Adivasi Mela.

Going for this? Bhubaneswar in January

Getting there

Where to stay in Bhubaneswar

• Trident Bhubaneswar

  ₹₹₹₹
  luxury-resort · CB-1, Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar — 14 acres of orchards and lawns, 20 min from the airport

  An Oberoi-group Trident set on 14 acres of fruit orchards and manicured lawns — just 57 rooms and 5 suites, so it stays quiet and uncrowded. The temple-city architecture and garden calm make it the pick for travellers who want a luxury base without urban noise.

• Panthanivas Bhubaneswar (OTDC)

  ₹₹
  government-guesthouse · Lewis Road, Bhubaneswar — the OTDC state-tourism hotel near the old-town temples

  The Odisha Tourism Development Corporation's Bhubaneswar property — plain, government-run and inexpensive, with a restaurant and bar. Useful as a budget base near the Lingaraj-temple old-town cluster, and a fallback when the private hotels are booked out during festival season.

• Swosti Premium

  ₹₹₹
  hotel · P-1, Jaydev Vihar, Bhubaneswar — a five-minute walk from Mayfair Lagoon

  A locally owned 5-star in the Jaydev Vihar hotel cluster — reliable rooms, a rooftop, multiple restaurants and a central location that puts the museum, Ekamra heritage walks and the airport all within easy reach. The value-conscious alternative to Mayfair and Trident.

All stays in Bhubaneswar →

Where to eat

• Bikalananda Kar's Rasagola (Bhubaneswar outlet)

  Legendary
  Saheed Nagar / Buxi Bazaar · ₹

  SignatureSalepur Rasagola — soft, brown, slightly chewy, the Bikali Kar recipe since 1922

  The Bhubaneswar Saheed Nagar outlet is the easiest stop if you're not driving the full Pahala-Salepur stretch — same Salepur recipe, urban-shop convenience. Buy by the dozen, eat the same day. The special cham cham (₹295/box) is the under-rated second pick.

• Pahala Rasagola Cluster

  Legendary
  Pahala village (NH-16 between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack) · ₹

  SignaturePahala rasagola — brown, soft (not spongy), thin-syrup, 24-hour shelf life

  Prices and product are essentially identical across all 100+ shops — pick the busiest cart, not the prettiest signboard. Driving Bhubaneswar→Cuttack the cluster sits ~20km north of Bhubaneswar on NH-16 — eastern side has more shops. Buy a dozen for ₹120-150; eat within 24 hours, no fridge needed but no longer than that.

• Dalma

  Madhusudan Nagar, Unit 4 · ₹₹

  SignatureDalma — the lentil-and-vegetable curry the restaurant is named for

  Order the dalma + pakhala bhata combo (fermented rice-water rice with fried fish) for the dish the cuisine is built around — most visitors only order one of the two. Available across lunch service but the pakhala batch is fresh from 11.30am. Cash + UPI accepted, cards work.

• Odisha Hotel

  Lewis Road, Old Town · ₹

  SignaturePakhala bhata with badi chura, fried fish, and dahi baingan

  Pakhala stops around 3pm — go before 2 for the full thali. Lewis Road branch is closer to Old Town temples; Sahid Nagar is the AC-comfort alternative. No alcohol, no music, no fuss. Cash preferred, UPI works.

All eateries in Bhubaneswar →

Other festivals in Bhubaneswar

• Dhauli Shanti UtsavMarch/April

Other festivals in January, elsewhere

• Jaipur Literature FestivalLate January (5 days)
• Republic Day ParadeJanuary 26
• Bikaner Camel FestivalJanuary 13-14
• Auli Winter CarnivalJanuary (varies)
• Uttarayani FairJanuary 14 (Makar Sankranti)
• Patnitop Winter CarnivalJanuary (varies)

See every festival in January →