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New Indian Express
26-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Ahead of Rath Yatra, Crime Branch takes down 11 fake websites for booking hotels
BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of Rath Yatra, the Crime Branch of Odisha Police took down 11 fake hotel booking websites to ensure pilgrims and tourists have a hassle free experience during the festival. The agency received 317 complaints through cyber crime helpline number in the last few days about the fake hotel booking websites and went after them. Many fake websites mimicked the portals of famous hotels and those run by Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC). Some of the fake websites removed include , and among others. Sources said the social media team of CB has been continuously monitoring online platforms to detect fake hotel booking websites. 'We are keeping a close eye on such fake websites. Once such websites comes to our notice, immediate action is taken to bring them down. To ensure safety of citizens and to keep them informed, awareness posts on fake hotel booking scams are being shared across our cyber safety social media platforms,' said the CB in a statement on Wednesday. Lately, hotel booking scams have witnessed a rise in the state, especially in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Fraudsters have been creating fake websites and social media pages that look genuine, offer cheap rates. They also demand full payment via UPI, wallets or bank transfers using fake customer care numbers and receipts. The probe agency said many such fake sites appear on top of Google search results, making difficult to ascertain their genuineness. Victims often realise about the scam only after reaching the hotels. Several complaints regarding fraudulent hotel deals have been received through helpline 1930 and from various government departments as well as the hotel owners. Meanwhile, it has issued an advisory to visitors to book hotels only through verified platforms like Make My Trip, Goibibo, or official tourism websites.
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
From tradition to trade: Pithas rule Raja season
1 2 Bhubaneswar: By the time Raja arrives, the air in Odisha is thick with more than just festivity—it's filled with the nostalgic aroma of pithas wafting through kitchens, shops, and street corners. Pithas, once painstakingly prepared at home over days, are now enjoying a vibrant city-wide revival—not just as festive delicacies but as the centrepiece of a booming seasonal economy. With busy lifestyles and shrinking kitchen time, many urban families — especially working women — now prefer to buy these festive delicacies rather than prepare them at home. "Our mothers and grandmothers spent days preparing for Raja. With work and family commitments, it's hard to do that now. But thanks to these shops, we still get the same flavours and nostalgia," said Monalisa Mohanty, a nurse at a private hospital. Several sweetshops, restaurants, and dedicated pitha stalls are offering a delightful spread of traditional cakes, including the richly baked poda pitha, manda, kakara, arisa, muan pitha, chhunchipatra pitha, chakuli pitha, and more. "Like every year, this year too, the sales of pithas have been phenomenal. On the first day of the Raja festival—Saturday alone—we did business worth Rs 2.87 lakh. By Sunday afternoon, we had crossed Rs 1 lakh in sales. We have prepared assorted pitha packets, which are in high demand," said Sabyasachi Kar, manager of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation's (OTDC) Panthaniwas in Bhubaneswar. While poda pitha is priced between Rs 200 and Rs 400 per kilogram, other sweets are sold per piece, making them accessible to a wider range of buyers. For women entrepreneurs, Raja has also opened up new opportunities. Lopamudra Dash, who runs a home-based pitha venture in the Unit-IV area, said, "What started as a hobby during the lockdown has now become my main source of income during festivals. I got over 150 pre-orders this Raja. Many women like me, who know how to make pithas but did not see it as a business, are now tapping into this demand." Even large hotels and restaurants have caught the Raja fever. Many have curated special Odia food festivals, offering traditional thalis and pitha platters. "For us, it is not only business but a way to honour Odia heritage," said Anurag Jena, manager of a popular city hotel.
