Useful Information
ATM Counters
All major cities and towns of Orissa now have ATM's which accept VISA and Mastercard as well as bank ATM cards. The full list of ATM's is available here.
Currency Changers
Most banks now have currency conversion facilities. In addition, the following organizations also provide conversion facilities:
- LKP Forex, Mastercanteen Square, Bhubaneswar
- SITA Travels, Bapuji Nagar, Bhubaneswar
Weather
There is a number of sites on the Net that give details of the weather in various cities of Orissa. Some of them are:
www.wunderground.com/
www.imd.ernet.in/
Government Tourist Offices
There are a number of Tourist Offices run by the State and Central governments for the benefit of visitors to Orissa. The list is available here.
Communications
Telephones:
You can find public phones (called STD/ISD booths) at most places in Orissa where you can make long distance calls. Orissa currently has two GSM based and two CDMA based mobile phone services. BSNL and Reliance Telecom offer GSM based mobile services and have pre-paid cards which can be used by tourists.
Internet Cafe's:
Most of the towns and cities in Orissa now have Internet access and one can find Internet cafe's at all major centers. Though the connect speed is slow, visitors can check mail and browse comfortably without any problem.
ORISSA - The Conference Destination of the East:
Conference Facilities
Orissa is fast emerging as a favored location for corporate conferences and getaways. With facilities in place to host conferences for up to 4000 persons at a time in a single venue, it is no wonder that many of the premier organizations and associations of the country are looking at Orissa to host their board meetings, AGM's, sales conferences, annual conference, product launches etc.
Accommodation
In Bhubaneswar alone, there are more than 80 hotels offering around 2700 rooms catering to all tastes and budgets. Among these, nearly 1700 rooms are in the Medium Spending and High Spending categories. Puri, the tranquil sea side resort has more than 60 hotels catering to Medium and High Spending categories with more than 2000 rooms available.
Facilities
All modern facilities required for corporate conferences are available on hire including LCD and Overhead Projectors, state of the art Audio & Video equipment, computers, high speed Internet connections etc.
Shopping & Sightseeing:
Orissa has an unfair advantage - its unique location and heritage. Puri with its luxurious beach and the famous Jagannath temple, the World Heritage site of the Sun Temple at Konark, the largest brackish water lake of Asia, Chilka, the world famous Nandan Kanan zoo, Dhauli, the site of the historic Kalinga war that changed the course of Indian history where Asoka the Great renounced the path of war and embraced Buddhism are all within a radius of a couple of hours drive. In Bhubaneswar, visitors can visit the Khandagiri & Udaygiri caves, marvel at the ancient temples (more than 200 temples stand of the 2000 odd that were originally present) including the imposing Lingaraja temple that towers over its surroundings and Mukteswara, often called the gem of Orissan temple architecture. In addition, there are a large number of parks and gardens including the Indira Gandhi park in the centre of the city. It was at this location that the late Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi gave what was to be a prophetic speech, saying that if she was killed, from each drop of her blood would rise a hundred other Indira's. Tragically, she was assassinated the very next day.