaculture Research and Training Centre, is a research institute for freshwater aquaculture research and development in India, It is situated in Bhubaneswar, Odi ...
*
Eastern Academy of Science and Technology The Eastern Academy of Science and Technology, Bhubaneswar, (or EAST) is a private technical institution situated in Orissa, India. The college is located on the banks of the dried river Prachi at Phulnakhra in Bhubaneswar. The institute offers ...
*
Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar (IIT Bhubaneswar) is a public technical university established by the government of India in 2008, located at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The institute admits a students for bachelor's, master's progra ...
*
Institute of Chemical Technology Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) is a state-funded deemed university in Mumbai, India. The institute also has campuses at Bhubaneswar, Odisha and Jalna, Marathwada. It is focused on training and research in the fields of chemical engin ...
, Mumbai (off campus in collaboration with IndianOil and IIT Kharagpur) *
Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) (formerly, Regional Research Laboratory, Bhubaneswar) is an advanced research institute in the field of mineralogy to materials engineering, established in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It was establ ...
(IMMT, erstwhile RRL) *
Institute of Physics The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a UK-based learned society and professional body that works to advance physics education, research and application. It was founded in 1874 and has a worldwide membership of over 20,000. The IOP is the Physic ...
*
International Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar International Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar (IIIT-BH or IIIT-BBSR) is a state university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It is a University Grants Commission (India) (UGC) recognised Unitary Technical University. The ca ...
(IIIT-BBSR or IIIT-BH) *
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), formerly KIIT University, is a private deemed university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It primarily emphasizes on higher education and research in engineering and science. It offers 3 ...
* National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) *
National Institute of Science Education and Research The National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) is an autonomous premier public research institute in Jatani, Odisha, India under the umbrella of Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India. The institute is a constituen ...
(NISER) *
Orissa Engineering College Orissa Engineering College, Bhubaneswar is a First private engineering college established in Odisha. It was set up in 1986. Orissa Engineering College is the Odisha Electronics Control Library result of the vision of Shri Kamini Kanta Patnai ...
*
Regional Institute of Education The Regional Institute of Education (RIE, formerly known as Regional College of Education), is a constituent unit of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi. The RIEs are set up in 1963 by Government of India ...


Medical institutions

*
All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar (AIIMS Bhubaneswar), formerly Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose All India Institute of Medical Sciences, is a medical college and medical research public university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, ...
*
Hi-Tech Medical College & Hospital, Bhubaneswar Hi-Tech Medical College & Hospital (HMCH) is a private, profit, self-financing medical institution based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Hi-Tech Medical College & Hospital is functioning from 2005 under Utkal University affiliation and recognize ...
*
Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital The Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital (IMS and SUM Hospital) is the medical school of the Siksha 'O' Anusandhan in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. This institute gained permission in 2007 from Medical Council of India The Medic ...
*
Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) is the medical school of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology situated in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. This institute began offering MBBS courses in medical stream courses in 2007. Its si ...
* Regional Medical Research Center


Universities

*
Birla Global University Birla Global University (BGU) is a private university in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It was founded in 2015, by Basant Kumar Birla and Sarla Birla. It is a self-financed private unitary University and has been established by the enactment of ...
, Bhubaneswar * Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar *
Odisha University of Technology and Research Odisha University of Technology and Research (OUTR) formerly College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar (CETB) is a public technical unitary university under the state government of Odisha located in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, I ...
*
International Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar International Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar (IIIT-BH or IIIT-BBSR) is a state university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It is a University Grants Commission (India) (UGC) recognised Unitary Technical University. The ca ...
(IIIT-BBSR or IIIT-BH) *
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), formerly KIIT University, is a private deemed university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It primarily emphasizes on higher education and research in engineering and science. It offers 3 ...
* Odisha State Open University *
Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) was established in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India in 1962. It is the second oldest agricultural university in the country. It is dedicated to agriculture related research, extension and educatio ...
* Rama Devi Women's University * Regional College of Management *
Siksha 'O' Anusandhan Shiksha 'O' Anusandhan (SOA), formerly Siksha 'O' Anusandhan University (SOA University), is a private deemed university located at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The university is composed of nine degree-granting schools and colleges and has ...
*
Utkal University of Culture Utkal University of Culture is a Public university in Bhubaneswar, Odisha dedicated for research, teaching and education in the field of culture. History Utkal University of Culture established by an ordinance on 9 June 1999, which was later re ...
* Utkal University *
Xavier University Xavier University ( ) is a private Jesuit university in Cincinnati and Evanston (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is the sixth-oldest Catholic and fourth-oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Xavier has an undergraduate enrollment of 4,860 stud ...
Professional Institute * The Institute of Cost Accountants of India -Bhubaneswar Chapter, Bhubaneswar. *The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India-Bhuneshwar Branch of EIRC


