Upcoming

Hirakud

State

Hirakud is a small notified township came to the industrial limelight in 1956 when Hirakud dam was built and thereby clearing the path for industrial growth. It has been constructed on the Mahanadi river between the North Gandhi Minar and the Nehru Minar which connects these two wellknown hills.

District
Sambalpur
Topic

Gopalpur

State

Gopalpur-on-Sea is a beach resort gained its stature as a tourist attraction in the seventies. It was once a busy port that later turned into a calm and serene retreat for beach lovers. There is also a Light House on the beach (1965), which offers a spectacular 360 degree view of Gopalpur, the sea and a portion of the Chilika Lake.

Image Credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leetucker/86607938/

Accessibility

Air: The nearest airport is Biju Patnaik airport at Bhubaneswar, which is nearly 180 km away from the heart of the Gopalpur city. It costs about Rs 3000 by taxi cab. The airport is connected to Delhi and Mumbai. International travelers need to get connections through Delhi.

Rail: The nearest railhead is Berhampur, which is about 16 km from Gopalpur. Taxi fare from railway station to Gopalpur is about Rs 300. Berhampur is well connected to many major cities in India.

Road: State Road Transport buses are frequently available from Gopalpur to many nearby cities. Gopalpur is well connected by buses to Berhampur, Bhubaneshwar (180 km) and Puri (242 km).

Accommodation

Decent accommodation options with good hotels and guesthouses are available in Gopalpur.
There is no dearth of places to stay from star class hotels, tourist resorts and beach shacks. Luxury hotels offer rooms facing the sea, and come with all the frills you’d expect of a fine property. For a luxurious stay, try the Oberoi Palm Beach hotel - it''s expensive but well worth the money spent! Quaint old bungalows built at the turn of the century have been refurbished and are let out to tourists, while backpackers can head for economy options like the youth hostel.

District
Ganjam
Topic

Dhenkanal

State

Dhenkanal is the gateway to one of the most ancient forest covers of Orissa, which shelters elephants, tigers and numerous species of birds and beasts. It is town with a cluster of temples and archaeological remains.

Accessibility

Ideally located on the National Highway No. 42, Dhenkanal has direct road connections to major towns of the State. 100 km from Bhubaneswar, the State Capital, it is a railhead on the S.E. Railway.

Air:

Rail:

Road:

Attractions

Joranda Mela

Joranda Mela derives its name from its venue - Joranda, located in the Dhenkanal district of Orissa. People, from all over India, flock to Joranda to witness this grand fair. It is also known as the Mahima Mela and usually falls on the Magha Purnima day, in the month of February. Joranda Mela is the festival of the people belonging to Alekh/Mahima dharma religion. It is a three day long affair, in which the Mahima sanyasis gather to worship Mahima Gosain's Samadhi Pitha.

During Joranda Mela, the initiation of a Bairagi to an Apara Sanyasi (superior caste of disciples in the Mahima sect) takes place. People who congregate here for the fair are taught how to achieve nirvana. Since 1874, this fair is being held every year, without any gaps. The celebrations organized on this mela also include a havan/yagan in the ‘Yajnan Kund’. It is said that in this kund, enough ghee is burned, so as bring peace back to earth. The devotees who come here keep praying to the Lord, saying ‘Alekh Brahma’ time and again.

District
Dhenkanal
STD Code
06762
Topic

Dhauli Hills

State

Dhauli hills, located on the banks of the river Daya, is presumed to be the area where Kalinga War was fought. It is a hill with vast open space adjoining it, and has major Edicts of Ashoka engraved on a mass of rock, by the side of the road leading to the summit of the hill.

Topic

Chilika

State

Chilika is a brackish water lagoon, separated from the Bay of Bengal by a 60 Km long narrow strip of marshy islands and sand-flats. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the World. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds in the Indian sub-continent that hosts over 160 birds in peak migratory season.

The lake was formed due to the silting action of the Mantei River, which drains into the northern end of the lake, and the northerly currents in the Bay of Bengal, which have formed a sandbar along the eastern shore leading to the formation of a shallow lagoon.

