Situated amidst natural surroundings, Rourkela is
counted amongst the beautiful cities of Orissa. It emerged on the
national panorama with the onset of steel plants in 1955. Located on the
banks of Brahmani River, Rourkela holds the distinction of being the
second largest city of Orissa. In the local dialect, the term 'Rourkela'
means 'our village'. Though this city has come a far way from
the impression of village, it has still maintained the cultural roots of
India.
It also has the distinction of embracing Rourkela Steel Plant, one of
the most modern as well as the largest steel plants of India. Owned by
Steel Authority of India (SAIL), Rourkela Steel Plant was founded with
Indo-German collaboration. The literacy rate of the city is cent
percent. Rourkela is also contributing to the educational development of
India, with its esteemed technology institution - National Institute of
Technology (NIT).
Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) of Rourkela is the one of
the very few technology universities, which produces toppers in the
fields of technology and medicine. Rourkela is well linked with all the
parts of the country by roadways and railways. Bhubaneswar connects the
city by air. Rourkela has a number of tourist attractions that are worth
visiting.
Mandira Dam
Sited at a distance of 25 kms from Rourkela, Mandira Dam has been made
across the Sankha River. It was built to strengthen the irrigation
services of the region. Presently, this dam supplies water to no less
than 250 surrounding villages. Offering an ideal site for picnic,
Mandira Dam has a site for boating too.
Vedavyas
Vedavyas is an alluring place, located at the confluence of the rivers
Shankha, Koel and Saraswati. It is famous for its natural beauty as
wells as for a Vedic Ashram. Vedavyas is regarded as a 'Tirtha',
as Maharishi Vyas wrote 'Mahabharata' here only.
Junagarh
Located at a distance of 4 kms from Hemagiri and 15 kms from Kanika,
Junagarh is famous for an ancient fort. This fort is of historical as
well as archaeological importance. It has some caves embracing signs of
'tantra' worship.
Khandadhar
Khandadhar is famous for its lovely waterfalls. Sited at a distance of
114 kms from Rourkela, Khandadhar is the best waterfall in Orissa. This
waterfall is sourced from the perennial Korapani Nala. With height of
244 m, Khandadhar waterfall is the highest waterfall in Orissa and
fourth highest in India.
Darjeeng
Sited on the banks of Brahmani River, Darjeeng lies 51 km from
Rourkela. This place makes an ideal picnic spot for the city dwellers.
Deodarham is a gorge on the river that is accessible on foot from here.
Hanuman Vatika
Hanuman Vatika is the pride of Rourkela, with its 75 feet tall statute
of Lord Hanuman. Bata Mangala Mandir, Binayaka Mandir and Manas Parayana
Sharala are some temples that are situated in the vicinity.
Maa Vaishno Devi Temple
Situated on the top of a hill, Maa Vaishno Devi Temple offers a
spectacular view of the region. The spiritual divinity amidst the
natural setting provides a heavenly charm to this temple. Inside it, one
can see the images of Goddess Kali, Goddess Lakshami and Goddess
Saraswati.
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