Konark
Tour - Located at a mere distance of 34 kms from the holy city of
Puri, Konark derives its name from 'Konarka', the presiding
deity of the famous Sun Temple located here. A must add on in the East
India tour itinerary of every tourist, Konark boasts of a number of
magnificent excursions.Apart from Sun Temple, another characteristic attribute of this ancient city is its cultural binding that is upheld in the form of Konark Dance Festival- an annual festival serving as an amalgamation of classical and folk dance forms.Several excursions around the city also help to make it one of the most sought after destinations of the country. Kuruma, Kakatpur and Chaurasi are some of these to name a few.
An interesting excursion from Konark, Kuruma is a very small village spread around 8 kms from the city and is much famed for its Buddhist architectural heritage. Kakatapur, is a popular pilgrim destination of Orissa housing a number of shrines dedicated to Goddess Mangala and Ranadurga.
The shrines of Amareswara, Laximinarayana and Barahi, situated in Chaurasi are also popular pilgrimage destinations. The deity of Barahi, the Mother Goddess is worshipped here mainly for Tantric practices. This 9th Century goddess having a boar like face holds a fish in one hand and a cup in another.
