Tourism

Places of natural beauty are abundant in Western Odisha. Few major tourist places mentioned district wise:

Bargarh

  • Nrusinghanath is a place in Paikmal, with a beautiful waterfall .A 500-year-old temple dedicated to the Hindu god Narasimha is also situated there.
  • Debrigarh is a peak in the Barapahar hills where Veer Surendra Sai, the great Western Odisha freedom fighter, was captured in 1864 by British soldiers. Debrigarh also has a wildlife sanctuary.
  • Panimora village is the birth place of 32 freedom fighters who took part in Quit India movement.

Balangir

  • Harishankar is the most popular tourist place of Western Odisha. It is famous for its 15th-century Vishnu & Shiva Temple. It is also known for its natural sliding rock where one can waterslide while having a bath under the waterfall.
  • Ranipur-Jharial is famous for the Hypaethral temple of sixty four yoginis and for being a place of confluence of religious faiths, including Saivism, Buddhism, Vaishnavism and tantrism.
  • Patnagarh is the ancient capital of the kingdom of Patna, and is famous for its 12th-century Patneswari Temple & Koshaleswar Temple.
  • Jogisarda Temple, Loisinga
  • Badal Mahal -Palace of Patna King.

Boudh

  • Three remarkable Buddhist statues are situated in Boudh town. At Shyamsundarpur village and Pragalapurvillage are the 9th century. Rameswar temple; Jogindra Villa palace; Hanuman Temple, Chandra Chuda & Matengaswar Temple; Gandharadi Temple, Padmatola Sanctuary, and Nayakpada cave.
  • Jagati Nilamadhab & Sidheswar Temple
  • Padmatola Sanctuary

Deogarh

  • Pradhanpat is a beautiful waterfall on the Pradhanpat hill.

Jharsuguda

  • Gujapahar, Kuiliguhar, Pikalghugar are scenic spots.
  • Vikramkholis a site with pictographic inscriptions
  • Kolabira Forte
  • Shiva Shrine Mahadevpali (Samasingha, Laida, and Sudhamal)
  • Koilighugar waterfall is located at Lakhanpur.
  • Ranidarah(Samasingha)

Kalahandi

  • Manikeshwari Mandir: The temple is located in Bhawanipatna. The main deity here is Goddess Manikeshwari.
  • Phurlijharan is one of the most famous tourist spots in Kalahandi. Fifteen Kilometres from Bhawanipatna, Phurlijharan is a perennial water fall about 30 ft in height and has a special charm of its own.
  • Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary is a tourist attraction with Sambhars, Hynas, Elephants etc. present on SH-44. It has also high mineral deposit like bauxite etc.
  • Rabandhar is one of the most famous tourist spots near Bhawanipatna. 15 kilometres from city, Rabandhar is a perennial water fall about 13 ft in height and has a special charm of its own.
  • Hello Point is a picnic spot and valley view point 75 km from Bhawanipatna. It is present on the top of the eastern ghats from where half of the Kalahandi district is visible including Junagarh, Kalampur block etc. One can receive signal from all telecom services for mobile, therefore it is named as Hello Point.
  • Indravati or Upper Indravati Hydro Power Project is one of the largest Dam in India as well as Asia. It is the largest dam in eastern India which produces 600MW of electricity. The Upper Indravati Project envisages diversion of water, of the indravati river in its upper reaches into the Mahanadi valley for power generation and irrigation.

Nuapada

  • Patora, Sindursil and Thipakhol are scenic spots. One more beautiful site is Baijalpur, where it Maa Samalai is worshiped just above the left bank of the river Udanti. Tiger caves are located to this place. Very splendid sight to visit during the winter.
  • Budhikomna and Patalaganga, Upka Ganga (firstly Laxman tried here to have Ganga to quench thirst of Sita mata. When this failed it was tried successfully at the present Patal Ganga. Location north end of the Guru Donger.), Kabat Darah full of scenic beauty. Nearest to this are San Gumar and Bad Gumar- geographical wonders, where the footprints of Panchu Pandav are available. It is a religious centre.
  • Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sambalpur

  • Samaleswari temple(Samlei Gudi) is a 17th-century shrine dedicated to the goddess Maa Samaleswari, the tutelary goddess of the Kosal region. Samalei Gudi is the second most visited temple in the present Odisha state after Puri Jagannath Temple.
  • Huma is famous for the Leaning temple of lord Shiva, which is relatively older and leans more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
  • Ushakothi is a wildlife sanctuary harbouring elephants, tigers, gours, sambars, black panther, deer, Spotted dear, bears, and other animals.
  • Hirakud Dam is situated 16 km from Sambalpur, and is one of the longest dams in the world, about 16 mi (26 km) in length and the dam extends across a lake, 55 km long.
  • Kandhara is the birthplace of poet Bhima Bhoi, the great propounder of Mahima Dharma, and a pilgrimage-cum-sight seeing spot.
  • Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is like an emerald nestled in the serene blue waters of Hirakud Reservoir. Made a sanctuary in 1985, it comprises Lohara Reserve Forest, Lohara and Debrigarh Reserve Forests of Barapahad Hills. Debrigarh means “The abode of the Goddess”. It is 40 km from Sambalpur. Dhodrokusum, the main entry gate, is 12 km from Hirakud Reservoir, at the end of the right dyke of Hirakud Dam. At Debrigarh, there are vehicle safaris and boat rides available to view more than 50,000 migratory birds from Siberia and other cold regions. It is a natural habitat for jaguars, sambars, black panthers, deer, spotted deer and wild bears.
  • Ghanteswari Temple, Chiplima
  • Gudguda is a scenic spot 35 km from Kuchinda.

Sonepur

  • Sonepur town is known as the ‘Second Varanasi of India’. There are several temples and gardens, including Suvarnameru, which is on the left bank of the river Tel, towards the southwest of its confluence with the river Mahanadi. It is also called Temple town.
  • Binika offers Papakshya Ghat, a religious centre.
  • Chandalipat Puja Dunguri is also a religious centre.
  • Charada is an historical site.
  • Khaliapali is a Mahima shrine.

Sundergarh

  • Rourkela has a steel plant (SAIL) .
  • Vedvyas, near Rourkela is claimed to be associated with the sage Vedavyasa, author of the epic Mahabharata
  • Ghogar, a religious centre, houses a Shiva temple dating back to antiquity. The place is easily approachable from both Kansbahal and Rajgangpur.
  • Khandadhar offers the sight of Miriglotah, a waterfall.
  • Junagada has a fort.
  • Chhatri Hills, Darjeeng, Deodhar, and Mandira are all Scenic spots.

(Apart from above there are many natural sights in Western Odisha )

Sources: WO Wikipedia