Think tanks / Research institutes

*
Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies The Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies is a public policy think-tank of the state of Odisha. It conducts research in the disciplines of Economics, Sociology and Social Anthropology. It is jointly funded by the Government of Indi ...
(NCDS) Tourism education is another field of study emerging. The Eastern Regional Centre of Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), the second in the country after Gwalior, was established in 1996. One IATA Authorised Training Centre (ATC) is also located in the city premises. Several regional management educational institutions also have travel and tourism related courses in their curriculum.


Transport


Bicycle

A public bicycle sharing project named Mo Cycle has been started by the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) and the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT). The scheme aims to reduce traffic congestion, promote non-motorized transport in the city and ensure better last mile connectivity. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik in November 2011 inaugurated Mo Cycle. Around 400 cycle stands have been set up across the city. Around 2,000 bicycles have been ordered from three companies - Hexi, Yaana and Yulu. Hexi (from Hero Cycles) will provide 1,000 bicycles and Yaana and Yulu will provide 500 each. The availability of rentals Bicycles are accessed by the Dedicated mobile app - "mo app".


Bus

Internal public transport is maintained by "Mo Bus (My Bus)" service administrated by CRUT(Capital Region Urban Transport) along with connecting nearest cities like Cuttack and Puri. The headquarters of the
Odisha State Road Transport Corporation Odisha State Road Transport Corporation or OSRTC is the state owned road transport corporation in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. It is acknowledged for its distinguished service for safe and lowest cost of operation with a fleet of 462 bus ...
(OSRTC) is in Bhubaneswar. The main Bhubaneswar inter-state bus terminus is at Barmunda, from the city centre, from where OSRTC and private operators run buses connecting Bhubaneswar to cities in Odisha and with the neighbouring states of
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
,
Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
,
West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
and Chhattisgarh. Bhubaneswar is connected to the rest of Odisha and India by National Highway- NH 16, which is a part of the Kolkata-Chennai prong of the
Golden Quadrilateral The Golden Quadrilateral ( hi, स्वर्णिम चतुर्भुज, Svarnim Chaturbhuj; abbreviated GQ) is a national highway network connecting several major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres of India. It forms a ...
, NH 203, State Highway 13 (Odisha) and State Highway 27 (Odisha). Asian Highway-
AH 45 AH45 is a route of the National Highway Network of India, running from in Kolkata to Krishnagiri. This route is composed of NH 16 and part of NH 48 from Chennai to Krishnagiri. Route The route shares a large portion of various Indian Nationa ...
passes through the city.


Road

Bhubaneswar has roads in grid form in the central city. Bhubaneswar has approximately of roads, with average road density of . Baramunda Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) is the major bus terminus in the city from where buses ply to all the districts in Odisha as well as to neighbouring state's cities like
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
,
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
,
Visakhapatnam , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura submarine museu ...
,
Raipur Raipur ( ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Raipur is also the administrative headquarters of Raipur district and Raipur division, and the largest city of the state. It was a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Ch ...
and Ranchi. City bus service (
Mo Bus Mo Bus is a public transport bus service run in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), a special purpose vehicle (SPV), formed under Housing and Urban Development Department of the Government of Odisha operates a fleet o ...
) runs across Bhubaneswar by Capital Region Urban Transport Authority run by Bhubaneswar Development Authority . A fleet of 300+ buses cover all major destinations including Cuttack, Puri and Khordha.
Auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...
s are available for hire and on a share basis throughout the city. In parts of the city,
cycle rickshaw The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, ...
s offer short trips. To ease traffic jams, over-bridges at major road junctions and expansion of roads are under construction. In a study of six cities in India, Bhubaneswar was ranked third concerning pedestrian infrastructure. The city scored 50 points out of a maximum of 100.


