Orissa, with its natural forests, rivers, mangroves, beaches and wildlife, provides a satisfying experience to tourists. Its ancient artistic temples, historic sites and embracing ambience exhilarate the spirits of tourists. The main highlights of the state are its capital city, Bhubaneshwar, the city of temples; Simlipal and Nandankanan sanctuaries; the mangrove forests of Bhitarkanika; the architectural marvels that dominate the landscapeJagannath temple at Puri, Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneshwar, and Sun Temple at Konark; the golden sandy beaches at Puri, Konark, Gopalpur and Chandipur; and the natural port of Paradip. The Jagannath cult, which has been the core for Orissan culture, is believed to hold the `tooth relics' of Buddha; and historians have long argued of Puri as `Dantapura' or the `land of tooth'. Some recent excavations have established Orissa as a center of Buddhist evolution. The tourism department of the Government of Orissa considers this as an opportunity to promote Orissa broadly on the lines of religious tourism, in general, and Buddhism, in particular. This paper studies the prospects of tourism services by identifying some of the critical elements that already exist, and provides a developmental perspective for the successful marketing of Buddhist destinations.
Bordering
the blue-green waters of the Bay of Bengal in the east of
India, Orissa is bound by West Bengal and Bihar in the north,
Andhra Pradesh in the south, and Madhya Pradesh in the west.
The state is located between 17°48' and 22°34'
North latitude and 81°24' and 87°29' East longitude.
The topography is distinct with its eastern plateaus, Mahanadi
river basin, eastern hill regions and the coastal belt.
About one-third of the state is covered with natural forests;
mines and minerals, which have the potential to provide
vast economic development. The state has adequate water
resources and power, yet lacks some of the essential hard
infrastructure. The National Highways road networks in the
state are in excellent condition, but the condition of the
State roads is still poor. Some of the interior areas of
the state are still not motorable. However, an optimistic
view of the affairs is that the slackness of the development
drive in the state has ensured low pollution levels and
hence, conservation of heritage sites. This has increased
the potential for natural tourism, much to the delight of
the state government, which prides itself for the reasonably
fair maintenance of the heritage sites. |
