[streetfighter]

"Odisha Encore: A Double Expedition" is the tale of a family road trip that brought us back to the captivating beauty of Odisha, not once but twice. With two kids in tow and the Citroën C5 Aircross as our trusty steed, we set out to explore the state's hidden gems, weaving through scenic country roads, savoring the rich local cuisine, and uncovering new layers of its cultural and natural wonders. This journey wasn’t just about the destination, it was about the joy of discovery and the unforgettable memories created along the way.

The travelogue will be a jumbo one as it is a tale of 2 trips to Odisha from Mumbai, first one was taken in first 2 weeks of Dec 2022. The second trip was in last week of May 2023 to 1st week of June 2023.



Day 1 of the trip, exiting Mumbai early morning:


On the outskirts of Nashik:


Since we were carrying enough food with us, lunch was taken at a road side, under a tree.


During our drive from Mumbai to Nagpur, we hopped onto the Samriddhi Expressway wherever we were allowed (the espressway was not officially open then). This did cut down our travel time by 4-5 hours although we had to jiggle in and out of the expressway multiple times as constuction was still on at many places.

On the Samriddhi Expressway:


Day1: drive summary


Day2: The plan was to drive into Odisha. Left Nagpur around 8:30am but progress was slow. Lunch was taken at Sukhchain Dhaba, food was good and looked tempting, restrained not to overeat as we had a log way to go.




The progress got slow and crossing Raipur City took a lot of time due to traffic and flyover construction at multiple places. After we crossed over to Odisha, the road quality deteriorated and roads were narrow at many places. It was post sunset when we entered Odisha, and we were informed that the route is frequented by elephants and that I should be extra careful driving at night. The road construction meant one had to drive extremely careful and slowly. Stopped at a few places, asked the locals about the road, condition, safety, and then kept going.


Our target for night stay was at Hotel M Eleven and we reached there around 11pm. A relative was getting married and the plan was to stay there for 3-4 days and then move onto Angul and Bhubaneswar. The hotel was newly built, clean and tidy. Below picture is clicked next day at the hotel parking.


Day2: drive summary


The surprise item at Hotel M Eleven was their restaurant, which served one of the best dosa I've had. The dosa was crispy, decent amount of spiced potato inside with fresh chopped onion. The breakfast made my day and this was my goto place for food during my stay.

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The next week was spent with relatives and a marriage event in the family. We also visited some nearby places and went to our relatives' who stay in the nearby villages and towns.

Shree Jagannath Temple, Angul




Shree Rameshwar Temple


A biriyani lunch served in siali leaf plate and bowl. During any event, for serving food, those eco-friendly leaf plates are used.


Attended another family friend's marriage event. The event in tier 3 town like Angul will put Bollywood marriages to shame. Please click this link to view the video to witness what I'm talking about.

Cow at a relative's village home:


Their tractor-tiller:


Loving the country roads:


OD19, a good restaurant on the way to Bhubaneswar from Angul


Performing a puja of the vehicle at the village temple:


Bangles are offered to the Goddess and couple of them are tied with a red cloth after the puja:

[streetfighter]

From Angul, we travelled to the capital city Bhubaneswar. Most of the time spent here was visiting family and relatives. For shopping handicrafts and handlooms of Odisha, Utkalika is a great place. They have an online store too - https://utkalikaodisha.com/. Some cities have Utkalika stores too.

One noteworthy place we visited was the Odisha State Tribal Museum. The museum showcase the lives of tribal people of Odisha and is very well decorated and maintained. One can even see tribal artists creating handicrafts of different types, and you can buy them.








An artist making statues with thread and paddy, i.e. rice with the husk. The front row items are ear-rings at Rs 50/pair. And they are washable too !




