Orissa State in India doesn’t have great tourist attractions except for the mysterious disappearing beach in Chandipur and one of the most sacred Jagannath temple are located in Puri. Well, this is my assumption only that got blasted away when I found out there too many excellent holiday destinations in Orissa that include hill stations, waterfalls, wildlife sanctuaries, incredible temples, freshwater lakes, dams, and scenic beaches.
There are as many as 10 wildlife sanctuaries in Orissa that I intend to write about, later. There are beautiful hill stations in Orissa.The world famous Sun temple in Konarak, the Lingaraj temple that has exquisite stone carvings and architecture are fantastic sightseeing places near Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa (now, Odisha) State, India.
Today, my all-time fascination-hill stations in Orissa are going to be the subject of this blog post.
9 Beautiful Hill Stations in Orissa around Bhubaneswar:
1. Daringbadi hill station
Watch this short video clip of the Darinbody hill station in Orissa before entering the hill station.
Daringbadi hill station cannot be classified under tall hill stations as its elevation is only 3000 feet. However, this hill station is all the people of Orissa have and they love to throng it during summer. For them, it is the ‘Kashmir of Orissa’. Coffee, tea, and turmeric are aggressively cultivated here.
It became famous during the British period only and in fact, is named after a British officer named Daring.
One of the scenic spots in Daringbody.
How to go to Daring Body hill station?
Roads and rail networks connect you comfortably with Daringbody hill station in Orissa. By road, you can go from Bhubaneswar which is 250 km away.
If train travel is your fancy like me, you can catch a train from Bhubaneshwar and get down at the nearest train station Brahmapur which is 12 km from Daringbody.
Sightseeing places in Daringbody hill station, Orissa.
- Patudi waterfalls
- Doluri river
- Badangia waterfalls
- Ludu waterfalls
- Duluri picnic spot
- Rushikulya river
- Dasingbadi waterfalls,
2. Mahendragiri hill station, Orissa
Hmm, it has a good elevation, buddy. It stands at nearly 5000 feet! This quaint hill station in Orissa is part of the less popular Eastern Ghats when compared to the more greenish Western Ghats. However, though lacking big patronage, this place doesn’t lack in evergreen thick forests.
Since the forests in Mahendragiri are full of rare natural and medicinal herbs, staying in this small hill station in Orissa is said to bring wonders to your health. You can shop around for herbal medicines for myriad maladies in Mahendragiri.
Mahendragiri forests are great for a nature walk. On your way, you will come across caves and small waterfalls too.
Bhubaneshwar is located 245 km north of Mahendragiri. However, reaching Mahendragiri requires more effort and time.
Your first destination is Brahmapur. This is located 170 km from Bhubaneshwar. From Brahmapur, you have to reach Paralakhemundi. This involves traveling another 120 km. Your third stop is Kaniapur that is a further 45 km away.
Your final travel leg involves traveling 19 km in a jeep to reach Burkhat pass.
No, you have not reached Mahendragiri, mate. You have to trek a full 10 km on foot to reach the herbal Mahendragiri hill station. I read you can find jeep at sometimes to take you through the last 10 km also.
No options to stay in Mahendragiri except in your own tents. There are a few Government owned accommodations in Jeranga and Paralakhemundi.
3. Olasuni hill
Located just on the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar (86 km only). This hill station attracts the least number of visitors throughout the year except on one day.
Sorry, I could not find any good image of this small hill station in Orissa. Known to attract pilgrims on Magh Ekadasi festival, other non-religious people also try to make the most of the day when they join the pilgrims.
Surprisingly, there are more accommodations available in Olasuni Hill Station than Mahendragiri. You can receive offers for homestay. A few serviced cottages are also available.
4. Dumuriput Hill, Orissa
Its elevation is about 3300 feet surrounded by smaller hills and vast plains. Bhubaneshwar is far away at nearly 500 but the port city Vizag is only a little less than 200 km away. There is a huge Hanuman statue on top of a hill that can be seen from any place near the Dumuriput hill.
The nearest railway station is Koraput that is only 15 km away from Dumuriput hill.
5. Taptapani
It stands on an elevated plateau at about 1700 feet. The major attraction is the hot water spring that surrounded by green forest. This small hill station in Orissa attracts a fairly large crowd who come mainly to take a dip at the natural geyser and to see the small deer park.
Once again, Brahmapur that is also known as Berhampur acts as the gateway to Taptapani hills. There are no facilities to stay overnight at this hill station. One can opt to stay in Mohana, a town located 24 km north of Taptapani. Bhubaneshwar city is 260 km away to its north.
There are 5 more hill stations in Orissa that I would call only as ‘hilly places’ and not hill stations. Nevertheless, they are located at an elevated place and thus offering pleasant temperatures that one would look out for in a hill station. Therefore, in that sense, these are those hill stations in Orissa that can act as summer escapes.
6. Dhenkanal-60 km from Bhubaneshwar
7. Deuli Hills-550 km from Bhubaneshwar
8. Barbil-290 km from Bhubaneshwar
9. Tensa Hill-325 km from Bhubaneshwar
It is definitely safe to conclude that Orissa State in India is not lacking in hillside attractions.
4 comments
useful info – hope to visit some day
This is a great informative post. Thank you for letting us know of so many places in Orissa that are not as famous as Jagannath Temple, of Sun Temple of Konark or Chilika Lake. So many places in India we do not know because they are not publicised.
Loved the suggestions.
Great post, Jane Sophia. Thanks for the photo, especially the Hanumanji idol. Looks awesome and quite impressive, isn’t it?
Comments are closed.