Keonjhar
Keonjhargarh (also known as Kendujhargarh, a more phonetically correct spelling) is the district headquarter of Keonjhar District in Odisha (formerly Orissa).
Get in
By road
National Highway 520 crosses the city. Also it is well connected by road to Bhubaneswar (270 km), Cuttack (2400 km)and PURI (370 Km.) and Rourkela (270 km) and Kolkata (4200 km). Some other major cities having road connection to it are Jamshedpur and Ranchi.
Daily regular bus service is available from all the above cities.
By plane
There is an air strip 4 km away at Raisuan, but it has no service operating. The nearest airport is at Bhubaneswar (BBI)- 268 km (capital of Odisha). Ranchi Airport (IXR) is 210 km away.
By road
National Highway 6 crosses the city. Also it is well connected by road to Bhubaneswar (210 km), Cuttack (190 km), Puri (300 km) and Rourkela (200 km), and Kolkata (350 km). Some other major cities having road connection to it are Jamshedpur and Ranchi.
Daily regular bus service is available from all the above cities.
By train
Keonjhar is part of Daitari-Bansapani rail link. There is one daily express train service from Puri via and Jakhapura with stops at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack (Train Number 18416).
Get around
See
Temples
This city has a lot of temples.
- 🌍 Baldevjew Temple. The largest temple.
- Maa Tarinee Temple (near Anandpur (30 km). You may go by bus or by reservation. Bus fare is ₹20 from Anandpur and ₹110 from Bhubaneswar.).
- 🌍
Maa Tarini Temple, Ghatgaon (40 km from Keonjhar on NH 215 Panikoili to Keonjhar).
- Murga Mahadev, On the way to Jharkhand. Shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva
- 🌍 Lord Jagannath Temple, Purusottampur village.
- 🌍 Lord Shiv Temple, Purusottampur village.
Historical places
- The Palaces. The palaces of the erstwhile rulers are in ruins. They are a treat to see.
Archaeology
- 🌍 Stone age rock paintings (can be found at Sitabinji (30 km).).
For nature lovers there are a number of places to relax and unwind. Almost the entire district is covered with forest and dotted with waterfalls. A few of these are:
- 🌍
Badaghagara. waterfall
- Sanaghagara (6 km). A small but very beautiful waterfall.
- Bhimkund. This is a beautiful waterfall on river Baitarani. Shaped like a tub (that is why named "kund", Oriya for tub), legend is that in during Mahabhatrath this was used by Bhima.
- 🌍 Gundicha Ghagi. A beautiful waterfall near Ghatagaon Maa Tarini Temple. (A total of 13 km. 8 km is good road + 5 km zigzag road. Go safely.)
Do
Buy
Terracota figurines are quite distinctive. Make excellent souvenirs.
Eat
It has a few air-conditioned restaurants which serve indian cuisine. Roadside stalls also serve Indian fast food. Speciality of this town is for 2 food items that you will rarely get outside.
- Flower Badi (Phonetically spelled close to Phoola bodi)- This is made from black gram and is shaped like a flower. To eat you have to fry it or roast it. It is really tasty as a side dish with rice and curry .
- Tata- It is a sweet dish offered as prasad in the Baldevjew temple.
- Pokhal Bhat