Return: Bhubaneswar to Mumbai
On our return leg, we planned to travel from Bhubaneswar to Sambalpur (280kms). The plan was to stay at the Hirakud Dam. My father is a retired officer from the Water Resources Department of Govt of Odisha, and he was posted at Hirakud Dam for sometime during his tenure. Due to this, we could book an accomodation at Ashok Niwas, the guest house at Hirkud Dam. My father takes a lot of pride in showing around the dam and the huge structures all around. (We, IT people, will have nothing to show off to our kids once we retire ). The dam is indeed a marvel of engineering design and construction. The dam has 2 towers on either side, Gandhi Minar and Jawahar Minar. One can climb up the towers and get a mersmerising 360 degree view of the place; in fact, the Gandhi Minar is a revolving one. We reached around sunset time, so couldn't spend lot of time there as it was their closing time. There is also a ropeway there, but it was closed as we reached late.



The Gandhi Minar


View from top of the tower




View of the dam from top of the tower




Our guest house, Ashok Niwas, was on the other end of the dam, near the Jwahar Minar. Driving on the dam was quite an experience and a privilege in itself, a real goosebump moment.


Hirakud Dam also produces hydroelectric power, the place lights up magnificiently at night


Dinner was simple, a veg affair, but was served in exotic dinnerware


The morning view:

[streetfighter]

Next early morning, the kids were sleeping, and we made a quick dash to Maa Samleshwari Temple.


After returning, went up the Jawahar Minar for a panoramic view


Ashok Niwas was constructed to accomodate the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who had come to inagurate this World's Longest Dam in 1957. Found a video of the inaguration ceremony.


The room where Nehruji had stayed, the furniture has been replaced of late. (We did not stay in this room)


Sambalpur to Patora:
Our next stop was Patora, a less known place, 20km from the district headquarter Nuapada. The drive was only 185 kms, took us 3 and half hours and we reached there around 2pm. Roads were pretty good and the Biju Expressway was excellent to drive on. There was no toll on this highway.

About Patora:
Patora is a hamlet situated around 20 km from the nearest Nuapada town. There is a dam constructed on Jonk river for irrigation purposes. Right next to the dam is a beautiful Shiva temple (Jogeshwar temple). My father had a big role in the construction of the dam, and then later on in the temple, hence it is a special place for us. Since it was on our way, we decided to visit and stay there for a night. Again here, we got to stay at the Government Guest House which was pretty basic. There is no other accomodation available here, so if one has to come here, they can stay in Nuapada town or nearby Khariar Road town.
The shiv-ling in this temple was found during the dam construction, hence after the dam construction, a temple was built on one of the hill with help of villagers and donations. The place has become quite popular now as lot of visitors come from nearby places in Odisha as well as from Chhatisgarh. The location is very beautiful, charming and peaceful.

The location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ETpLpByr83NhspQA7



The main temple






















At the guest house


Evening shot

[streetfighter]

Back to Mumbai:
We started our journey back to Mumbai. We had no plan where we would stop for the night, so we covered as much as possible. Around dinner time, we had reached around Mehkar exit on the Samruddhi Expressway, hence took the exit. Had dinner at Mayur Restaurant, but could not find a decent place to retire for the night with family. So pushed on to Aurangabad and reached around 11:30pm. Due to the marriage season (mid-December), it took a while to find a decent hotel, finally settled at 7 Apple and called it a night.
Total distance 810kms, 11 hrs drive.



The last leg, Aurangabad to Mumbai was approximate 340 kms and took under 7 hrs; so we took it easy to reach home by 4:30pm. Our car officially got its first deep scratch during this stretch. On an open stretch of road, on a flyover while crossing Nashik city, we must be cruising around 50-60kmph... when out of nowhere, a broken kite thread (manja) dropped from the sky diagonally across, from the driver side roof and fell in front of left-front-wheel. As the tyre drove over the thread, it pulled and rubbed the thread on the car bonnet. The sound was similar to a saw cutting metal. I braked and pulled over to the side, there was a deep scratch, on the roof as well as on the bonnet, and nothing else. Thanked my stars and moved on


Overall, it was a good trip. It was my first drive to my home in Odisha from Mumbai. Got a lot of attention and some rebuke from elders for the super long drive. Total drive was for around 4000 kms including the local ones. The C5 Aircross performed flawlessly and kept us comfortable. We also got an impressive mileage of 16kmpl all through. We filled Diesel mostly at Jio-BP or Nayara as Diesel there is cheaper by a rupee (compared to state owned pumps) and the restrooms are clean there.

