The geographic terrain of Kalahandi is rich and diverse, filled with lush green forests, scenic lakes, majestic mountain peaks and mosaics of grasslands and vast stretches of wilderness.
The district occupies the south-western portion of Odisha and bordered to the north by the Balangir and Nuapada districts, to the south, it is encircled by the Nabarangpur district.
It is a perfect place where to feel the rawness of the nature and get an escape from your mundane busy life style.
Here is the rundown of some of the most beautiful places of kalahandi, where you can get lost and find yourself at once.
- PHURLIJHARAN WATERFALL
This waterfall is tucked in the Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary, around 15 km away from the city Bhawanipatna. Popular amongst locals and travelers as a picnic spot, this waterfall descends from a height of 9.1 m and the best thing about this place is that visitors can witness rainbow, which is formed when the sun rays fall on the water.
The cool and calm environs around the fall providing a relaxing time to the travelers, where they can also capture the beautiful fall on their camera lens.
From September to January is considered as the best time to visit Phurlijharan waterfall, as the weather gives ample assistance to enjoy and explore even more places in the district.
- KARLAPAT WILD LIFE SANTUARY
It is located in Kalahandi South Division, which is 12km from Bhawanipatna covering a dense patch of lush green dry deciduous forest. A beautiful waterfall, ‘Phurlijharan’ has been avowed as a picnic spot for the local visitors and draws a large number of visitors from far off places in and around.
Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a plethora wildlife- animals and birds. The sanctuary is rich in wildlife such as leopard, gaur, sambar, nilgai, barking deer, mouse, deer, soft claws ottawa, a wide variety of birds and reptiles.
- INDRAVATI DAM
It is located some 130 km from Bhawanipatna. The dam is constructed on the Indravati river and is presently serving as the largest power producing dam in the eastern region of the country.
Apart from this, the dam is also a prominent sightseeing place in Odisha, because of its picturesque surrounding. Tourists in larger chunk come here every day to spend some quality time in the lap of nature.
If you are a photo-holic , then this place will surely give you some exotic scenery to capture in your camera lenses. With the drizzle of rain in monsoon season, the beauty of the place, especially the rich greenery, becomes exuberant which make monsoon the best time to visit Indravati Dam.
So, for all those looking for a place in Odisha to spend some quality time with family and friends, Indravati Dam is surely worth your consideration.
- ASURGARH FORT
It is located at about 20 Kms from Bhawanipatna. It was constructed as per the Kautilyan principle of Durgavidhana and ancient Indian geometric formula. The fort is rectangular in shape and surrounded by massive defensive walls of about four meters in width and 15 to 50 meters in height. The walls are made of rubbles and mud with bricks.
For historic and archeology freaks this place is a must go-to site.
- AMBAPANI SANTUARY
For all the nature lovers out there it is a perfect place to visit. Supreme natural beauty, stunning wildlife and fabulous flora and fauna make this place an amazing tourist destination.
Ambapani Sanctuary acts as both, a National Park and a Sanctuary. The major flora found in Ambapani Sanctuary includes mangroves, Teak, Palas, hair, Salaia, Bamboo, Terminenalia, Bel, Tendu, Hiwar, Zizphus Casia, Helicteres, Dhawda, Babul, Kauriculata, Bija, Sal etc.
Ambapani also has a rich variety of fauna. It is most popularly known for inhabiting various species of deer. Other commonly found species include Leopard, Sloth Bear, Wildbore, Four-horned antelope, Jungle Fowl, Barking deer, Wild Dog, Wild Boar, Samber, Chinkara, Blue Bull, Bear, Crocodile, Hyaena, etc.
If you are hunting for a perfect winter destination, you cannot keep Kalahandi out of your options.
