This is Ma Durgas country. This part of India is ruled by a female goddess, as life is simple and earthy here. It is the land of the fishermen and the Sunderban tigers. Puri and Konark with their great Temples of fine architecture are a pleasure to the traveller’s eye. Orissa’s rural life is still quite unspoilt from tourism and the tribal areas with the serene Similipal National Park are a challenging exploration. The Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary is home to the one horned rhinoceros. At the Bhitar Kanika wildlife sanctuary marine turtles can be admired. Chilka Lake is Asia’s biggest lagoon with an amazing variety and number of birds.
East India is also home to many ancient Buddhist sites and excavations as in Latgiri and Udaigiri in Orissa and Pandua and Gaur in West Bengal. Vishnupur houses beautiful terracotta temples and is famous for its pottery crafts. In the north Darjeeling and Kalimpong are bordering the North East, pleasant retreats with their remaining British-Indian charm, tea plantations and influences of the Nepalese and Tibetan culture.
Calcutta is known as the cultural capital of India and is an interesting place to spend a couple of days exploring its street life and art scene.
The East is a place to enjoy rural charm and easygoing life amidst green landscape and deeply routed traditions.