Part 1: Odisha Road Trip – Prologue
Part 2: Odisha Road Trip – Vizag (Day 1, 2, and 3)
Part 3: Odisha – Bhubaneshwar – Part 1
Part 4: Odisha – Bhubaneshwar – Part 2
Part 5: Odisha – Konark
Part 6: Odisha – Final Part

There are trips, then there are road trips and then there are mammoth road trips that are 3000 KM long. A trip to Odisha was always on my agenda. Our initial plans by flight got affected because of Cyclone Fani. Then I never knew, a much better option was awaiting me. During one of our chit-chats, my wife asked me about Odisha. I said we will go by road. As anticipated, the immediate response was a “Big no”. Then I volunteered, if, by road, I will take her to Vishakapatnam. I knew Vizag was on her wish list. Without second thoughts, she relented.

My ensuing plan was to take it to my family. I knew I had to work out some plans before taking it to higher-ups (read as Mom). I spent at least an hour every day for the next seven days and drew a rough plan. It will be a twelve-day trip with a buffer of one extra day. As expected, my dad and brother without even hearing the plan, suggested it is a great option to go by road. My mom after hearing the plan with lots and lots of reservations, asked me to go ahead.

And Yes !! It was a road trip from Bangalore to the coasts of Vizag and Puri. A round trip of close to 3200 KMS.

And before going ahead with specific details about each place, a sneak peek into the list of things we did at Vizag, Bhubaneshwar, Puri, and Konark.

The Big Bull – All Set – Ready for take-off

Somewhere around Guntur. The most inviting highways. Why one would fly when you have roads like this?

Medians are garlanded with beautiful flowers. My daughter loved them.

Frothing Coffee. There’s nothing sweeter than a cup of bitter coffee.

Seas of Vizag – Squeaky clean RK Beach – And yes Ships are also docked

Vishakapatnam – To all the Aussies – This is our equivalent of the Great Ocean Road. Blue seas and mountains on either side.

The Bull admires the view

INS Kursura (S20) – A diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy. She was India’s fifth submarine. Kursura was commissioned on 18 December 1969 and was decommissioned on 27 February 2001. This is the submarine where the movie Ghazi was shot.

Tupolev Tu-142 aircraft – The aircraft served 29 years with the Indian Navy and had 30,000 hours of accident-free flying by the time of its retirement in 2017

Organic ice-creams

The much awaited signboard. Odisha – Here I am !!

Odisha – The Rushikulya River – Large scale nesting of Olive ridley sea turtles takes place near the mouth of the river.

The road through Chilka lake and the Eastern Ghats – Engineering Spectacle !!

The much-talked-about Chilka Lake from the Eastern Ghats.

In its most familiar surroundings

The Nandan of Nandakannan Zoological Park. It said hello to us having come all the way from Bangalore.

The Great Mahanadhi river – One of the major attractions of the trip

Temples of Odisha

Udayagiri Caves and Khandagiri Hills

Konark Sun Temple

Konark Sun Temple – Sun Dial – This wheel is imprinted on the new Rs 10 notes

Empty Beaches of Puri

This is just a trailer. Picture Abhi Baki hai. Watch this space for more !!!