Tours to Bolangir, the commercial hub of western Orissa and the headquarters of the Bolangir District of Orissa, is a trip back in time when leisure was a family activity indulged in and encouraged as a way of life.
Easily accessible by road and rail from Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur, Bolangir can also serve as a base camp for further touring of the nearby tourist attractions of temples, monuments and picnic spots in the Bolangir district. Remember though to shop for Bolangir's bronze-castings after you are doe with your sightseeing tour of Bolangir.
Flanked by the Gandhamardan Hills, Bolangir offers enjoyable trekking experience through Orissa's countryside.
Harishankar, set on the foothills of Gandhamardan Hills, is a popular picnic spot against a backdrop of temples and a waterfall. The Bhairabi Temples, devoted to the worship of Vishnu, dates back to 15th century. The Bhairabi Temples, a pilgrimage site in Western Orissa, bears inscriptions in porto-Oriyan script that is a study itself. Another tourist attraction that makes Harishankar a popular tourist destination on your tour to Bolangir is the Papanasi spring, the waters of which have the purity to absolve the greatest sins.
The twin villages of Ranipur - Jharial are a must visit on your tour to Bolangir for the temples that are of historical and archeological significance. The most prominent of all the temples set on a rock outcrop is the Hypaethral Temple. One of the four remaining Hypaethral Temples in Orissa is dedicated to 64 goddesses that in turn served Goddess Kali. The circular temple has 64 cells that once housed the sculptures of the 64 yoginis or goddesses. The Hypaethral temple, also known as the 64 Yogini Shrine, and the adjoining Vishnu Temples are a must visit on your tour to Bolangir.
Other places that you can visit on your tour to Bolangir include the Kapilaswar temple in Charda, the Radha Krishna Temple and Banhha Bata in Papakshya Ghat, the Jogeswar Temple in Jogisarada and the temples at Sonepur (located on the confluence of Mahanadi and Tel rivers).
The tunnel way at Debi Chandlipat and the temples of Patnagarh (the ancient capital of Patna Kingdom) are other places that you ought to see on your tour to Bolangir. You can also visit the stone images of Nabagraha at Nabagraha Kunda on your tour to Bolangir.
