Bhawanipatna

Bhawanipatna (Odia: ଭବାନୀପାଟଣା) is a city and the district headquarter of the Kalahandi district in the Indian state of Odisha. Bhawanipatna is a city of numerous temples dedicated to different deities of Hindu pantheon. It is named after the presiding deity, Bhawani-Shankar. para (pronounced "padaa"). Originally, these paras were inhabited by people of different communities, but over the last few decades, these Paras have become homogeneous. Bhawanipatna has more than forty-two paras. It is one of the peaceful and biggest urban areas of Western Odisha. There are many tourist places worth visiting near the city.

Bhawanipatna municipality is the administrative head of the city, which is divided into twenty wards with different sub-areas called

Bhawanipatna is located at 19.9°N 83.17°E. It has an average elevation of 248 m (814 ft). Bhawanipatna is located in the centre of large mountains and plateaus. It has eastern ghat mountains in its eastern frontier.

Bhawanipatna has a tropical wet and dry climate, temperatures remain moderate throughout the year, except from March to June, which can be extremely hot. The temperature in April–May sometimes rises above 48 °C (118 °F).These summer months also have dry and hot winds. In summers, the temperature can also go up to 50 °C. The city receives about 1,300 millimetres (51 in) of rain, mostly in the monsoon season from late June to early October. Winters last from November to January and are mild, although lows can fall to 5 °C (41 °F).

Tourist Places in Bhawanipatna

• Maa Manikeshwari Mandir and Chatar jatra

 Manikeshwari Mandir is located in the heart of Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district of Odisha. The temple is located at the centre Bhawanipatna. The main deity here is Goddess Manikeshwari. There's a small temple of Budharaja that's kept opened for only two days each year. The main devotees are from the fishermen community. During Chatar Jatra, animal sacrifice is offered by people . A film is also documented showing the ritual of animal sacrifice, before Goddess Manikeshwari.

Chatar Jatra-2017

• Phurlijharan

Phurlijharan is one of the most famous tourist spots in Kalahandi. Fifteen Kilometres from Bhawanipatna, Phurlijharan is a perennial water fall about 30 ft in height and has a special charm of its own. The multi coloured rainbow created by the sunrays falling on the scattered water particles of the fall is an amusing sight to be seen. The evergreen forests around the fall provide ample opportunities to group picnickers.

• Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary

Karlapat Waterfall

Present on SH-44 Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary (Odia: କର୍ଲାପାଟ୍;Hindi: कर्लापाट्) is a wildlife sanctuary located in Kalahandi district and a very popular tourist attraction of Odisha in India. Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary is 12 km from Bhawanipatna, the district headquarters of Kalahandi district
 The sanctuary covers an area of 255 km². It lies within the Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests ecoregion. Major plant communities include mixed deciduous forests and scrublands.It has also high mineral deposit like bauxite and manganese etc.

This sanctuary is home to many wildlife species like tiger, leopard, gaur, sambar, nilgai, barking deer, mouse deer, a wide variety of birds and reptiles. 

• District Museum

District Museum is situated in the city near New Bus stand on NH-26. It has many artifacts and manuscripts, paintings and many rare items from historic periods (Asurgarh coins, Gudahandi paintings etc.)

• Kalahandi Rajmahal

      The Rajmahal of Kalahandi is situated at the center of the city near the Manikeshwari Temple which dignifies the golden history of princely Karond (Kalahandi) State and its brilliant architecture.The Naga dynasty started ruling Kalahandi in 1006. The Nagas of Kalahandi are the only dynasty in Odisha having a record of thousand years (1050–1948). In 1853, the Nagpur state lapsed to the British Crown as Raghujee III died without an heir and Kalahandi came under the control of the British during the reign of Raja Fate Narayan Deo who shifted also the capital of Kalahandi from Kalahandinagara 

(Junagarh) to Bhaumadevapatna alias Bhawanipatna and accorded recognition to the local deity Manikeswari.
In 1855, first Kond rebellion took Place. Lt. Macneill, the agent of the hilly tracts was attacked at Urladani when the latter arrested Rindo Majhi.
In 1882, the second Kond rebellion took place during the reign of queen Asha Kumari.
Kalahandi became a princely state under British and known as Karonda Mandal. Maharaja Pratap Keshari Deo, the Ex-Maharaja of Kalahandi, in one of his articles expressed his view that the historical significance of naming Kalahandi as Karunda Mandala is based on the availability of Corundum in .

this region. Manikeswari (the goddess of Manikya), the clan deity of the Naga kings of Kalahandi may have also necessitated the adoption of the name

•  Jakam

Jakam is a tourist attraction on SH-44 (20 km away). It has a wooden guest house so that one can spent some time to feel natural beauty and glimpse of nature and wildlife. Situated at the central point of Karlapat Santuary its connected with regular bus and taxi services from Bhawanipatna. Jakam is also home for several useful and medicinal plants found abundantly in this region. Picnic is no longer permitted here as per DFO Kalahandi.

• Bhagirathi Park

Bhagirathi park is present to the south of the city on SH-44 (3km) is one of the largest and beautiful park of the state with state of the art creative art, tribal art and culture with modern monuments that spread the message of peace and harmony for mankind.

• Rabandhara Waterfall

Rabandhar is one of the most famous tourist and picnic spots near Bhawanipatna. 
Its  15 kilometres from city, Rabandhar consists of two separate waterfalls, one being "Rabandhara" and another "Bada Rabandhara" waterfall situated upstream about 2 KM above "Rabandhara" waterfall. Both of them are Perennial Waterfall about 25 ft and 45ft in height respectively. 
It has a shiv temple near the waterfall with a special charm of its own.

• Bhatangpadar Dam

Downstream there's Rabandhara Dam near Bhatangpadar Village which is a picnic destination situated 7 KM from Bhawanipatna.

• Permunji

Permunji is a nursery situated at the foot of great mountain, a place for picnics. Elephants are commonly seen near the nursery crossing roads.

• Hello Point

Hello Point is a picnic spot and valley view point 75 km from Bhawanipatna. It is present on the top of the eastern ghats from where half of the Kalahandi district is visible including Junagarh, Kalampur block etc. One can receive signal from all telecom services for mobile, therefore it is named as Hello Point.

• Indravati Dam

Indravati Dam or Upper Indravati Hydro Power Project is one of the largest Dam in India as well as Asia. It is the largest dam in eastern India which produces 600MW of electricity. The Upper Indravati Project envisages diversion of water, of the indravati river in its upper reaches into the Mahanadi valley for power generation and irrigation.

The project involves construction of 4 dams across the Indravati and its tributaries 8 dykes and two inter-linking channels to from a single reservoir with a live capacity of 1435.5 Mcum, 4.32 km. tunnel, a power house with installation of 4 units of 150 MW each turbines, 9 km. tail race channel and an irrigation barrage across Hati river with the associated irrigation canals i.e., Left Canal and Right Canal.

Irrigation from left canal is done in Kalampur, Koksara, Junagarh and Dharmagarh Block where Asia's longest aqueduct is made on Tel River near Odisha border. And right canal is done is Junagarh (Nandol area)and Bhawanipatna Block, the construction work is under process in Karlapada block where it merges with Ret River. The water comes from mainly Indravati River, Pet fula Naal etc.