It’s a lesser known fact in the history of India’s freedom struggle that the erstwhile King of Sambalpur, Odisha, played an important part in the country’s independence. He had led an uprising against the British East India Company well before Mangal Pandey did. Though this continues to remain missing from the annals of history, the locals of Sambalpur are extremely proud of this fact, and rightfully so.
Sambalpur has an exotic, unique blend of language, culture, customs, trade, cuisine and festivals, something the city has perfected over centuries and is still evident in the daily lives of those living in this beautiful city.
While progress is reaching Sambalpur, the city continues to hold on to its old-school, small-town ways and values. The architecture here is fascinating, with many buildings built over a century ago still standing proud with the same façade. The planning of the older parts of the city is in a maze-like form, reminiscent of the city’s past. Nature’s maze in Sambalpur is rather stunning as well, making this the ideal holiday spot for the curious traveler.
The Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur that is located across the Mahanadi River is the biggest tourist attraction in the city, one that is known the world over. It is one of the largest earthen dams in the world, and creates an artificial lake that invites migratory birds in hordes every year. The most fascinating thing here, perhaps, is the hidden temples that got submerged in the water after the dam was completely built. These can be spotted in summer when the water recedes. Unfortunately the structures of some of the temples are disappearing from being under water, but some are still intact.
The Chiplima, which is located about 37 km from the main city, is a natural waterfall that helps generate electricity. It also doubles up as a great picnic spot and a huge tourist attraction. There’s much to explore in this intriguing city, ranging from its quant local markets to its colorful festivals.
Getting around Sambalpur is fairly easy. There are a number of bus routes within the city. Auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws also ply almost everywhere. Taxis are also available and you can even hire private cabs or cars to roam around at your own pace. Better yet, walk around to discover the city on your own.
On a daily basis there are approximately 28 flights that operate at Raipur Airport.IndiGo and Air India are the most popular airline brands that fly frequently to this airport.
Besides flying you can also reach Sambalpur through train.Sambalpur, Sambalpur Road, Sambalpur Cityare some of the most popular train stations in Sambalpur.On an average about 100+ trains pass through Sambalpur on a daily basis.Jharsuguda to Sambalpur, Bargarh to Sambalpur, Raurkela to Sambalpurare some of the most popular routes to Sambalpur with 79, 69, 67 trains weekly respectively.
By road Sambalpur is surrounded by Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh which are 23.96 km, 26.14 km, 43.31 km away respectively. These places are ideal spots for people to plan their short weekend break.