Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar residents and tourists can now step into a winter wonderland in the heart of the city with the revamped Kalinga Studio opening its doors to the public and Odisha’s first Snow Park emerging as the standout attraction.
Following a Rs 164-crore redevelopment, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the modernised complex on October 5, transforming the historic film production hub into a dual-purpose destination that supports Odia cinema while offering family entertainment.
The Snow World, also known as the Snow Park, recreates a snow-covered environment complete with cold temperatures that can drop as low as minus 5 degrees Celsius, delivering a Manali or Kashmir-like experience without leaving the state capital. Visitors don thermal jackets, gloves and boots to explore the snowy landscape featuring slides, play equipment and alpine-style backdrops, an attraction that drew the Chief Minister himself during the inauguration when he played volleyball and football on the artificial snow.
General entry to the studio grounds costs Rs 20 per person, while access to the Snow Park requires a separate ticket priced at Rs 150. Other attractions include the 3D Movie Magic experience for ₹100 and the Adventure Land Ghost House for Rs 25. The studio itself opens from 9 am to 5 pm, with amusement facilities operating between 10 am and 5 pm and a maintenance break from 1:30 pm to 2 pm; it remains closed every Monday.
To manage crowds and ensure a smooth experience, the Snow Park runs on a strict timed-slot system across two sessions. The morning session stretches from 10 am to 1:30 pm with seven 25-minute slots separated by five-minute intervals, while the afternoon session runs from 2 pm to 5:30 pm with another seven slots.
Visitors must purchase tickets for their allotted time and enter only during that window, as refunds or changes are not permitted. Demand has already been high, particularly during festive periods, with queues forming and later slots selling out quickly, prompting advice to arrive earlier in the day for shorter waits.
Beyond the snow experience, the upgraded complex includes indoor shooting floors, a chroma floor, technology zones, sound recording and dubbing studios, and advanced post-production facilities designed to keep Odia filmmakers from needing to travel outside the state. A dedicated archive and museum preserves the region’s cinematic heritage through old films, posters, photographs and historical documents.