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Tourist Places of Kalahandi |
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Amathguda is a fort, situated on the right bank of the river Tel to the place where the road leading towards Balangir crosses the river. It is now incomplete ruins.Nothing is definitely known about this fort as its remains have not yet been investigated. The fort, presumably, was of considerable strategic importance in view of the fact that it stood close to the point where the river was fordedd since ancient time.Theroad which spanned the river by a low bridge ran almost on the old route.Another bridge was constructed abo9ut a few metres away from the old ruined bridge. Portions of this new bridge have been washed away by the highfloods in river Tel that occured in 1977. |
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Asurgarh is a small village situated in Narla Police Station area and is known for the remains of old fort. It is 5 KM from Narla and 3 Kms from Rupra Road Railway station. Not far from the village is an oval shaped tank nearly 200 acres (80.9374 Hects.) in area. Between the tank and the river Sandul lie the ruins of a fort called Asurgarh. The fort in its original shape was rectangular covering a wide extent of land encircled by a boat. It has four entrances one each on the East, West, South and North where the deities Ganga Devi, Kala Pahad, Vaishnavi and Budharaja are respectively being worshipped. Inside the fort, there is a small halmets where Goddess Dokari (Literally means "Old Lady"), the presiding deity of the fort is worshipped. The central part of the fort has a higher elevation with a round on it, which is supposed to be the ruins of a palace. Local people believe that the fort was the seal of a demon kind called GOSINHA DAITYA. |
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Ampani 77 K.Ms from Bhawanipatna the picturesque Ampani hills present a panoramic view of nature. A frolicking vally called "Haladigundi" in thishill range exhibits some peculiar features due to the reflected rays on the sun. In the morning and evening the objects of vision appear yellow. The whole area abounds in spotted deer, Sambar and Black Panthers who can be seen at the Behera reservoir. 5 K.Ms away are the pre-historic cave paintings at Gudahandi. |
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Belakhandi Situated on the confluence of the river Tel and Uttei, two tributaries of the river Mahanadi, Belkhandi has gained prominence as a centre of religious activities and archaeological importance with a picture-sque site. Besides the temples now standing therein, ruuins of 12th Century monuments have been excavated from there in the recent past.Among the sculptures unearthed images of Sapta Matruka (Seven Mother Goddesses) and Uma Maheswar arenote-worthy. The ruins of Belkhandi are preserved in a small museum adjacent to the temple premises. It is also an ideal site for an outing. This place is 67 K.Ms from Bhawanipatna. |
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Gudahandi The Gudahandi hills are situated in the vicinity of Khaligarh, a tiny villoage close to the Koraput District boarder, about 17.6 K.Ms North-East of Ampani. Ampani is 77 K.Ms from Bhawanipatna on the road towards Nawarangpur. In the Gudahandi hills are some ancient caves bearing pictographic paintings of remote antiquity, Khaligarh is a very out of the way place, the 17.6 K.Ms of Ampani being cart tracxt parts of which pass through dense forest.
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Junagarh The old Capital of the Ex-State of Kalahandi. Junagarh was a well built fort, the fortified area has a number of temples with Oriya incriptions. This is a place which has sculptural evidence of the "Sati-Rite" which was prevalent in medieval India and was stopped during the British Rule byLord William Bentick. The sculptures are identified as Sati Pillars which can make interesting study. Junagarh is 26 K.Ms from Bhawanipatna |
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Karlapat is a small village in Th.Rampur Police Station area. Nearby, there is a Water fall called "Khandual" fall at the foot of a hill the top of which is the abode of a female deity called "Khandua". The fall was formerly utilised in some indigenous manner of operating a crushing mill. At Karlapat there is a temple dedicated to "MANIKESWARI |
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Lanjigarh is a village situated to the South-East of Bhawanipatna neae the Kalahandi-Koraput border. It is 64 K.Ms from Bhawanipatna by road. The 428 Ft. high summit of the Niamgiri hillssituated just on the district border overlooks a narrow valley to its North of which Lanjigarh forms the appex.
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Mohangiri is a village in Madanpur-Rampur Police Station close to Boudh-Kandhamals District border in the North-East corner of the district. It is 35 K.Ms from Madanpur Rampur. The village is near a hill stream called Kali Ganga. A dilapidated Siva Temple stands on the Bank of the stream. There are a few short epigraphic records on its walls and pillars. |
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Phurlijharan |
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Rabandarh |