Near Mayfair Lagoon
Odisha State Museum
8 km | Approximately 25 minutes
Established in 1932, the Odisha State Museum offers an immersive journey through the region’s rich artistic and cultural history. It began as a teaching collection assembled by two historians at Ravenshaw College in Cuttack and is now the oldest and largest museum in the state, arranged across eleven sections — archaeology, epigraphy, numismatics, armoury, mining and geology, natural history, art and craft, contemporary art, patta painting, anthropology, and manuscripts. The manuscript holding is the reason scholars come: some forty thousand palm-leaf volumes, written and illuminated with a stylus, and reckoned the largest collection of its kind anywhere. Allow two hours. It closes on Mondays and on the second and fourth Saturday of the month.
Also within reach
Lingaraj Temple
An 11th-century architectural masterpiece dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lingaraj Temple is one of Bhubaneswar’s most revered landmarks.
Nandankanan Zoological Park
Set amidst a natural forest landscape, Nandankanan Zoological Park is one of Odisha’s best-known wildlife destinations.
Khandagiri & Udayagiri Caves
Dating back to the 1st century BCE, the Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves were carved during the reign of King Kharavela as retreats for Jain monks.
Dhauli Hills
Overlooking the Daya River, Dhauli Hills is closely associated with the Kalinga War and Emperor Ashoka’s transformation from a conqueror to a proponent of peace and Buddhism.