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DeutschBaripada is a historic town in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha (formerly known as Orissa). This is the district headquarters of Mayurbhanj. It is known for its Jaganath Temple and the palaces of the Bhnaja Deo family.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Baripada offers a unique combination of royal history, indigenous art, and amazing wildlife. Known for its Jaganath Temple and Rath Yatra tradition, Baripada is often referred to as Dwitiya Srikhetra (the second Puri). Apart from the Jaganath Temple, the city has its share of various other temples. Baripada has been the seat of power of Bhanja Deo dynasty of the Mayurbhanj Estate. The city has its share of royal palaces. The Mayurbhanj Palace has been converted into a college, and the Belgadia Palace has been converted into a heritage hotel. The town is also famous for Mayurbhanj Chhau, a vigorous semi-classical martial dance, which, unlike the other versions of Chhau is performed without a mask. The town also serves as an entry point to the Simlipal National Park,
Get in
[edit | edit source]By train
[edit | edit source]- 1 Baripada SER (BPO). Not a major station. Has limited connectivity. Connected to Bhubaneswar & Puri and Shalimar (near Kolkata)
By bus
[edit | edit source]- 2 Baripada Bus Terminus. Baripada is on the junction of NH 5 and 6. It is 270 km from Bhubaneswar, 240 km from Kolkata and 55 km from Balasore and 16 km from Pithabata. This is an entry point for Simlipal forest. Luxury buses ply from Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Kolkata. By bus it takes 5 hrs from Bhubaneswar and the same time from Kolkata also. One can also come to Balasore by train and catch local buses plying between Balasore to Baripada every half an hour.
Get around
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In Baripada
[edit | edit source]- Auto: Within Baripada Auto are available. No fixed rates and prices need to be fixed before the journey begins. Prices are negotiable.
Outside Baripada
[edit | edit source]- Car: For outside Baripada cars are the only option. Hotels in Baripada can arrange cars
See
[edit | edit source]In Baripada
[edit | edit source]- 1 Jagannath Temple, Baripada. The famous Jagannath Temple Rathyatra in Baripada is considered to be second best after that of Puri.
- 2 Mayurbhanj Palace. Palaces of the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj District. One of the Palaces has been converted in to a Govt. College.
- 3 Jwalamukhi Temple. The Jwalamukhi Temple displaying splendid colourful glass work.
- 4 Kichakeswari Temple, Baripada (Located behind the Mayurbhanj Palace). Towering gateway
- 5 Maa Ambika Temple, Baripada.
- 6 Heritage Rail Museum. Opened in 2021 the 54,000-square-foot museum exhibits the restored narrow-gauge steam and diesel engines and old coaches of the Mayurbhanj State Railway.
Outside Baripada
[edit | edit source]- 7 Haripur Gada (25 km south of Baripada). Remains of an ancient fort, which once served as the capital of the Bhanja dynasty of the Mayurbhanj estate. The ruins consisted of three temples, excavated ruins and fortification walls.
- 8 Rasik Raya Temple. Rasik Raya Temple is the most prominent structure of the entire Haripur Garh. The temple was built by Baidyanath Bhanja in the early part of the 17th century. The brick temple follows a typical Bengali-style aat-chala plan and stands at the eastern end of an elevated platform. The platform is approachable from the western end by a semi-circular flight of stairs. The temple probably had an extended structure in the front portion, but it has collapsed leving behind only traces of the structure. The temple has a triple-arched entrance and once the front face had elaborate terracotta ornamentation. Over the centuries, the terracotta ornamentation has faded away and only small traces of it can be seen after careful observation.
- 9 Rani Hansapur (Ruins of Queen's Palace) (Northwest corner of Rasik Raya Temple). This is a partially excavated site, whose layout revels a large a grand multi-room courtyard layout, featuring dedicated residential chambers, a Nrutyashala (dance and performance hall), and a private tank used exclusively by the royal. Sadly, nothing much remains of the grand structures. The layout of the rooms and the halls can only be traced out.
- 10 Radhamohan Temple. North west of the ruins of Queen’s Palace lies the ruins of the Radhamohan Temple. It is approached by a faintly marked trail meandering past scrubs and bushes. The ruined structure is housed inside a walled complex with the entry gate on the eastern side. The temple is the result of Vaishnava influence and incorporates elements of Bengal architecture from the Gouda region. The ruined structure stands on an elevated platform with a flight of stairs on the eastern side. Only a portion of a few side walls remains of the temple.
- 11 Jaganath Temple. The Jaganath Temple is located on the south-eastern corner of the Haripur Garph Complex. The temple follows a unique two-domed structure, with an influence from Gouda region of Bengal. According to legend, the temple has a connection to Gajapati Prataprudradeva, the historic Emperor of the Suryavamshi Gajapati Empire of Puri. According to legend, the temple was established in his honor.
Do
[edit | edit source]Buy
[edit | edit source]Eat
[edit | edit source]The famous "Mudhi & Mansa" - Roasted crispy rice and meat curry.
Drink
[edit | edit source]Sleep
[edit | edit source]- 1 Belgadia Palace. The Belgadia Palace is a majestic 18th-century Victorian-era royal residence of the Bhnaja Deo family now converted into a luxary hotel
- 2 Divya Palace. A basic hotel with good location. Walking distance from bus terminus
Connect
[edit | edit source]Go next
[edit | edit source]Baripada is the entry point to the Simlipal National Park, famous for "The royal Bengal Tiger". One can contact the Tourism Office for visiting Similipal and staying there. Private vehicles like SUMO, QUALLIS are easily available.