Southern Odisha in 4 Days: Gopalpur, Daringbadi and Koraput
4 DAYS7 placesby WaTrips
Tara Tarini and Gopalpur beach, Taptapani's springs and Daringbadi, Koraput's Sabara Srikhetra, Deomali and Duduma Falls.
Southern Odisha is green, hilly and little visited. Day one visits the Tara Tarini hill temple and the quiet beach at Gopalpur. Day two stops at the hot springs of Taptapani and climbs to Daringbadi in the Kandhamal hills. Day three reaches Koraput and the Sabara Srikhetra temple. Day four goes up Deomali, the highest peak in Odisha, and to the tall Duduma Falls. This is tribal country, best explored with local respect and good timing; October to February is the most pleasant.
Tara Tarini Temple stands on a hill above the Rushikulya River, about 30 km from Berhampur. It is one of the oldest Shakti Peethas, where the twin goddesses Tara and Tarini are worshipped as two stone images adorned with gold and silver. The rebuilt temple is reached by 999 steps, a road or a ropeway. Tuesdays in the month of Chaitra draw huge crowds.
Gopalpur-on-Sea, about 16 km from Berhampur, was a busy port in the days of the East India Company and later a favoured beach resort. Today it is a quiet seaside town with a long sandy beach, an old lighthouse and the ruins of colonial warehouses and bungalows. The surf can be rough. Sunrise over the Bay of Bengal is the highlight.
Taptapani, about 50 km from Berhampur, is a hot sulphur spring in the forested Eastern Ghats. The water is channelled into a pond beside the shrine of a tribal goddess, where devotees make offerings. The spring is believed to have medicinal properties, and the state tourism lodge pipes it to its baths. The hill road and cool climate add to its appeal.
Daringbadi is a hill station in Kandhamal district at about 900 metres, sometimes called the 'Kashmir of Odisha' because winter temperatures can fall close to freezing. Pine forests, coffee and pepper plantations, waterfalls and viewpoints are its attractions. It is one of the few places in the state to see frost. October to February is the season.
Sabara Srikhetra in Koraput is a Jagannath temple built in 1972 on a hilltop, intended as a shrine open to all, including tribal communities and visitors of every faith who cannot enter the temple at Puri. The white complex also has shrines to many other deities and a small tribal museum nearby. Rath Yatra is celebrated here.
Deomali, at about 1,672 metres in Koraput district, is the highest peak in Odisha. A road now climbs most of the way to the rolling grassy summit, which gives wide views over the Eastern Ghats. It is popular for trekking, camping and paragliding. The hills are greenest just after the monsoon.
Duduma Falls is formed where the Machkund River drops about 157 metres into a deep gorge on the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. A hydroelectric project uses the water, and viewpoints near the power station look across to the fall. It is fullest during and after the monsoon. The area is home to the Bonda and Gadaba tribes.
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