16264 kms, home to home (Bhubaneswar to Mumbai)


End of first trip.

[streetfighter]

The Second Trip:



I did a second trip to Odisha from Mumbai in the last week of Mar to first week of June 2023. This was peak summer time, and we were travelling via Nagpur which is also one of the hottest in the country. But I tried to balance the hot summer with a trip to Deomali; Deomali Peak, with an elevation of about 1,672 m, is the highest peak in the state of Odisha. Read on for the details...

Vada-Pav near Ghoti Toll Plaza




The Samruddhi Expressway was officially open during this trip which made progress much faster. The weather was extremely hot and dry, must be upwards of 40 degrees. The bad part on this expressway is that there are no resting places (at this time, most fuel bunks were under construction), so we stopped under a bridge for some shade and had our home packed lunch.

Next pit stop was at Haldirams
around 6:45pm

I loved their pani-puri


I wanted to stretch as much as I could on the first day, so the plan was to drive till 9pm and then take a break. Around 9pm, we had reached a place called Sakoli, looked around for a decent place to stay, but didn't find any. Moved ahead and an hour later, found a good place Roop Resorts and stayed there for the night.

Today's highlights:


Next day, we had breakfast at the resort and pushed off for Bhubaneswar around 8am. At around 1pm, we saw a beautiful temple and thought we can just do a quick visit. The temple is quite famous (which I learnt later) in that area and is known as the Singhoda Mandir. Upon reaching, the main temple was closed as it was lunch time. Nearby, there was a room, where I went to enquire at what time the temple would reopen. There, the priests were preparing to have lunch and offered us to have lunch too. Wow... it was an amazingly simple temple food (rice, ambila, mix vegetable and kheer as sweet dish). We offered to pay for our food, but the priests denied and suggested we can donate whatever we wish in the temple's donation box. Although the temperature was 43 or 44 degrees there and we had to walk barefoot till the temple donation box, we were truly happy to the core and touched by their gesture.





Reached Bhubaneswar at 10pm with an hour stop at Angul to meet our relatives enroute. Roads inside Odisha are not too great and it slows one down considerably.

Today's Summary:

[streetfighter]

The next few days were spent at Bhubaneswar with a day trip to Puri and Konark (more on that later).

A visit to Nandankanan Zoo, they have a good collection of reptiles and tigers. Must visit if you have kids.

Tiger - link







Next, we went to a small temple on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. I was just exploring some unchartered territory and came across this Shiva Temple.



There we found a small shop called Soumya Handicrafts which sold local art and crafts at a great price.



Our next visit was a place called Suando Village. The village has a museum dedicated to Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das. Gopabandhu Das was a noted litterateur and freedom fighter who worked to unite the people of Odisha for India's freedom movement and wrote extensively about the struggle in his newspaper Samaj. The museum is very well built, maintained and a must visit place. Some pics from the museum...











It was around 3:30pm and just as we were planning to leave the museum, we were asked to stay back as the weather outside had changed dramatically in the last few minutes. From bright sunny and hot weather, it had become overcast and dark as if it was 7pm. Just then, strong winds started blowing and rain started pouring like crazy. People said it is "Kalbaisakhi" a localized thunderstorm and rainfall event. The authorities had closed the museum main door to protect the people and the artifacts as the storm was quite intense. We were watching nature's fury in the CCTV feed and it was damn scary as the trees swayed and some uprooted. Luckily, my car was parked on the main road, under open sky, which would save it from anything falling on it. After a while the power went out, the UPS kicked in, but ran out of juice in half hour. Almost 50-60 people were stuck in darkness with some light provided by our phones. Thankfully, the storm subsided after an hour and we all came out. The garden outside was devastated, many trees and poles were uprooted.
Just as we were walking out, I found a small furry creature on the ground, all wet and shaken by the storm, but still alive. I guess it was a Sunbird (do let me know otherwise), a very small bird. My daughter picked it up and tried to warm it up between her palms. Eventually, we called it to our car where I switched on the heater blower so that the bird's wings get dry. IN a few minutes, the bird regained her energy and flew away. This was an awesome experince, especially for my kids.