Railway Station

Bhubaneswar has the following stations: The
East Coast Railway The East Coast Railway (abbreviated ECoR) is one of the 19 railway zones of Indian Railways. It came into existence on 1 April 2003. The headquarters of the zone are at Bhubaneswar, Odisha History Consequent upon the parliament's approval, Ea ...
has its headquarters in Bhubaneswar.
Bhubaneswar railway station Bhubaneswar Railway Station (BBS) serves Bhubaneswar, the capital of the Indian state of Odisha and it is the headquarters of the East Coast Railway zone of the Indian Railways. History During the period 1893 to 1896, 800 miles of East Coast ...
is one of the main stations of the Indian railway network. It is connected to major cities by daily express and passenger trains and daily service to all metro cities is available from here. However, the station is overloaded by existing traffic. Currently, the station has six platforms. There are plans to add two more platforms. A satellite station New Bhubaneswar railway station is opened near Barang in July 2018 to decongest the existing installation.


Airport

Biju Patnaik International Airport Biju Patnaik International Airport is an international airport serving Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha. It is situated around south-west from Bhubaneswar Railway Station and from the city center. Named after the former chief minist ...
( IATA: BBI,  ICAO: VEBS) also known as Bhubaneswar Airport, south of the city centre, is the major and sole international airport in Odisha. There are daily domestic flights from Bhubaneswar to
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
,
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
,
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
,
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
,
Vishakhapatnam , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura submarine museu ...
,
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
and
Bangalore Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
.The major carriers from Bhubaneswar are
Indigo Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
,
Vistara Tata SIA Airlines Limited, operating as Vistara, is an Indian full-service airline, based in Gurugram, with its hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The carrier, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, commenced operat ...
,
AirAsia Berhad Capital A Berhad, () operating as AirAsia (stylized as ''airasia'') is a Malaysian multinational low-cost airline headquartered near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size and destinations. AirAsia operate ...
,
AirAsia India AirAsia India is an Indian low-cost airline headquartered in Bangalore (Bengaluru), Karnataka. The airline was a joint venture between Tata Sons and AirAsia Bhd. Tata Sons currently holds 100% stake in the airline, after AirAsia Bhd sold its ...
and
Air India Air India is the flag carrier airline of India, headquartered at New Delhi. It is owned by Talace Private Limited, a Special-Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of Tata Sons, after Air India Limited's former owner, the Government of India, completed the ...
. In March 2013, a new domestic terminal with a capacity of handling 30 million passengers per year was inaugurated to handle increased air traffic. On 10 July 2015, the first international flight took off from terminal 2 of
Biju Patnaik International Airport Biju Patnaik International Airport is an international airport serving Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha. It is situated around south-west from Bhubaneswar Railway Station and from the city center. Named after the former chief minist ...
.


Culture

Bhubaneswar is supposed to have had over one thousand temples, earning the tag of the 'Temple City of India'. Temples are made in the Kalinga architectural style with a pine spire that curves up to a point over the sanctum housing the presiding deity and a pyramid-covered hall where people sit and pray. Famous temples include Lingaraja Temple, Muktesvara Temple,
Rajarani Temple Rajarani Temple is an 11th-century Hindu temple located in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha (Orissa previously), India. Overview The temple is believed to have been known originally as Indreswara. It is locally known as a "love temple" ...
,
Ananta Vasudeva Temple Ananta Vasudeva Temple ("Temple of the Infinite Vāsudeva", Odia:ଅନନ୍ତ ବାସୁଦେବ ମନ୍ଦିର) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Krishna, an ''avatar'' of Vishnu located in Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Odisha, Ind ...
. The Kukutesvara Siva Temple is a small, 1000-year-old shrine to
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
. The twin hills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri, served as the site of an ancient
Jaina JAINA is an acronym for the Federation of Jain Associations in North America, an umbrella organizations to preserve, practice, and promote Jainism in USA and Canada. It was founded in 1981 and formalized in 1983. Among Jain organization it is ...
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...
which was carved into cave-like chambers in the face of the hill. These caves, with artistic carvings, date back to the 2nd century BCE. Dhauli hills has major edicts of
Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
engraved on a mass of rock and a white Peace Pagoda was built by the Japan Buddha Sangha and the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha in the 1970s. Apart from the ancient temples, other important temples were built in recent times include
Ram Mandir Ram Mandir is a Hindu temple that is being built in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India, at the site of Ram Janmabhoomi, according to the ''Ramayana'' the birthplace of Rama, a principal deity of Hinduism. The temple construction is being supervised ...
and
ISKCON The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement or Hare Krishnas, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu religious organization. ISKCON was founded in 1966 in New York City by A. C. Bhaktiv ...
. Bhubaneswar along with Cuttack is the home of the Odia cinema industry, dubbed "
Ollywood The Odia film industry, colloquially known as Ollywood, is the Odia language Indian film industry, based in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack in Odisha, India. The name Ollywood is a portmanteau of the words Odia and Hollywood. Industry In 1974, the G ...
", where most of the state's film studios are situated.
Odia culture Odisha (formerly Orissa) is one of the 28 states of India, located in the eastern coast. It is surrounded by the states of West Bengal to the north-east, Jharkhand to the north, Chhattisgarh to the west and north-west, Andhra Pradesh to the south ...
survives in the form of Classical
Odissi Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India.Odissi Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India.classical dance forms of India can be traced from archaeological evidence from the temples in Bhubaneswar.


