The tropical state of orissa lies along the eastern seaboard if India , south of Bengal. Its main attractions arethe temples of Bhubaneshwae, the long sandy beach at puri and the great sun temple at Konark.These three sites make a convenient and compact triangle , and Bhubaneshwar is on the main calcutta to Madras railway route . 
Orissa is predominantly rural , with fertile green coastal plains rising to the hills of the eastern ghats . the majority of the population ilive on or below the poverty line withan annual income of the lowest in the country .Largely based on agriculture , Orissa's economy is often destablished by natural disasters , including flooding drought , cyclone or tornado .However , flooding in the Mahanadi delta , which used to occur regularly , has been much reduced by the building of the Hirakud Dam . The state is mineral rich and is abig exporter of iron ore., with a large factory at Rourkela.
few visitora venture outside the Bhubaneshwar- Puri -Konark triangle and although travel off the beaten track in orissa is often rough , with few tourist facilities , it can be an interesting and rerwarding experience . The Oriyas , 25% of whom are indegenous tribal peoples , are particularly friendly and hospitable .
HISTORY:
Orissa's hazy past focuses with the reign of kalinga . In 260 BC he was defeated by Ashoka , the great Indian emperor , near modern Bhubaneshwar . the bloody battle left Ashoka with sucj a bitter taste that he converted to Buddhism and spread that gentle religion far and wide .Buddhism soon declined in Orissa , However , Jainism held sway until Buddhism reasserted itself in the 2nd century AD .
by the 7th century ad , hinduism had in turn , supllanted BUddhism's and Orissa's golden age began Under the Kesari and the Ganga Kings the Orissan culture flourished and countless temples from that classical period still stand today . The Oriya's managed to defy the Muslim rulers in DElhi until the region finally fell to the Mughals during the 16th century . Many of Bhubaneshwar's temples were destroyed at that time .