Located on the east coast, Orissa, also known as the soul of India, is a mystical land where the hoary past and the modern today form a harmonious blend. Perpetually washed by the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal, Orissa lies on the east coast of India with a 482-km-long coastal stretch. It is bounded by West Bengal and Bihar on the north, Andhra Pradesh on the south, the Bay of Bengal on the east and Madhya Pradesh on the west .

Orissa through the sand of time
Orissa was known as Kalinga in the early period. Kalinga is related with the greatest Mauryan empire ruler Ashoka, who on seeing the horrors of war in Kalinga battle decided to abandoned the path of war and, embraced Buddhism. He then put his life propagating Buddhism all around the world. All his followers who went on to spread Buddhism had written messages on rocks, pillars etc. Ashoka's messages can be read on the rocks of Udayagiri, Lalitgiri and Ratnagiri. Later in 1514 European arrived here. It was during these period that Orissa was divided into three districts: Cuttack, Puri and Balasore. After independence, Orissa became a state of India in 1950.

The long coastal belt of Orissa offers some of the finest white sand beaches in the world. The Puri beach is the main venue for countless pilgrims, and makes one of the major religiously sacred beach side spots of India. The seaside beach resort of Chandipur is another favorite hideout for beach lovers. Gopalpur-on-Sea, an ancient seaport, is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled beaches of Orissa, which should not be missed out.

Gopalpur On Sea
Situated on the Bay of Bengal of sea, this place is considered to be a favorite spot for water sport lovers. One can have nice stroll in the morning or in the evening on this golden beach of Orissa India, which is also an ideal place to swim and sail.

Chandipur Beach
Though popular the world over as missiles launch pad, Chandipur is another famous beach resort of Orissa situated 16-kms away from Balasore, providing a memorable experience to the visitors along its shores. It is a unique sea beach where seawater recedes about 5-kms during low tide and advances to the shoreline again during high tide, each day.

Konark Beach
Konark is the world famous site of the most exquisite Sun temple but one can ever missed out the exotic beaches that accompanies you all along the long stretch of 5 km..

Paradeep Beach
Paradeep is a major seaport of India's trade activities with a fine sea beach that offers evergreen forests, a huge estuary of the Mahanadi with islands and creeks, a good marine drive and beach. Known as 'Tulasi Kshetra' it is also famous for its temple site of Lord Baladeva.

Puri Beach
Puri is one of the three major spots of the Orissa Golden Triangle and one of the four major holy places in India. Located on the shores of Bay of Bengal, it has one of the finest beaches in the world.

Balighai Beach
8 km from Puri, lies the Balighai Beach tucked in a remote area, which is not touched by the hustle and bustle of city life. This is a casuarina-fringed beach with a Sea Turtle Research Centre situated nearby. A stay at Balighai Beach can surely turn a casual trip into an unforgettable vacation along the coastline of Orissa.