Image Credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranbirmahapatra/3231962486/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alaina/3290377212/

History

Some ancient texts refer to Chilka as a major harbour. The famous Chinese traveler Fa-Hien also refers to a port from where ships bound for South East Asia. This port was said to be located at Chhatragarh on the banks of the Chilka Lake. Excavations of the 7th century revealed ship anchors, and 10th century documents refer to the Chilka Lake as being a vital port and shelter for ships going to Asia.

Accessibility

Air: It is 100 km away from Biju Patnaik InternationalAirport, Bhubaneswar

Rail: 2 km from Balugaon Railway Station. The Calcutta -Chennai rail route of S.E.R. touches Chilika Lake at Balugaon, Chilika, Khallikote and Rambha .

Road: National Highway No. 5 runs along the lake and touches Balugaon, Barkul and Rambha. Buses and taxis are available from Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri and Berhampur to Chilika. OTDC provides luxury coaches and cars from Bhubaneswar and puri.

Accommodation

Numerous hotels, rest houses, villas and huts are dotted in and around the lake. Some places of accommodation are owned and managed by OTDC, while others are maintained privately. Moreover, at the southern end of the lake, there are tourist bungalows at Rambha and Barkul which is 6 km north of Balugaon railway station.

The OTDC offers the Panthanivas resorts at Rambha and Barkul. The Ashoka Hotel at Balugaon and the Yatrinivas at Satapad. The hotels are moderately priced.

Attractions

Sea Sizzlers
Enjoy delicious sea food preparations in patta (leaf plates), here in Chilka. Satiate your taste buds with fresh Tiger Prawns, Red Crabs and other fish delicacies in food stalls set up by the locals.

Things to do

Cruising
Cruising in the lake is the most indulged in activity by the tourists. Take a boat ride to all the islands which is definitely going to be a wonderful experience.

District
Puri, Khurda and Ganjam
STD Code
06810
Topic
Best time to visit
October to March
Famous For
Asia's largest brackish water lagoon with a phenomenol variety of resident and migratory birds.

Berhampur

State

Brahmapur, nicknamed "The Silk City", is a city located in the eastern coastline is famous for its silk, its temples and its culture. It's geographical advantage connects to all important places of India. Besides, it's Silk products, Berhampur is famous for fine work on gold ornaments of southern design.

Accessibility

Rail: An important Station of South Eastern Railways well linked to Kolkata and Chennai and other parts of Orissa

Road: Connects the East and South by National Highways No-5.

Air: The nearest Airport is Bhubaneswar- 179 Kms

Shopping

Brahmapur is well known for its intricately designed silk sarees called Berhampuri patto, handloom cloth and Jewellery shops. It is also known as the "Silk City".

Renowned silk fabrics of Berhampur dominate the market. Besides, brass work of Ganjam, coirmats of Gopalpur and the exquisite horn work of Paralakhemundi can be procured here. Carpets from Chandragiri, woven by refugees from Tibet, are another attractions.

Accommodation

Berhampur has got hotels well-equipped with accommodation facilities.

HOTELS & REST HOUSES

Hotel Moti
Hotel Nandan
Municipal Guest House
Lake View Lodge
Ananda Bhavan Lodging
Hotel Shankar Bhawan
Sriram Bhawan
Behrampur Rest House

District
Ganjam
STD Code
0680
Topic
Best time to visit
October To June
Famous For
Berhampur Silk Weaving

Balasore

State

Balasore,also known "The city of Land on Sea Shore" or "City of Sand", is a strategically located city best known for Chandipur beach. It is also the site of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Program's Integrated Test Range, located 70 km. south of Chandipur. The place boasts of immense scenic beauty and a plethora of historical monuments and temples and served as the residential place of the famous Fakir Mohan Senapati, who is considered to be the savior of modern Oriya language.