Odissi dance

Odissi dance Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the Hindu temple, temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India.Odissi music music () is a genre of classical music in India, originated from the eastern state of Odisha. The traditional ritual music for the service of Lord Jagannatha, Odissi music has a history spanning over two thousand years, authentic ''sangita-shas ...
. Srjan, the Odissi dance academy founded by Guru
Kelucharan Mohapatra Kelucharan Mohapatra (8 January 1926 – 7 April 2004) was a legendary Indian classical dancer, guru, and exponent of Odissi dance, who is credited with the revival and popularizing of this classical dance form in the 20th century. He is ...
, the legendary Odissi dancer is found here. The Rabindra Mandapa in central Bhubaneswar plays host to cultural engagements, theatre and private functions.


Dress and attire

Though Odia women traditionally wear the
sari A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO * bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO * gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
, shalwar kameez and of late, Western attire is gaining acceptance among younger women. Western-style dress has greater acceptance among men, although the traditional
dhoti The dhoti, also known as veshti, vetti, dhuti, mardani, chaadra, dhotar, jaiñboh, panchey, is a type of sarong, tied in a manner that outwardly resembles "loose trousers". It is a lower garment forming part of the ethnic costume for men in the ...
and
kurta A ''kurta'' is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia, (subscription required) Quote: "A loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women." Quote: "Kurta: a loose shirt without a collar, worn by women and men from South ...
are seen during festivals. The
Odisha State Museum Odisha State Museum is a museum in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. In its original form it was established in 1932 and later moved to the current building in 1960. The museum is divided into eleven sections, viz, Archaeology, Epigraphy, Numismatics, Armo ...
offers archaeological artefacts, weapons, local arts and crafts as well as insights into Odisha's natural and indigenous history. The
Tribal Research Institute Museum Tribal Research Institute Museum, Museum of Tribal Arts and Artifacts, is a museum in Bhubaneswar, Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8 ...
hosts authentic tribal dwellings created by tribal craftsmen.
Nandankanan Zoological Park Nandankanan Zoological Park is a zoo and botanical garden in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Established in 1960, it was opened to the public in 1979 and became the first zoo in India to join World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2009. ...
, located on the northern outskirt of the city, is India's first zoo to join
World Association of Zoos and Aquariums The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the "umbrella" organization for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for zoos, aquariums, and partner organizations of the world in animal ca ...
. The State Botanical Garden (Odisha) and Regional Plant Resource Center, popularly known as ''
Ekamra Kanan Ekamra Kanan or Ekamra Kanan Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden and a park located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. This is the biggest park and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. The park was established in 1985 and is sp ...
'', a park and botanical garden, has a large collection of exotic and regional fauna. The ''Ekamra Haat'' is a hand-loom and handicrafts market. Nicco Park and Ocean World are amusement parks. Other museums include
Pathani Samanta Planetarium Pathani Samanta Planetarium is a planetarium in the city of Bhubaneswar in India named after astronomer Pathani Samanta. It was founded for creating awareness about astronomy . It carries on activities like night sky viewing, audio visual pro ...
, Regional Museum of Natural History, Regional Science Center and State Handicrafts Museum.


