Lonely Planet India – August 2019

TOHELP ODISHA RECOVER

WhentheSuper Cyclone of October 1999

rippedthrough the coastal state of Odisha,

leavingit in tatters, nobody suspected

a repeat. Unfortunately, 20 years later, on

May 3, 2019, Cyclone Fani made landfall,

leaving in its wake endless miles stripped

clean of all vegetation, homes with roofs and

walls blown away by winds with speeds of

over 200km/hr, and electricity outages

lasting weeks – bringing everyday life to a

devastating halt. While the 1999 disaster led

the state to become better prepared for future

cyclones and kept loss of life and proper ty to

a minimum during Fani, the cyclone still

managed to cause a total loss of over `9,000

crore. Three months later, Odisha has

managed to get back on its feet, and things

are getting back on track, one step at a time.

WHAT AWAITS YOU?

z The temple town of Puri sustained the most

severe repercussions, including damage

caused to the iconic Jagannath Temple and

the entire beachfront. The town, however,

has picked itself up and beckons travellers

to come explore its unique history and

culture. The annual Rath Yatra is an added

attraction – it was held with great fanfare this

year in July.

z Capital city Bhubaneswar is home to

600-odd temples and they’re all standing

tall – set out on a temple run to learn more

about the state’s rich history and unique

temple architecture.

z From big, hearty bowls of pakhala (cooked

rice fermented in water) to rich, decadent

blocks of chenna poda (a sweet made of

roasted cottage cheese), Odia cuisine is all

about keeping it simple, soulful and

flavoursome – try it all.

z Learn more about the diverse heritage of

the state – entire villages like Raghurajpur

dedicated to ancient art forms, over 200

Buddhist sites of importance including the

famous Dhauli Stupa, unique legacies of

tribes such as the Kondh, Bonda and more.

The state is home to rich wildlife – indulge

inbird-watchingatChilika Lake, spot tigers

atSimilipal,andcatchsight of crocodiles at

Park.

isslowly

ring. It is

ivethat we,

ponsible

travellers, do

our bit to help

heprocess.

Govisit!

BhitarkanikaNational

Odisha

recover

imperati

as resp

t

th

G

WORDS: AMRITA LALL PHOTOGRAPHS: VISHAL SABHARWAL, VINOBHA NATHAN

49

TRAVEL FOR GOOD