The video - https://photos.app.goo.gl/v4CJRFpCQW9Y8LsC8

There is also a temple near this place which is fabulous.


Since it was still not 5pm, we decided to press on our original plan of visiting Konark which is just under an hour's drive. The Kalbaisakhi had uprooted many trees and few of them were blocking the road. Hats off to the Odisha disaster management team, they were on the ground in no time, used chain-saw cutters and were clearing the road. We reached Konark around 7:30pm, but due to this storm and power issues, they had closed the monument visit early. But there is a nice museum opposite to Konark temple which we visited.

The Konark Temple:


The Konark wheel (in the museum).


Model of the temple (in the museum)

[streetfighter]

The next few days were spent at Angul where I had a relative's thread ceremony. Angul has a divine Shri Jagannath Temple; the chariots were getting ready for the annual Rath Yatra festival.





Since it was the summer season, I was scouting for some of the cooler places of Odisha. I was instantly recommended that I should visit Daringbadi, the Kashmir of Odisha. The plan was set to spend a few days there, then to Damanjodi. Near to Damnajodi, stands the highest peak of Odisha, the Deomali hills. And World's Second tallest Hanuman Statue that stands at 108.9 feet (33.1 metres) located at NALCO township, Damanjodi, Koraput.

Stayed at this hotel, at 3k/night. Being offseason, there were very few guests. The hotel is quite nice, clean and spacious.




The next day, we went to Patabandha Waterfall. Had to do a mild-offroading to reach the place, which the C5 Aircross was able to manage easily. The last km can't be done in a sedan as we saw the sedans were parked mid-way; we were the only ones to reach near the waterfall area in a vehicle.

Short video of the waterfall







Beautiful landscape with all the greenery


Next we went to a Emu Park which had a kids play area. Since I have 2 kids with me, I take them to show animals and kid friendly places to keep them interested. The Emu park can be avoided for adults.









Came back to the hotel for Lunch. Lunch was simple, Roti, Mutton (cooked Odia style), and chilli chicken.

[streetfighter]

The beautiful roads and the twisties continued to entertain and amaze us. The road infrastructure in this part of Odisha was at its best, well laid, well marked. Wish all the roads in the country should be this good.

Short videos of the drive... clip1. clip2.









The best paintings in nature






We visited the HAL Museum at Sunabeda. Unfortunately, the museum was closed for renovation, so we were not able to get inside the museum. The museum ground had few installations outside, most prominent was this Mig 21.


The engine was removed from the fighter.


The engine was separately displayed.




While on the way, we saw a Jain Temple which looked very historical. It is amazing to note that all religions are allowed to practice and flourish in India. Truly Incredible India.




Temple of a Hindu Goddess on the way.




Then we visited Rani Duduma Waterfall. The location, the short hike the waterfall surrounded by the hills... no words can describe the beauty of the place. The place is nature at its best. Let the pics tell you rest of the story...
















Can there be a more beautiful parking spot

[streetfighter]

Following are pics from Deomali, the highest peak in the state of Odisha, with an elevation of about 1,672m. There are layers of mountains all around and the views from the peak are outstanding. One can drive to the mountain peak and no hiking is required. The best time to visit is Winter; since we were there in summer, the off season, there were not many tourists or vehicles there.


An eco-retreat is being built. Odisha is catching up with tourism infrastructure. There is a huge potential as most areas are pristine and unexplored.


















There is one Deomali Eco Retreat (for stay) near the foothill of Deomali Hills. Due to the offseason, this was closed when we visited.


Hanuman Temple Damanjodi. The Hanuman statue stands at a height of 108.9 feet (33.1 meters).


Red Mud Pond, Nalco. A view of how we humans are exploiting the natural resources and damaging our environment. This pond is used for dumping waste associated with the bauxite mining industry.






Koraput Coffee


Another lesser known fact is that Odisha has its own variant of coffee called Koraput Coffee. The coffee is organically grown locally, the red ripe cherries picked, dried, roasted, and ground locally too. It was amazingly good and is a must try.