Festivals

On the day of Ashokashtami in the month of March or April, the image of Lingaraja (Shiva) and other deities are taken in a procession from Lingaraja Temple to the Mausima Temple, where the deities remain for four days. Hundreds of devotees participate in pulling the
temple car Temple cars are chariots that are used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart. The size of the largest temple cars inspired the Anglo-Indian term Juggernaut (from Jaga ...
that carries the deities, known as ''Rukuna Ratha''.
Ratha-Yatra Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...
, "Temple Car Festival," is the most important festival in Odisha and Bhubaneswar. The festival commemorates Jagannatha, who is said to have been the incarnation of India's revered deities, Vishnu and
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
.
Durga Puja Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...
, held in September–October, is an occasion for glamorous celebrations. As a part of the Ekamra Festival, many cultural sub-festivals take place in January in Bhubaneswar which include Kalinga Mahotsaba (for traditional martial arts), Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsaba (for classical dance forms), Rajarani Music Festival (for classical music) and Mukteswara Dance Festival (for Odishi dance). Residents engage in ''khattis'', or leisurely chats, that often take the form of freestyle intellectual conversation. Other festivals celebrated include
Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri (IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the Tandava, heavenly dance called Tandava. In every month of the luni-solar ...
, Diwali,
Ganesha Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: ), also known as Vinayak Chaturthi (), or Ganeshotsav () is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols privately in homes and p ...
,
Nuakhai Nuakhai is an agricultural festival mainly observed by people of Western Odisha in India. Nuakhai is observed to welcome the new rice of the season. According to the calendar it is observed on ''panchami tithi'' (the fifth day) of the lunar for ...
and
Saraswati Puja Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region ...
. Eid and Christmas are celebrated by the religious minorities in the city. The Adivasi Mela, held in January, is a fair that displays the art, artefacts, tradition, culture, and music of the tribal inhabitants of Odisha. The Toshali National Crafts Mela, held in December, showcases handicrafts from all over India and from foreign countries. Other important fairs in the city include the Rajdhani Book Fair, Dot Fest and Khandagiri Utsav. Two international literary festivals are held in the city,
Kalinga Literary Festival The Kalinga Literary Festival ( Odia: କଳିଙ୍ଗ ସାହିତ୍ୟ ମହୋତ୍ସବ), also known as KLF, is a literary festival which takes place annually in the Indian city Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Rashmi Ranjan Parida is the founder ...
and
Mystic Kalinga Festival A mystic is a person who practices mysticism, or a reference to a mystery, mystic craft, first hand-experience or the occult. Mystic may also refer to: Places United States * Mistick, an old name for parts of Malden and Medford, Massachusetts ...
. In modern times Bhubaneswar hosts a literary festival, the Odisha Literary Fest.


Cuisine

Key elements of the city's cuisine include rice and a fish curry known as '' Machha Jhola'', which can be accompanied by desserts such as
Rasagola Rasgulla, also known as rasagola, rosogola or rosogolla, is a syrupy dessert popular in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. It is made from ball-shaped dumplings of chhena and semolina dough, cooked in light sugar syrup made of su ...
,
Rasabali Rasabali (, IAST: rasābaḷi) is a sweet dish from Odisha, India. Rasabali is offered to Baladevjew, and originated in the Baladevjew Temple of Kendrapara. It is one of the Chapana bhoga of Jagannath temple. It consists of deep fried flattene ...
, Chhena Gaja, Chhena Jhilli and Chhena Poda. Odisha's large repertoire of seafood dishes includes various preparations of
lobsters Lobsters are a family (Nephropidae, synonym Homaridae) of marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs have claws, including the first pair, ...
and
crabs Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...
brought in from Chilika Lake. Street foods such as ''
gupchup Panipuri (originally known as ''jalapatra'' from Mahabharata times) (), phuchka (), gupchup, golgappa, or ''pani ke patashe'' is a type of snack originating in the Indian subcontinent, where it is an extremely common street food. Ingredients ...
'' (a deep-fried crêpe, stuffed with a mix of mashed potatoes and boiled yellow peas, and dipped in tamarind-infused water), ''cuttack-chaat'', '' dahibara aloo dum'' (a deep-fried doughnut-shaped lentil dumpling marinated in yogurt-infused water and served alongside potato curry) and ''bara-ghuguni'' are sold all over the city. Traditional Oriya food such as '' dahi-pakhala'' (rice soaked in water with yogurt and seasonings) which is considered as a body coolant, accompanied by ''badi chura'' or ''saga'' are consumed during the months of April–June. The ''abadha'' of Lingaraja Temple and
Ananta Vasudeva Temple Ananta Vasudeva Temple ("Temple of the Infinite Vāsudeva", Odia:ଅନନ୍ତ ବାସୁଦେବ ମନ୍ଦିର) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Krishna, an ''avatar'' of Vishnu located in Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Odisha, Ind ...
served for devotees is considered a vegetarian culinary delight. Other vegetarian dishes are Dalma (made of lentils and vegetables boiled together and then fried with other spices) and
Santula Santula () is a vegetable dish from the state of Odisha in eastern India. It can be either fried (''bhaja santula'') or boiled (''sijha santula''). Ingredients include potatoes, brinjal, papaya, pumpkin and tomato, which are first boiled togeth ...
(lightly spiced steamed vegetables).


