Odisha Tribal Tour - Explore Weekly Tribal Marketplaces & Temples

Day 1: Bhubaneswar

On arrival at Bhubaneshwar airport assistance and transfer to hotel.

Later city tour visiting famous temples Parasurameshwar, Mukteshwar, Rajarani & Lingaraj temple (non-Hindus are not allowed to enter inside the main temple sanctum). Also excursion to visit Khandgiri, Udayagiri Jain caves and Dhauli Rock Edicts. Evening enjoy Dhauli light & sound show at Dhauli (Closed on Monday). Dinner & overnight at hotel.

Day 2: Bhubaneshwar - Baliguda (260kms / 6hrs approx)

Breakfast at hotel drive to Baliguda through the lush green countryside roads. While on the way, you can witness an array of smaller hills covered with luscious Sal forests and visit some of the Oriya villages. The view along with the surroundings will surely amaze you! Arrive Baliguda, check-in at hotel. Rest time free and easy to relax. Dinner & overnight at hotel.

Day 3: Baliguda - Rayagada (180kms / 4hrs approx)

Breakfast at hotel visit Barkhama village, the remote villages of tattooed faces ethnic ‘Kutia Khond’ tribe. This tribe is one of the oldest and largest tribes of Orissa. Once known for their ‘human sacrificing rituals’, the kutia Khond are now known for their lively traditions and colourful cultures. The reason the women tattooed their faces was to make them appear ugly to men from other tribes. These identifying marks ensure they will recognize each other in the spirit world. The women are readily identifiable by their geometric facial tattoos that on close observation bear striking similarity to tiger's whiskers. Also observe the lifestyle of the tribal people of the region. They are humble, generous and all through their lives, they stay dependant on the nature for food and other amenities for livelihood. While spending time amidst the Kutia Khond people, learn some of the ‘Kui’ language; language spoken by this tribe, and enjoy a picnic-lunch in the village.

After lunch drive to Rayagada check in at hotel. Rest time free and easy to relax. Dinner & overnight at hotel.

Day 4: Rayagada – Chatikona – Koraput – Jeypore (220kms/ 6hrs approx)

After early breakfast drive to visit the weekly marketplace of the ‘Dongaria Kondh’ tribe in Chatikona (must be Wednesday). Highly ornamented Dongria Kondh and Desia Kondh villagers from the nearby hills bring many products to sell. The Dongaria Kondh tribe are one of the fascinating tribes in these locales, who still follows animism and worships the Mother Nature. This tribe lives in the higher slopes of the Niyamagiri Hills.

After sightseeing drive to Jeypore enroute stop to visit Koraput Tribal Museum which remains open in the day time. In the museum, you can find variety of tribal culture and many objects of tribe people such as utensils, tools and clothes, as well as some paintings. Some of these things are on sale. There is the exhibition of the whole Jagannath Puri Temple including all the interiors, the sculptures and most important – the gods. At the back of the temple, there is a series of statues of Jagannath in his various costumes.

Continue drive to Jeypore and check in at hotel. Dinner & overnight at hotel.

Day 5: Jeypore – Onukuadelli – Lamtaput – Jeypore (200kms/ 5hrs approx)

After early breakfast drive to Onukuadelli a small village 65kms away from Jeypore to visit the weekly marketplace of the Bonda tribe (must be Thursday). Bonda women loves to ornate themselves with silver bands across their neck, strings of colourful beads on their torsos, bangles on their arms and apply castor oils on their hairs. Alcohol is an important ingredient in their social event. It is an extreme delight to be with this tribe!

Next head to Lamtaput village occupiend by Gadaba Tribes. On the first look, the Gadaba tribe might appear similar to the Bonda tribe, but they are not. Some differences in the lifestyles of Gadaba tribe differentiates them form the Bondas. Women in this tribe are keen lovers of colourful attires and also love to decorate themselves with various types of traditional jewellery.

Drive back to Jeypore for dinner & overnight at hotel.

Day 6: Jeypore – Kunduli – Nandapur – Jeypore (180kms/ 4hrs approx)

After early breakfast drive to visit Kunduli Market (must be Friday) and few Paraja Tribal Villages. Explore the biggest tribal marketplace Kunduli and get astounded by the ‘Sana Paroja’ and ‘Mali’ tribes of Orissa. They broadly divided into two sections such as Bada Paroja & Sana Paroja. Men usually wear lion cloths, napkins and women wear coarse and cheap sarees. Children up to 3-4 years of age go naked. You can also get souvenirs and mementos from the marketplace.

Continue to visit Nandapur the ancient capital of Jeypore famous for the throne of 32 steps, also known as ‘Batrisa Simhasana’ which is believed to be built by the great Vikramaditya. The village is also flanked by some small streams. Towards the northern end of this village, one can find two massive boulders. One of them contains beautiful sculptures and the other has an elephant engraved in it. A little further in the same direction lies the shrine of Lord Sarveswar which too has some inscriptions engraved in it. Seeing these sculptures and inscriptions one can visualize the glorious past of this village.

Drive back to Jeypore for dinner & overnight at hotel.

Day 7: Jeypore – Taptapani (280kms/ 8hrs approx)

After early breakfast drive to Taptapani, on the way visit Bada Paroja Tribals village. Compared to the other tribes, the Paroja tribes are well-dressed and prefer more ornaments. They inhabit the hills and valleys of southern Odisha with the largest chunk found in Koraput district followed by Nabrangpur, Malkangiri, Kalahandi and Rayagada districts.

Continue drive to Taptapani a beautiful place surrounded by mountain & forest and a sulfur spring. Dinner overnight at hotel.

Day 8: Taptapani - Chilika Lake – Puri (230kms/ 5hrs approx)

Breakfast at hotel drive to Puri via visiting Chilika Lake a brackish water lagoon, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 km. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest brackish water lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent & home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals. It sustains more than 150,000 fisher–folk living in 132 villages on the shore and islands. The lagoon hosts over 160 species of birds in the peak migratory season. Birds from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea and other remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Kazakhstan, Central and southeast Asia, Ladakh and Himalayas come here. A pleasant boat ride amidst the colourful migratory birds and the quaint water.

Continue drive to Puri check in at beach resort. Rest time free and easy to relax on the beach. Overnight at hotel.

Day 9: Puri - Konark - Pipli - Bhubaneshwar (100kms/ 2.3hrs approx)

Breakfast at hotel excursion to visit The Konark Sun Temple, a 13th-century Temple in the form of the chariot of Surya, the sun god with 24 wheels, and is heavily decorated with symbolic stone carvings and led by a team of six horses. It was constructed from oxidizing weathered ferruginous-coloured sandstone by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is one of the most renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site as a cultural property under categories (i).

Later drive to Bhubaneshwar with optional stopover visit to Pipili the applique work village. Continue drive to Bhubaneshwar and drop off at airport for onward flight.