History

The English settlement of Balasore was formed in 1642, was an early trading port for British, French and Dutch ships in the early age of Enlightenment and became a colonial part of first Danish India, later British India.
In 1763 Balasore became a Danish possession, governed from Tranquebar, as part of Danish India. Due to the shallowness of its bay, the trading post was abandoned, leaving behind only a small settlement in the area. On 7 November 1845, all Danish India was sold to the British, who made it part of British India.
Since the beginning of the 20th century Balasore, as a strategic point, interested revolutionaries. On 9 September 1915, while waiting for German arms and ammunition despatched as part of the Indo-German Conspiracy

Accessibility

Air: The nearest Airport is Bhubaneswar , which is 198-kms from Balasore.

Rail: Nearest rail head is at Balasore on S.E.Rly.

Road: Connected by good motorable roads (5 Kms. From N.H. 5 ) regular Bus services are available from Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Puri and other important places. Balasore is well connected by roads with Bhubaneshwar 198-kms, Cuttack 228-kms and Calcutta 234-kms. The Madras bound National Highway No-5 linking Calcutta- Balashore-Cuttack-Bhubaneswar is the main connector by road. There are several other bye-routes too such as Kolaghat-Digha-Jaleswar routes and Belda route.

Shopping

Among the best shopping destinations in Balasore, Kusum Saree House and Shree Mandir are one of the most reputed saree shops in the area.

For shopping you can visit the local markets to buy souvenirs such as lacquered toys, Remuna brass work and Nilagiri carvings.

District
Balasore
STD Code
06782
Topic
Best time to visit
October To June

Balangir

State

Balangir is one of the major commercial towns in the western part of Orissa, famous for its natural beauty and the tribals.

History

Balangir town was founded by Balaram Deo, the brother of Narasimha Deo, the 12th Raja of Patna (princely state). As Balaram Deo is known to have flourished about the middle of 16th century, the origin of the town of Balangir has also been attributed to that period. It is said that the town being founded by Balaram Deo was named after him as Balaramgarh, from which the present name Balangir has been derived. The capital of Patna (princely state) was Patnagarh, But during the middle of the 16th century Balaram Deo decided to shift the capital to 40 kilometres south of Patnagarh and he choose a Place which was in between two of the great kingdom of South Kosala i.e. Sambalpur and Kalahandi. So due to the accessible roads to Kalahandi, Sambalpur and Sonepur, Balaram Deo decided to built one fort called Balaram fort and subsequently he established the Balangir town then called as Balaram Garh. He then started building a Palace called "Sheesh Mahal" whose ruined can still be found at the Old Palace road in Balangir Town. Balangir is said to be the first planned town of orissa. The planning of Balangir town was done by Pandit Bidyaratna Vidyabhusan in whose name one govt. Sanskrit college also exists.Now Balangir is in the Koshal Movement in full-swing, demanding for a separate state for Koshala region.

Accessibility

Air: The nearest airport is situated at Bhubaneswar .

Rail: Balangir is a railhead on the S.E.Railway.

Road: Balangir is 327 km from Bhubaneswar and has direct road connections to major towns of the State.

Accommodation

HOTELS:
Hotel Rajmahal
Hotel New Paradise
Ashoka Hotel
Hotel Surya
Hotel Old Paradise
Hotel Tara

Attractions

Sital Sasthi: It is the Marriage Ceremony of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati. The festival is observed in the month of June with pomp and ceremony at Balangir and is extended for a week. Pilgrims from the neighboring districts and States of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar also participate in the festival. Lakhs of people congregate in this week long festival, mostly in the month of June every year.

Nuakhai: This is the most important social festival of Balangir as well as of whole western orissa. Generally it takes place during the month of August and September. Preliminary preparation of the festival starts 15 days before the occasion. The first grains of the paddy crop, cooked into various dishes are offered to the deities. There after the eldest member of the family distributes new rice to the junior members of the family. All the household articles are cleaned. People greet each other. It is a community festival celebrated by every Hindu family low and high.

Bhaijuntia: It is mostly known only in the region of Western Orissa. Bhaijiutia festival is celebrated on the Mahastami Day of Durga Puja. It is a total fasting undertaken by women for the whole day and night to seek Goddess Durga’s blessing for the long life of their bhais (brothers).

Puajiuntia: It is another fasting Puja of similar austerity for women of the area. The Puajiuntia festival is observed by mothers to invoke the grace of Lord Dutibahana for the long life and prosperity of their sons.

