Only 20km west of Bhubaneswar, the 175-sq-km Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary was created to preserve wild elephants and their habitat. If you’re lucky you might also see leopard, deer, mugger crocodiles and some of the more than 100 species of birds. Access is by your own vehicle only; guide hire at the gate is compulsory.
Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary
Odisha
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
9.19 MILES
The 54m-high Lingaraj Mandir dedicated to Shiva dates from 1090 to 1104 – though some parts are more than 1400 years old – and is surrounded by several…
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Museum of Tribal Arts & Artefacts
5.77 MILES
This superb museum is a must for visitors interested in Odisha's 62 tribes or considering a visit to the state's tribal areas. Complete with interactive…
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9.27 MILES
This small but beautiful 10th-century structure is one of the most ornate temples in Bhubaneswar; you'll see reproductions of it on posters across Odisha…
6.24 MILES
Six kilometres west of the city centre are two hills riddled with rock-cut shelters. Khandagiri is topped with a fine temple. Many of the caves are…
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11.97 MILES
In about 260 BC, 11 of of Ashoka’s 14 famous edicts were carved onto a rock at Dhauli, 8km south of Bhubaneswar. Above the edicts, the earliest Buddhist…
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11.93 MILES
Hidden among rice fields 15km south of Bhubaneswar, this small but serene 9th-century open-roofed temple is dedicated to yoginis (female tantric mystics)…
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6.93 MILES
Famous for its white tigers, Odisha's premier zoological park was founded in 1960 and is known to run India's best captive-breeding program for the big…
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14 MILES
This excellent museum, overlooking the Mahanadi River, focuses on Odisha's centuries-old maritime history of boat-building and trade (particularly with…
Nearby Odisha attractions
1. Museum of Tribal Arts & Artefacts
5.77 MILES
This superb museum is a must for visitors interested in Odisha's 62 tribes or considering a visit to the state's tribal areas. Complete with interactive…
2. Udayagiri & Khandagiri Caves
6.24 MILES
Six kilometres west of the city centre are two hills riddled with rock-cut shelters. Khandagiri is topped with a fine temple. Many of the caves are…
6.72 MILES
Kids will love this parkland museum with its giant dinosaurs. Included in the admission is a 30-minute movie screened hourly. Other treats are hands-on…
4. Nandankanan Zoological Park
6.93 MILES
Famous for its white tigers, Odisha's premier zoological park was founded in 1960 and is known to run India's best captive-breeding program for the big…
7.78 MILES
Right near the airport, this gallery exhibits the best of Odisha's contemporary art. The permanent collection includes over 200 works by prominent Odishan…
8.66 MILES
This museum houses Odisha’s best collection of rare palm-leaf manuscripts, as well as patachitra (scroll paintings), traditional musical instruments,…
8.93 MILES
This 8th-century temple, with a double-storey ‘wagon roof’ influenced by Buddhist cave architecture, was a centre of tantric worship, eroticism and bloody…
9.17 MILES
This is an ornate Shiva temple built around AD 650. It has lively bas-reliefs of elephant and horse processions, panels of musicians and dancers, and…