Sports

Bhubaneswar's major sporting arena is the
Kalinga Stadium The Kalinga Stadium is a multi-purpose International stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Its foundation stone was laid by former chief minister of Odisha Late Biju Patnaik in 1978. It is the home ground of the I League Club Indian Arrows ...
, having facilities for athletics, football,
hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...
, basketball, tennis, table tennis and swimming. It is known for hosting the Odisha Hockey World Cup in November–December 2018. Kalinga Lancers, the sixth franchise of
Hockey India League Hockey India League (HIL), known as the Coal India Hockey India League is a professional field hockey league in India. The league is organized by Hockey India, the governing body for the sport in India. HIL, along with the Indian Premier League, ...
and
Odisha FC Odisha Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. Prior to the inaugural Indian Super League season, the club was founded ...
, a club of
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
, are based in Bhubaneswar with
Kalinga Stadium The Kalinga Stadium is a multi-purpose International stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Its foundation stone was laid by former chief minister of Odisha Late Biju Patnaik in 1978. It is the home ground of the I League Club Indian Arrows ...
as their home ground.
East Coast Railway Stadium East Coast Railway Stadium is a cricket stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It hosts Ranji Trophy, and other matches. History The present stadium was built across an area of over 22 acres at a cost of Rs 6 crore. The stadium has four turfs for p ...
, a prominent
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
stadium hosts Ranji Trophy and other matches.
Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre (ONTH-HPC) is a professional field hockey institute located at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It was launched on 13 August 2019 after Government of Odisha, Tata Steel & Tata Trusts ...
, a hockey academy for sub-junior and junior category, has also been set up at Kalinga Stadium after Government of Odisha, Tata Steel & Tata Trusts (Hockey Ace foundation) joined hands to initiate a three-pronged program under the HPC banner of
Government of Odisha The government of the Indian state of Odisha and its 30 districts consists of an executive, led by the Governor of Odisha, a judiciary, and a legislative branch. Like other states in India, the head of state of Odisha is the Governor, appoi ...
. The construction of a gallery and stadium renovation is under way. An air-conditioned indoor stadium, with a capacity of 2000 spectators for badminton, volleyball, basketball and table tennis games is also being constructed. Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha's only venue for international cricket matches, is located around away. Bhubaneswar has a franchise of Odisha Premier League, Bhubaneswar Jaguars, which started in 2010. Bhubaneswar Golf Club, a nine-hole golf course is situated in Infocity. The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Stadium commonly KIIT Stadium is a new multipurpose stadium located as a part of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University Campus or KIIT University in Bhubaneswar with a capacity of 40,000 currently. The 2017 Asian Athletics Championships was the 22nd edition of the Asian Athletics Championships. It was held from 6–9 July 2017 at the
Kalinga Stadium The Kalinga Stadium is a multi-purpose International stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Its foundation stone was laid by former chief minister of Odisha Late Biju Patnaik in 1978. It is the home ground of the I League Club Indian Arrows ...
. Bhubaneswar is the third Indian city to host the Asian Athletics Championships, with Delhi being the first, in 1989, and Pune, the second, in 2013. Bhubaneswar is emerging as the new sports capital of India, as the FIH and the IOA president, Narindar Batra, recently stated in a ceremony, while unveiling the new logo for the Indian hockey team jersey, which is sponsored by the government of Odisha. The state, Batra mentioned, provides equal importance and opportunity for all sports such as cricket, football, field hockey, tennis, badminton, chess and many more.


