Koraput Orissa

     Koraput with her rolling mountains, undulating meadows, roaring rapids, enchanting waterfalls and terraced valleys leading up to verdant hills, feasts the eyes as few other districts can.  Koraput  with her golden autumn and misty mornings of the monsoon months, her  painted  spring, and  slumbering  summer  and her winter ranging from fierce to mild provides varieties  of living in different seasons which is rare elsewhere.  Here in spring nature and man vie with each other to make living joyous.  Koraput with her people who have been living as they lived many thousand years ago and yet accepting newcomers of the latest development of homo-sapiens, with her tribes who enjoy the joys of life today as they ever did before, living in their hamlets hidden in arbours in picturesque valleys, provide education and entertainment for the Anthropologist  which few other regions provide elsewhere. Indeed Koraput is a museum of old and new in nature and human endeavour. Human endeavour surpasses itself by producing power  from falling water, by manufacturing intricate machines and  consumer goods and welcoming into the district  and providing homes and occupation for many thousands of persons displaced from their homes, who till then had no hope of calling any place a home of their own. Koraput has both plant life and wild life which would give years of study to the Biologist and limitless adventure for the hunter. “Had I been merely a lover of fine sceneries (of wild life and of mankind) I would have felt little desire to seek elsewhere its gratification”.

Tourist Attractions in Koraput
Koraput has a number of religious and cultural tourist destinations, as well as interesting excursion sites nearby.

Savaar Shrikshetra
The District headquarters situated 2,900 ft. above sea level.  Also known as “Savaar Shrikshetra”, the modern Jagannath Temple has come up on a hilltop. The Tribal Museum behind the temple caters to and educates the tourists about the culture and heritage of the tribals.

Duduma Waterfall, Machkund
The majestic waterfall, also known as “Matsya Tirtha” falls from a height of 175 meters. A hydro - electric project with its winch developed amidst deep greenery is a place for pleasure. Three KMs away from Duduma waterfall, a small village of Ankadeli draws the attention of foreign tourists to its weekly markets on Thursdays where the most primitive tribe “the Bondas”, come from the remote, inaccessible dense forest. Jolaput is known for its newly constructed dam reservoir. The lake formed by the dam is 68.2 Sq. Kms. It’s a picnic spot, 77 Kms from Koraput.

Gupteswara Temple
Important cave shrine of Lord Shiva situated on a lime stone hill on the bank of river Kolab, surrounded by natural Scenery. The sacred “Lingam” called Gupteswar, literally meaning, “Hidden God”, is also popularly known as “Gupta Kedar” in Chattisgarh. Shivaratri is the major festival  which attracts a large umber of visitors.
 

Dumuriput
A village stands between Koraput and Sunabeda by the side of NH 43.  The famous Sri Ram Temple situated in the locality is widely known for the highest kneeling Hanuman Statue in Orissa.  Shree Ram Navami festival is popularly celebrated every year which attracts a large number of devotees.

 

Nandapur
The ancient capital of Jeypore estate, attracts a number of visitors to witness the Batrisa Sinhasan, an object of interest. The 1.8 meters image of Ganapati speaks of ancient heritage of the place. The shrines of Sarbeswar and its inscriptions point to the antiquities of the place.

Kolab Dam

Kolab-At an altitude of about 3000 ft. above sea level on river Kolab, stands the majestic Kolab Reservoir generating Hydro Electric Power.  The place is highly admired for its scenic beauty, attracting people for weekend picnic and boating.

Damanjodi

The town came to limelight with the coming up of NALCO, Asia’s biggest Alumina Complex  Nearby stands the highest peak of Orissa, Damanjodi an ideal place for trekking.

      Easily approachable by air (from Bhubaneswar) and well connected by rail and road, Puri tours can also be extended to include the other tourist attractions in the adjoining areas of Puri, Orissa.

      Balighai, near Puri, is a picturesque beach fringed with Casuarinas that is very popular with tourists. Satapara in Chilika, set at the confluence of Chilika Lake and the Bay of Bengal, is another popular retreat from Puri. Satapara offers dolphin sighting and bird watching opportunities aplenty.

      If the magnificent temples of Puri have infused you with a desire to explore other temples of Orissa, then there are other famous temples around Puri that you can visit on your tour to Puri. Shrine of Alarnath in Brahmagiri, the shrine of Lord Sakshigopal in Satyabadi and the temple of Baliharachandi are the chief attractions. Baliharachandi is also a popular picnic spot for its natural beauty.

    You can also visit the famous artisan village of Raghurajpur. The birthplace of Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra, renowned Odissi dancer; at Raghurajpur you can attend a Gotipua dance performance and shop for pattachitra's and talapattachitra's handicrafts. These handicrafts can also be bought from the shops and state emporiums in Puri along with other handicrafts unique to Orissa such as stone soaps, seashells, horn work, woodcarvings and solapith work.