Archive for the 'Hills and hill stations' Category

Getting to the Gandhamardan Hills

Balangir, Bargarh, Gandhamardan Hill Range (needs to be made), Hills and hill stations, Nuapada, Railway maps, Road maps 2 Comments »

The two main access point to this hill is the Nrushinghanath Temple (Baragarh district) in the North side and the Harishankar temple and falls (Balangir district) in the south side. The road distance between the two is 40 kms and one can walk on the mountain top between these two places through a day long 16 km hike. The following three maps show these areas.

Nrusinghanatha and Harishankar Temples in Gandhamardana Hills

Balangir, Bargarh, Gandhamardan Hill Range (needs to be made), Hills and hill stations, Nature spots, Temples Comments Off on Nrusinghanatha and Harishankar Temples in Gandhamardana Hills

Following is from the site http://www.orissatourism.gov.in/nrusingh.html.

Located in the sacred Gandhamardan Hills, which according to legends, Hanuman carried on his shoulders from the Himalayas as described in the ancient epic Ramayana, the temple at Nrusinghanath is an important pilgrimage site. It is also an exceedingly fascinating and beautifully  located temple and is worth the journey to this rather remote spot.

The present temple, located at the source of the Papaharini stream, is a 14th century structure built on a more ancient site. The four pillars within the Jagmohana suggest that the earlier temple was built in the 9th century. The beautiful doorframes have been dated to the 11th century.

The site of the temple is unique. Stone steps wind up the hillside behind the temple, leading past a  waterfall, and eventually curving under the falls to a spot where some beautiful, and very well- preserved relief sculptures are found. The climb to the carvings and return journey will take about an hour. Since shoes are not permitted on these sanctified pilgrimage steps, those with tender feet should take along a pair of heavy socks for the climb.

On the opposite slope of the hill on which the temple is located, is the Harishankar Temple. Between the two temples there is a 16 km. plateau, littered with Buddhist ruins that scholars feel may be the remains of the ancient university of Parimalagiri, referred to by the seventh-century Chinese traveler Hiuen T’sang as ‘Po-lo-mo-lo-ki-li’. The trek along this plateau is a long one, but for the serious student of history, it is an unforgettable experience.

Following is from http://www.mapsofindia.com/orissa/tourism/harishankar-falls.html.

he Harishankar Falls is located in Balangir, on the Southern slope of the Gandhamardhan hills. The waters of the Harishankar Falls gushes down the slopes in a series of captivating waterfalls that creates an out of the world scene.

At a distance of about 81 Kilometers is located the pilgrimage site of Harishankar. This locations is encapsulated in the charm of nature and is the shrine of the dual Hindu deity, Hari and Shankar. A very holy place for both the Vaishnavs and the Shaivites, Harishankar is the popular pilgrimage spot. The Harishankar Falls is a part of this pious place and the water of the Harishankar Falls cascades down to the granite floor of the shrines. The Harishankar Falls also acts as a natural shower for the pilgrims.

The site http://satyeshnaik.blogspot.com/2008/08/trip-to-nursinghnathnursinghanath.html has some beautiful pictures of the area.

Travelcheck.in has a good collection of articles on Orissa spots

Chandipur, Chilika, Circuit: Bhubaneswar-Chilika-Puri, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Heritage sites, Hills and hill stations, Historical places, Konark, Mahanadi tourism, National Parks and Sanctuaries, Nature spots, Puri, Similpal, Sites in and around Bhubaneswar, Temples, TOURISM, ENTERTAINMENT and SHOPPING, Tourist promotion, Travelogue 1 Comment »

Their page on Orissa is at http://www.travelcheck.in/index.php/orissa. The list of sites in Orissa that they cover are:

Travel tales of Orissa: a beautiful blog of travels to various scenic places and temples in Orissa

Ecotourism, Hills and hill stations, Lakes, Mahanadi tourism, Nature spots, Puri, Travelogue, Waterfalls 2 Comments »

Following are the links as of today:

Mahendragiri and Daringibari to be included in the “Destination Tourism” list: Samaja

Gajapati, Hills and hill stations, Kandhamala, Nature spots Comments Off on Mahendragiri and Daringibari to be included in the “Destination Tourism” list: Samaja

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