Media

The city's widely circulated Odia-language newspapers are ''Sambad'', ''Dharitri (newspaper), Dharitri'', ''Pragativadi, Pragatibadi'', ''Samaja'', News 7, Argus, ''Khabara'', ''Orissa Bhaskara'', ''Prameya'' and ''Samaya''. ''Orissa Post'' and ''Odia Age'' are the English-language newspaper that is produced and published from Bhubaneswar. Other popular English-language newspapers published and sold in Bhubaneswar include ''The Times of India'', ''The Statesman (India), The Statesman'', ''Hindustan Times'', ''The Hindu'', ''The Indian Express'' and the ''Asian Age''. Bhubaneswar has substantial circulation of financial dailies, including ''The Economic Times'', ''The Financial Express (India), The Financial Express'', ''Business Line'' and ''Business Standard''. Vernacular newspapers, such as those in the
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
, Bengali language, Bengali and Telugu language, Telugu languages are read by minorities. Major periodicals based in Bhubaneswar include Saptahik Samaya, ''Saptahika Samaya'', ''Saptahika Samaja'' and ''Kadambini''. All India Radio, the national state-owned radio broadcaster, airs several AM broadcasting, AM channels from the radio station located in Cuttack. Bhubaneswar has List of FM radio stations in India, five local radio stations broadcasting on frequency modulation, FM, including two from All India Radio, AIR. India's state-owned television broadcaster DD Odia, Doordarshan Odia provides two free-to-air terrestrial channels, while a mix of Odia,
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
,
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
and other regional channels are accessible via Cable television, cable subscription and Direct-broadcast satellite, direct-broadcast satellite services. Some of the Odia language television channels are Sidarth TV, Manjari, Colors Odia, Sarthak TV and Tarang TV. List of Oriya-language television channels#News & Current affairs, Odia-language 24-hour television news channels include News 7, Argus, Odisha TV, Kanak TV, ETV News Odia, MBC TV (India), MBC TV and Naxatra News.


Notable people

The following are some of the notable people associated (i.e. either born or spent a significant part of their life) with Bhubaneswar: * Subroto Bagchi * Ranjib Biswal * Dutee Chand * Nabakrushna Choudhuri * Ileana Citaristi * Bidhu Bhusan Das * Prabhat Nalini Das * Pankaj Charan Das * J. B. S. Haldane * Baidyanath Misra * B. K. Misra * Bhubaneswar Mishra * Bijay Mohanty * Debashish Mohanty * Gopinath Mohanty * Saraju Mohanty * Uttam Mohanty * Bibhu Mohapatra *
Kelucharan Mohapatra Kelucharan Mohapatra (8 January 1926 – 7 April 2004) was a legendary Indian classical dancer, guru, and exponent of Odissi dance, who is credited with the revival and popularizing of this classical dance form in the 20th century. He is ...
* Mira Nair * Oopali Operajita * Sanjukta Panigrahi * Ramesh Chandra Parida * Prasanna Kumar Patasani * Biju Patnaik * Janaki Ballabh Patnaik * Naveen Patnaik * Sudarsan Pattnaik * Rakesh Pradhan * Trilochan Pradhan * Biswa Kalyan Rath * Mahasweta Ray * Tandra Ray * Archita Sahu * Salabega * Achyuta Samanta * Pathani Samanta * Helen Spurway * Mayadhar Swain


Sister cities

* Cupertino, California, United States (16 August 2011) * Bloemfontein, South Africa


See also

* Bhubaneswar ITIR * Chari Kshetra * Ghanteswara Siva Temple * List of neighbourhoods in Bhubaneswar * List of parks in Bhubaneswar * List of temples in Bhubaneswar * List of twin towns and sister cities in India * Markandeshwar Siva Temple *
Nandankanan Zoological Park Nandankanan Zoological Park is a zoo and botanical garden in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Established in 1960, it was opened to the public in 1979 and became the first zoo in India to join World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2009. ...
* Sahadevesvara Siva Temple * Sankarananda Matha


References


External links

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Ekamra Kshetra – The Temple City, Bhubaneswar
UNESCO World Heritage Centre {{Authority control Bhubaneswar, Smart cities in India Planned cities in India Cities and towns in Khordha district Populated places established in 1948