Berhampur - Nearby Attractions

Nearby Attractions

• Bi-Annual Thakurani Yatra – The Festival of the Goddess : This welcomes the goddess Budhi Thakurani to her temporary abode for the biannual Thakurani Jatra (festival) late at night. The hereditary head of the festival, who is also regarded as the head of the weaver Dera community of the city, Desibehera, dressed in his traditional attire, visits the Budhi Maa Thakurani temple to invite the goddess to her parental abode at his home on Saturday afternoon. His wife also accompanies him, and they make offerings at the Kalika temple. Rituals to welcome the deity for the festival started at the temporary temple built at Desibehera street from evening with the Changudi Puja. After these rituals, flowers are carried from Desibehera's house to the Budhi Thakurani temple. Fallen flowers are carried as representative of the deity to Desibehera Street in a large decorated procession at night. The Thakurani Yatra is celebrated in different parts of Ganjam district. One such major biennial Thakurani Yatra is Lanjipalli Thakurani Yatra.

• Gopalpur Beach : This is located at a distance of 16 km from the city and the Gopalpur-on-Sea is a retreat for sun, sea and sand lovers. At one time it was a busy seaport and it still displays the crumbling walls and pillars of the jetty. There are various town buses that run from Old Bus stand to Gopalpur. It is quite convenient to drive to Gopalpur on ones personal vehicle. Gopalpur once used to be a bustling place with tourists. There are many good hotels like Oberoi Palm Beach resort. It is a lesser known fact that, Oberoi Palm Beach resort was the first property to be acquired under the Oberoi Group brand. Gopalpur has an old light house, and a small fisherman's cove. The Gopalpur Beach Festival is also held here.

• Taratarini Temple – The Shakti Pitha

This is one of the oldest pilgrimage place of mother goddess and amongst the four major ancient Adi Shakti centers in India. The mythological texts recognize four major Shakti Pithas (centers), like Bimala, Taratarini, Kamakshya and Dakhina Kalika, which originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.

Rooted in the hoary past, mentioned in the Puranas, the Tantras and as the main seat of Tantric cult for thousands of years and center of Shakti worship since time immemorial, this hill Shrine is believed to be the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine of Mata Sati) and an important prehistoric religious center which bears an uninterrupted history of about 6000 years.

• Ballipadar : It is famous for black bucks.

• Sri Sri Sri Sidhibinayakya Pitha : This temple is centrally located in the city near Giri Road, which will be one of the largest Ganesh Temple in Orissa. The temple work is completed.

• City Market Area : Has a host of different bazars (markets) chiefly among them being Bada bazar, Sana bazar, Hanuman bazar, Urban Bank Road etc.

• Mahurikalua : It is a forested hilly area where Goddess of Shakti Maa Thakurani is worshiped. It is about 30 km from Berhampur. During the time of Sankranti festival people in large numbers gather to worship.

• Kalua Jatra : The Kalua jatra festival begun in Gosani Nuagaon area of the city. This festival would continue for 15 days till next full moon's day which is celebrated as Kumar Purnima in the Orissa state.

• Dhabaleshwar beach : Dhabaleswar is a quiet and secluded beach close to Gopalpur beach, with facilities for surfing, sailing, and sun-bathing. The famous pilgrim center, Dhabaleswar, with its sand-bleached Shiva temple and the Dhabaleswar island are the nearby attractions.

• The Chatrapur Port Area

• Siddha Bhairavi: The place is named after the presiding deity goddess Maa Bhairabee at the remote village of Mantridi. Carved in crude fashion, the icon (one-legged goddess with four hands) was discovered and enshrined in a newly adorned temple in 1937. According to legend, fisherman and sailors used to worship the deity for blessings before commencement of their journey. Maa Bhairabee nowadays has become an important Shakti Pitha venerable for the fisherman community that live in nearby villages. Tourists from almost all parts of southern Orissa as well as northern Andhra Pradesh visit this holy shrine everyday. The holy days on which most of the devotees assemble before the deity to offer their prayers are on Sankranti days of the Hindu calendar and on all Tuesdays.

• Taptapani : Taptapani (Hot-Water), as the name suggests, is famous for its hot springs. Nestled at about 1,800 feet (550 m) above sea level, this spot is 56 kilometres away from the city's railway station. The sprawling Panthanivas is the only shelter for tourists at Taptapani. The cottages overlook a pristine valley, and the dining hall is strategically placed between two crests of mountain fold. A few minutes walk from here will take you to Kandimata Mandir, where the locals bathe in the spring before offering their daily prayers. There is also a deer park maintained by the forest department.

• Bala Kumari : The temple of Balakumari can be reached by climbing 1,240 steps and is dedicated to the Goddess Durga.

• Chilika Lake : Chilika is India's biggest inland lake, spread over 1,100 square kilometers stretching across the length of the three districts of Puri, Khurdha and Ganjam and finally joins the Bay of Bengal through a narrow mouth, forming an enormous lagoon of brackish water. Dotted with many emerald green islands with colourful names such as Honeymoon Island and Breakfast Island, Chilika is home to a rich variety of aquatic fauna. It is also a sanctuary and winter resort for migratory birds, some coming from as far as Siberia.

