India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (388 page)

Cinema, Galleries & Exhibitions

Considered the art capital of India, Kolkata hosts a huge number of art exhibitions. Scan the newspapers for information about what’s on while you’re in town. Or check out the
Birla Academy of Art and Culture
(108–109 Southern Ave.;
033/2466-6802;
www.birlaart.com
) or the
Centre for International Modern Art
(Sunny Towers, 43 Ashutosh Chowdhari Ave.;
033/2485-8717;
www.cimaartindia.com
;
Tues–Sat 11am–7pm, Mon 3–7pm, closed Sun). The
Academy of Fine Arts
(2 Cathedral Rd.;
033/2223-4302
) has art galleries (daily 3–8pm) and a museum (Tues–Sun noon–6:30pm; admission Rs 5), where you can see works by Rabindranath Tagore.

While most Malls have multiplexes, the best cinema complex in the city is
Nandan
(1/1 A.J.C. Bose Rd.;
033/2223-1210
or -0970), with excellent screens and a fantastic sound system. Nandan also regularly hosts art-film screenings and retrospectives (the annual Kolkata Film Festival takes place in Oct/Nov;
www.kff.in
). There are a number of stand-alone cinemas in Chowringhee where you can watch movies in the company of feverishly excitable Indian audiences.

2 Orissa’s Golden Temple Triangle

The tropical state that flourished during the 13th century on India’s central eastern seaboard, Orissa is famous for its temples, which draw thousands of pilgrims here throughout the year, predominantly to
Jagannath Temple
in the coastal town of
Puri,
to worship Vishnu in his avatar as the Lord of the Universe. Architecturally, the
Sun Temple
at
Konark
is of even greater significance, with its massive stone-carved chariot adorned with sculptures, rising to carry Surya, the sun god, to the heavens. Even Orissa’s capital,
Bhubaneswar
(the third point of Orissa’s Golden Triangle), is more important for its enormous collection of Hindu temples—at one time 7,000—than it is as an administrative or industrial center.

Orissa remains largely tribal, with many villages still off-limits to outsiders, but the state is also well-known for its “Tribal Tourism.” For the anthropologically inclined, this offers you a chance to get way off the beaten track and meet people who live on the fringes of civilization. The state is also a good place to pick up crafts, particularly textiles and paintings—even when tending to the rice paddies, the women of Orissa are dressed in glamorous saris. Cottage textile industries are the mainstays for entire villages, which produce beautiful
ikat
(patterned) textiles, palm-leaf paintings, and bright
patachitra
(cloth)
paintings (the best-known of Orissa’s handicrafts).
Note:
Although Orissa has long, golden beaches that curve around the Bay of Bengal, the infrastructure here is limited and the sea can be treacherous; beach lovers are best off heading for Kerala or Goa.

BHUBANESWAR

485km (300 miles) SW of Kolkata

Orissa’s capital emerged in the 7th century as a center of prolific and accomplished temple building, and by the 11th century the city of Bhubaneswar (derived from Shiva’s incarnation as Tribhubaneswar, Lord of the Three Worlds) had become a significant religious hub, with an estimated 7,000 temples. Of these, only several hundred remain, but those that survive reveal the evolution of the Nagara style into an architectural form unique to Orissa. You won’t need to stay here more than a day—Konark’s Sun Temple, one of India’s top attractions, is just under an hour’s drive away.

Essentials

VISITOR INFORMATION
You can try the
Government of Orissa
Tourist Office
(5 Jaydev Nagar;
0674/243-2022;
Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, closed on the second Sat of each month)
for information about the region.

GETTING THERE
By Air
Bhubaneswar is connected to most of the main cities in India:
Kingfisher
(
180-0209-3030;
www.flykingfisher.com
) and
Jetlite
(
1800-22-3020;
www.jetlite.com
) have direct flights to Kolkata (55 min.); to Delhi (2 hr.)
Indian Airlines
(
1800-180-1407;
www.indianairlines.in
), Jetlite, Kingfisher,
Indigo
(
1
800-180-3838;
http://book.goindigo.in
); and to Mumbai (3 hr.) you can use Indian Airlines and Kingfisher. There are connections to and from several destinations in South India, including Chennai and Hyderabad.
Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik Airport
is about 4km (2 1⁄2 miles) from the center, in the southwest. The airport has a tourist information counter, as well as a taxi service; though this is not a prepaid service, transfers into the city should cost no more than Rs 200.