Baripada

Introduction

Baripada is a city and municipality in Mayurbhanj district in the state of Odisha, India. It sits along the east bank of the Budhabalanga river, and it is known as the cultural centre of north Odisha.

Before you go

Baripada rewards a little preparation. The town is known for its Jagannath Temple and its Rath Yatra tradition, which earns it the name Dwitiya Srikhetra, the second Puri, so time your visit with local festival calendars in mind if you want to see the town at its most active. Beyond the temple, there are other temples to explore, and the city's history as the seat of the Bhanja Deo dynasty of the Mayurbhanj Estate has left royal palaces in its wake: the Mayurbhanj Palace now functions as a college, while the Belgadia Palace has been converted into a heritage hotel.

Baripada is also your gateway to the Simlipal National Park, so plan how you will reach the park before you arrive. Culturally, look out for Mayurbhanj Chhau, a vigorous semi-classical martial dance that, unlike other versions of Chhau, is performed without a mask. Knowing this in advance helps you seek out performances and set your expectations for a town that blends royal history, indigenous art and wildlife.

Getting there

Getting around

Baripada is compact enough that walking works well in the planned older core, where key sights and the main bazaar sit close together. The newer neighbourhoods sprawl outward, so distances there are less suited to walking and you'll want an auto instead. The Budhabalanga river and the city's many ponds and water bodies shape the layout and can affect how directly you can walk between points.

• Auto-rickshaws are the main way to get around inside Baripada. There are no fixed rates, so agree on the fare with the driver before you set off — prices are negotiable.
• For travel outside Baripada, cars are the only real option, and hotels in Baripada can arrange one for you. This is the simplest way to reach surrounding attractions without negotiating transport yourself.
• Bhanjpur railway station and the bus stand make useful landmarks for orienting yourself; the Maa Ambika Temple in Badabazar, for example, is about a kilometre from the bus stand.
• There is no metro or tram network — rail is the only fixed-track public transport serving the city.

Where to stay

Baripada keeps its sleeping options few and simple. The standout is Belgadia Palace, an 18th-century Victorian-era royal residence of the Bhanja Deo family that has been converted into a luxury hotel — a stay here puts you inside the city's royal heritage rather than beside it.

For something more modest, Divya Palace is a basic hotel in a good location, within walking distance of the bus terminus, which makes it a practical base if you're arriving by bus and want to keep things straightforward.

Food & drink

Baripada is known for one dish above all: Mudhi & Mansa, roasted crispy rice served with a meat curry. Seek it out as the local specialty, and expect the rice to stay crisp against the gravy rather than soften into it.

What to see and do

Baripada's temple circuit is the main draw. The Jagannath Temple is the focal point of the town's Rath Yatra, a chariot festival held in high regard locally. Nearby, the Jwalamukhi Temple is noted for its colourful glass work, while the Kichakeswari Temple sits behind the Mayurbhanj Palace and is approached through a towering gateway. The Maa Ambika Temple is another stop on the same round. The palaces of the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj are also worth a look; one of them now houses a government college. For railway heritage, the Heritage Rail Museum exhibits restored narrow-gauge steam and diesel engines and old coaches of the Mayurbhanj State Railway.

South of town, the site of Haripur Gada holds the remains of an ancient fort that once served as the capital of the Bhanja dynasty, with three temples, excavated ruins and fortification walls. The Rasik Raya Temple is the most prominent structure there, a brick temple in Bengali aat-chala style standing at the eastern end of an elevated platform reached by a semi-circular flight of stairs; its triple-arched entrance once carried elaborate terracotta ornamentation, of which only faint traces remain. In the northwest corner, the partially excavated Rani Hansapur reveals the layout of a grand multi-room courtyard with residential chambers, a Nrutyashala and a private royal tank, though little of the structures survives. Northwest again, a faint trail through scrub leads to the ruined Radhamohan Temple, which shows Vaishnava influence and Bengal's Gouda-region architecture. The Jaganath Temple on the south-eastern corner of the complex has a distinctive two-domed form, also influenced by the Gouda region.

Three days in Baripada

Day one: Start in Baripada itself, getting your bearings in a town that calls itself Dwitiya Srikhetra, second only to Puri as a seat of Jagannath. Visit the Jagannath Temple, the centre of local devotion, and if your visit coincides with Rath Yatra you will see the town turn out for its own version of the festival. Wander through Badabazar for a sense of everyday commerce, and stop for mudhi, the puffed rice snack that Mayurbhanj is known for. In the evening, look for a Chhau performance, the masked dance form that carries the name of Mayurbhanj and is the region's most distinctive cultural signature.

Day two: Give the day to the Mayurbhanj Estate and its legacy. Explore the Mayurbhanj Palace and Belgadia Palace, both tied to the Bhanja Deo rulers who shaped this part of Odisha, and take in the Victorian elements in the architecture. Add the Maa Ambika Temple to your circuit, along with the nearby Jwalamukhi Temple and Kichakeswari Temple, which together give you a compact picture of the area's religious life. Return to town for the evening and eat simply, perhaps with mansa, the meat dish common in these parts.

Day three: Head out towards Simlipal National Park, the forested expanse that defines Mayurbhanj's landscape and its wildlife. The Budhabalanga river runs through this country, and the drive out of Baripada through Bhanjpur gives you a last look at the town's edges before the trees close in. If you have time on the way back, revisit the Jagannath Temple for a quieter moment than your first day allowed. Keep the pace slow: this is a district to absorb rather than tick off.