Toshali Sands

Kalahandi The magical land of Tribals

From the well known Golden Triangle of Puri, Konark and Bhubaneswar, to the brilliantly executed temples throughout Orissa. Kalahandi beckons are discrening traveller who with his back-pack years for his place in the sun. With a large percentage of tribals who have managed to keep their culture intact, Kalhandi is simply the first and the last word in ethnic Art and Craft.

The environment with it breath-taking array of warm, over-whelming forests which are dark been during the day owing to the Sun-light which falls in patches, to the juge mountains and craggy hills, continues to inspire the Tribal artists who skillfully weave the magic of their surroundings in their work. Dotted with Water-falls and developing towns, Kalahandi is a wonderful combination of ethnic civilization which is adapting itself to the demands of modernity.

The district headquarters of Kalahandi district named after its presiding diety Bhawanisankar is Bhawnipatna. A growing populatin and more job opportunities attract many hopefuls to Bhawanipatna. It is a convenient base for touring the various places of interest of the district.

General Information
Railfall 137.8 cm
Climate min. Temp (in Dec) 19′70C
Max Tem (in April) 41′60C
Language spoken Oriya, Hindi, English and Tribal language
Clothing Light cotton in summer and woolen in winter
Best Season October to June

What to see
Temples dedicated to Manikeswari (inside the Raja’s palace0 Kali Thakurani Balaji Mahaprabhu, Rsikaraji, Ramaswamy Bhawanisankar, Bhandeswar, Jagnnath, Madan Mohan, Gopinath (indiaa Raja’s palace), Jaleswar, Taratarini and Radhkrushna

Approach
Air Nearest Airport is at Bhubaneswar - 418 kms
Rail Nearest railways station is at Kesinga - 35 kms
Road 418 kms, By road from Bhubaneswar, it is connected by regular bus services from Bhubanewsar, Berhampur and other important places of the State.

Internal Transport
Auto Rickhaws and Cycle Rickshaws.

Fairs and Festivals
Car festival of Lord Jagnnath (June-July), Rama Navami (marhc-April ) and Dushere the festival of Gooddess Manikeswari (Septemebr - October) are the main festivals.

Shopping
Bhawanipatna is a trading mart of importance with wholesale trading in forest products.

Information and Assistance
Tourist Office, Bhawanipatna, Phone - 402
Gram - ORISSA TOUR, Dist. Kalahandi.

More
Naupada
The Healing Waters of Taptapani
Bhattarika - The Goddess of the Mountains
The Waves, the Surf and the Palms-Beaches Of Orissa