Harishankar

The foaming waters sparkle vibrantly, acting as a delightful contrast to the unmelting hardness of the granite bed from which it cascades through the sun-dappled jungle. Echoing its joyful song, birds and bathers thronging the pool created by the swirling waters seem to give thanks to Hari and Shankar, the reigning deities of Harishankar Temple perched on the southern slope of Gandhamardan hills, the hill side is famed for medicinal plants. It is about 81 km from Balangir.

Ranipur-Jharial                              <Photo gallery Ranipur Jharial>
Ranipur-Jharial is an important archeological site situated in Balangir district of Orissa[1]. The site is situated at a distance of 104 km from Balangir town and 35 km from Titilagarh town. The site consists of the twin villages of Ranipur abd Jharial. It has been mentioned as Soma Tirtha in scriptures, the place combined a cross section of religious faiths like Saivism, Buddhism, Vaisnivism and Tantrism. In the past, queens used to live at Ranipur and Jharial was a fort.

The Somavanshi Keshari kings built many temples here that can be dated back to the 9th/10th century AD. It is said that there were at least 200 temples covering an area of about half a mile in length and a quarter of a mile in width. The largest stone temple is 'Someswar Siva', which stands on the banks of the river. It was constructed by a famous Mattamayura Shaivacharya Gagana Siva whose inscription can be found on the lintel of the temple

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