District
Balangir
STD Code
06652
Topic
Famous For
Jagannath Temple and un-spoilt beach

Kudremukh

State

Kudremukh is a Kannada word which literally means “Horse face”. This hill town derived its name from a mountain range in the region that looks like the face of a horse. Kudremukh lies in the Chikmagalur district at an altitude of 1894 meters or 6214 feet above the sea level and overlooks the Arabian Sea coast. In 1916 the British Government had declared the Kudremukh region as a reserve forest.
Kudremukh is believed to have the largest reserve of tropical wet evergreen forests in Karnataka. The dense forests covering the hills are linked to each other by valleys, grassy slopes, streams and rives, making it very rich in flora and fauna.

History

Way back in 1916, the British Government declared Kudremukh as a Reserved Forest to stop deforestation. In 1987, the Government of Karnataka declared these Reserved Forests as a National Park.

Accessibility

Air: Mangalore is the nearest domestic Airport, which is 130 km away and Bangalore is the nearest international Airport, which is 350 km away. Cab costs about Rs 2500 from Mangalore and Rs 6000 from Bangalore. Mangalore air terminal is connected to Bangalore and Chennai. Bangalore airport is well connected to almost all airports in India. International flights to major foreign cities are also operated from Bangalore.

Rail: Nearest major Railway Station is Mangalore, which is connected by rail to many cities in India.

Road: Kudremukh is well connected by KSRTC bus services. Private and public transport buses connect frequently to Karkala (50 km), Bangalore (350 km) and Mangalore (130 km). A/C deluxe and luxury buses are available from Bangalore and Mangalore to Kudremukh, which cost about Rs 4 per km.

Accommodation

Enjoy a comfortable stay while on a Tour to Kudremukh at the hotels in Kudremukh, offering a remarkable blend of tradition and modernity. Some of the major hotels in Kudremukh are Hotel Chandan, Naveen Lodge, Silent Valley Resort, Seethanadi Nature Camp, etc.

Horticulture Department Guest Houses.
Forest Guest House.
PWD Guest Houses, Chikmagalur.
Naveen Lodge.
Indira Gandhi Road, Chikmagalur.
Planters Court, Moodigere Road.
Quality Inn, Indira Gandhi Road, Chikmagalur.
Woodlands, Indira Gandhi Road, Chikmagalur.

District
Chikmagalur district
STD Code
08269
Topic
Termperature
Summer 30-35°C, Winter 17-20°C
Best time to visit
December - February

Kollur

State

Kollur is a small town situated at the base of the Kodachadri Peak in Western Ghats of Udupi district. It is about 40 Kms from Kundapur town and 130 Kms from Mangalore. It is situated on the banks river Sauparnika. Goddess Mookambika is the main god here. Kollur is one of the sacred and important pilgrimage centers of Karnataka. It is one of the seven pilgrimage centers believed to have been built by Parashurama in the name of goddess Parvathi.

History

The origin of the temple has a long history. Kamsasuran a demon who lived here wanted to become very powerful through his penance. Worried about this Devi along with the help of Shiva, Veerabadra and Ganesha made him dumb and he was later called as Mookasuran. Mooka (In Kannada means dumb). Seeing this the goddess got worried and killed him with her Chakra on the midnight of Shukla Astami from then on Devi is known as Kollur Devi Mookambika.

Accessibility

Air: The nearest Airport to Kollur is Mangalore International Airport Bajpe, which is at a distance of about 150 km away. There are domestic flights operated from Mangalore to many major cities in South India. Pre-paid taxis are available from airport to Kollur, taxis will charge about Rs 2,000 to cover about 150 km.

Rail: The nearest railway station is Kundapura at a distance of 40 km. Many short and long distance trains stop here. One can reach Kollur from the railway station by taxi. Taxi charge is about Rs 600.

Road: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation runs regular services to Kollur from the nearby cities. One can get tourist buses as well to access Kollur. There are regular buses from Udupi to Kollur, which are about 90 km apart.

District
Udupi district
Topic
Famous For
Kollur is regarded as one of the Seven Muktistala pilgrimage centers in Karnataka.