• Biranchi Narayan Sun Temple : Buguda is a small town in Ghumusar Subdivision of Ganjam district. It is famous for the temple of Biranchinarayan. The temple was built by King Srikara Bhanja, who ascended the throne of Ghumusar in 1790 CE. The image of the God Biranchinarayan which is installed in the sanctum of the temple was recovered from the ruins of Malatigarh. The temple is built in the form of a chariot driven by seven horses and is conspicuous for its remarkable wood carvings and wall paintings. At the other end of the main road facing the temple of Biranchinarayan is a temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath. The temple is built in such a manner that the devotees can see the Arati of both the temples at the same time from any of these two places.

• Kulada : Kulada is famous for the Goddess Bagh Devi. It is also said to be the birthplace of the great Oriya poet Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja. It is situated in the northwest of Ganjam District, with a ruined fort, the river Mahanadi flowing in the east, and dense forest lies on the west side of the ruined fort. The original temple is at the top of the hill known as Upar Bagh Devi, with 210 steps.

• Panchama : Panchama is a small village famous for the temple of Panchama Ganesh, or Siddhi Binayaka, as it is locally known. Tradition says that the Gajapati King Purushottamadeva (15th century) on the way to his conquest of Kanchi recovered the image in the hallow of two trees of Vara and Aswastha and paid his homage to the image after its consecration. Since then the place has become an important centre of Ganapataya worship, preserving the great tradition of Panchadevata worship of Orissa.

• Narayani : Narayani, is situated at a distance of 80 km from Berhampur, and located on the top of the Bhalleri hills. The temple of Goddess Narayani (Durga) is surrounded by captivating natural scenery of dense sal and mango grooves. It is one of the most famous Shakti peetha and Tantra peerha of the district, situated at the border of Ganjam and Khurda district. The extension of the Bhalleri is known as Narayani khola. It is believed the top of the shrine is the seat of Devi Banadurga. As per mythology, the deity in the shrine is an aavatar of Maishamardini Maa Durga. Earlier she was worshipped by the local tribes in a natural shape inside the cave. Later, the local civic bodies arranged the puja and shaped the deity as a ten armed figure. An ex-ruler of Khallikote garh built the present shrine. The construction of the temple used a unique method of cementing the stone pieces. The green jungle surrounding the temple, with its calm and quiet environment attracts a large number people. During the winter the rush of picnickers to the spot is multiplied. The enchanting view of Chilika Lake from the top of Bhalleri hills leaves a long lasting impression in the mind of a viewer that is beyond any description. Ashokasthami is the most important festival and is celebrated for three days. Following that, every year based on Hindu calendar, Mesha Sankranti and Raja Sankranti are also important festival dates. A huge number of devotees visit the temple and worship the deity during these days every year.

• Potagarh : This is a historical fort built by Britishers in the 18th century. It is situated close to river Rusikulya and is surrounded by a moat. The remnants of majestic fort houses and a buried tunnel specks, the melody of glorious past of Ganjam city, which was cursed by a dreadful epidemic plague in the year 1815 CE. The place attracts students, scholars and history lovers. Due to its geographical location close to the confluence of Rusikulya river and Bay of Bengal, it is a favored picnic spot among the picnickers.

• Ujaleswar : The shrine of Ujjaleswar, 19 km from Digapahandi and 45 km from Berhampur, near Ghodahada Dam, was developed from a cave temple, on a hillock which is approachable by steps. A huge stone shadowing the deity forms the back side of the temple, which has been also chiseled to steps for facilitating a circumambulating around the shrine. Before reaching the unctuous site, one would come across the pleasing surroundings of Ghodahada Dam, which has submerged a fort named Vijayanagar and its temple. The reservoir shelters a herd of elephants, crocodiles, and pythons, and provides subsoil water for a horticulture farm of tube rose.

• Aryapalli : The beach at Aryapalli is 32 km from Berhampur and 8 km from Chhatrapur and Berhampur.

• Mahendragiri : The hill Mahendragiri, 5,000 feet (1,500 m) high, is in the Parlakhemundi subdivision of the district of Gajapati. It is associated with mythological stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and has interesting archaeological remains. Sivaratri is the main festival.

• Sonepur : Sonepur beach is on the Orissa–Andhra Pradesh border along the river Bahuda; on the other side is the beach Pati Sonepur.

• Galleri and Baibelli : These villages belong to Ghumsar region of the Ganjam District. These villages are thought of to be the origination place for Danda Jatra. Danda Jatra are ritualistic performances held during the month of Chaitra for a period of 2 to 3 weeks. This is considered to be the one of the traditional form of worship. The performers showcase their performances in different villages. The performances are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Kali, which are symbolically represented by a Danda (a Pole), decorated with multi-coloured clothes. The participants showcase various items from their repertoire chiefly among them being Pani Danda, Agni Danda, Dhuli Danda etc. The closing ceremony is known as Meru Yatra, which is observed on the day of Maha Vishuba Sankranti.

• Bankeswari : Bankeswari is a beautiful and scenic spot located on the Kerandimala hill ranges on the Eastern Ghats. It's located about 10 km. from the junction near Digapahandi on the Berhampur – Digapahandi highway. This is mountainous area and has a dense forest cover. The view from the hills is exotic and refreshing and has many pristine streams.