Beautiful temples PLUS Buddhist and Jain monuments

Tikarpara, a small village in the Angul district of Orissa that commands a stunning view of the surrounding rugged terrain. For Tikarpara's strategic location midway on the 22 km stretch of the world famous Satkosia Gorge makes it a popular tourist destination for wildlife and adventure sports enthusiasts.

Ratnagiri in the Birupa river valley in the district of Jajpur is another famous Buddhist centre. The small hill near the village of the same name has rich Buddhist antiquities. A large-scale excavation has unearthed two large monasteries, a big stupa, Buddhist shrines, sculptures, and a large number of votive stupas.

Located in the second largest mangrove forest in the country, the sanctuary has protected the estuarine crocodiles since 1975. Located slightly further away is the coastal area of Gahirmatha, where the giant Pacific ridley sea turtles, traveling annually from as far away from South America nest by the millions.

Sakshi Gopal (literal meaning, the witness lord) is a place 20 km away from Puri where a life-size image of the child Krishna is being built. This was to commemorate the incident when lord Krishna came to this place as a witness to clear out a dispute of two Brahmans.

Gupteswar is famous for the cave shrine of Lord Shiva located at the top of a limestone hill, which is about 500 metres above sea level. Surrounded by dense forest of Sal trees and flanked by Kolab River, the six feet Lingam stands in the cave.