Sambalpur is one of the ancient places in India and it is also the fifth-largest city in Odisha. It has become a major communication and commercial hub of Odisha. This city is well-known for its historic buildings and parks. Sambalpur is also famous for its Odiya cuisines like pakhala bhat, fried fish, alu baigan jhol, jhuri bhaja, aamisa jhol, and panasa tarkari. None should miss these traditional dishes of Sambalpur otherwise the tour will be incomplete for them.
Top 5 tourist places in Sambalpur
1. Samaleswari Temple – It is the temple where people can see the idol of the central sacred Goddess Sambaleswari and visitors can also feel a magical and heavenliness atmosphere here.
2. Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary – It is the place of numerous wildlife creatures and apart from that, a great number of migratory birds like the great crested grebe and the red-crested pochard visit here in winter.
3. Gudguda Waterfall – It is one of the most beautiful picnic spots in Odisha and it is also good for photography and trekking.
4. Huma Temple – This temple is called the Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva and the central deity of this temple is Bimaleswar Siva.
5. Ghanteswari Temple – There are thousands of bells around this temple; people give bells to the Goddess Ghanteshwari after fulfilling their wishes.
Best time to visit Sambalpur
Winter is the best time for visiting Sambalpur. The months from October to February are the perfect time when people can enjoy its beauty and charm as the temperature remains around 22° Celsius. People should not visit Sambalpur in the summer and monsoon season due to the scorching heat and the heavy rainfall.
How to reach Sambalpur
To reach Sambalpur, people can travel by train up to any of these four railway stations – Sambalpur, Sambalpur Road, Hirakud, and Sambalpur City.
The three nearest airports from Sambalpur are Swami Vivekananda International Airport, Biju Patnaik International Airport, and Raipur. A new airport named Jharsuguda is also being built now.
The nearest bus terminuses from Sambalpur are located at Ainthapali and Laxmi Talkies Chhaka. Arriving at any of the bus stands, people can take taxis or auto-rickshaws to visit Sambalpur.