Sabar Srikshetra, Koraput is considered the most important temple of Lord Jagannath, next to Puri. The temple is beutiful and peaceful, and we loved the temple very much. The temple is supposedly bult by the tribals of that area.




Evening shot:


One life, Live it

[streetfighter]

It was time to bid bye to Incredible Odisha and start our return journey. The return journey was planned via Chhattisgarh, Nagpur and then onto Mumbai. Since Chitrakote waterfalls would be on the way, decided to visit and stayed nearby for the night and then proceed home.

Stayed at the govt owned Dandami resorts. The resort was nice, just next to the waterfall (one could hear the roar of waterfall from the room). The rooms were spacious, and the restaurant served good food.




Chitrakote waterfalls is known as Niagara Falls of India and it was simply WOW.




The fury, the excitement, the view, the adrenalin rush... the boating experience is beyond any description. Nature has to be experience in the raw form to get the trill. We went for boat ride early in the morning, there was no rush. It was a superb experience towards our end of the trip and icing on the cake.

A short video which clearly shows our excitement. Please find the boat at the bottom of the waterfall.







Started our journey back to Mumbai but halted at Nagpur for the night. Went out for dinner at Thakur's Restaurant and found this golden Fortuner in the parking lot.


Took the Samruddhi Expressway on the return journey. Just around Sinnar I guess, the rain clouds descended in an intimidating way and changed the weather dramatically within minutes. The cloud formation was something which I had never seen before, had to stop and capture it.

Video link



Our twin journeys to Odisha were more than just travels—they were chapters in a story of rediscovery. From offbeat places, to temples to hidden waterfalls, every journey unveiled new wonders. Odisha calls us back, time and again, for an encore that never ends.



I've not posted details of toll, fuel cost, hotel, etc. as most of the price data keeps changing and most of the information is already available online. The total distance for each roundtrip to Odisha from Mumbai is approximately 4000kms. The C5 Aircross gave an overall mileage of 16kmpl+ all throgh. Doing a super long trip does require some planning beforehand. One should always have a plan B and C for the unforeseen circumstances. As a preparation, I carry enough food and water while on the trip. I have a basic understanding of the vehicle and I can jack and change the tyre if needed. I also kept the contact details of Citroen dealers on the way if I need them anytime. Indian roads are highly unpredictable, always expect the unexpected; no cruise control engaged anytime (in fact I use the top speed limiter so that I do not cross the defined speed limits). Safe driving was always prioritised over speed and covering distance.

Happy to answer any queries and guide you to plan a trip to unexplored Odisha. Unexplored and raw, Odisha is a treasure trove of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. From pristine beaches to lush forests, the state offers landscapes that feel untouched by time. The vibrant local cuisine, bursting with flavors, is a delightful journey in itself, while the well-maintained roads make it easy to navigate this beautiful, lesser-known part of India.

The Citroën C5 Aircross was the perfect companion for our Odisha adventures, delivering a seamless blend of comfort and power on every terrain. Its spacious interiors and smooth handling made even the longest drives a joy, turning our journey into an unforgettable experience. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey... more coming soon

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[thisissoumya]

Looks like you have covered the length and breadth of this beautiful state. Odisha is indeed one of the hidden treasures of Indian tourism and one of the very few places that provides very rustic and raw form of nature. I had driven to Odisha from Mumbai in 2021 and that experience is right up there in my interstate road tripping list. Though I am from the eastern side of the state - have spent quite a few years in the southern part hence seeing pictures of lesser known places like Deomali, Damanjodi etc brought in a bit of nostalgia. Enjoyed reading through your story. Thank you for sharing what seems to be an excellent and exhaustive travelogue.

[Kkumar]

Congratulations on your twin road trip exploring hidden gems of Odisha. TBHP is full of such travelogues to various hidden gems in our country. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.

[Happyrev]

Congratulations on a safe journey. I'm from MH03 locality as well, but cant imagine driving all the way to Odisha.

If one were to plan a road-trip to Odisha what would be the ideal place to begin? Preferably where a self-drive option is available. Lets say a 5 day itinerary, what should be the route and the spots covered?

Thanks