Sundargarh: Discover Nature and Culture

A trip to Sundargarh brings together a wide range of experiences: Khandadhar Waterfall and Kanhakund as distinctive landscape destinations, activities at Mandira Dam, and religious programmes at Hanuman Vatika. The natural sites differ both in their form and in the kind of experience they offer. This lets you choose your focus: a great height, a gorge with varied features, an activity on the water, or a religious occasion.

Nature among waterfalls, gorges and dams

Khandadhar Waterfall is a tourist destination in Sundargarh district. A continuous stream of water plunges almost 244 metres over rugged rocks. The height and course of the water make this a clear nature-focused destination for travellers seeking a single, striking landform. The focus here is the water’s vertical drop, complemented by the rugged rocks.

Kanhakund is in Sundargarh district and is a gorge with rock formations, layered cliffs, deep canyons and bodies of water. Unlike Khandadhar Waterfall, several types of landscape shape the impression here. If you want to focus not just on a waterfall but on the interplay of rocks, cliffs, canyon and water, Kanhakund offers a different nature-focused experience. You can choose between the two destinations based on the landscape that interests you more.

Mandira Dam is near Kansbahal in Sundargarh district, in the Indian state of Odisha. Boating and nature walks are available at the dam. These activities offer different options: you can choose between an outing on the water and a walk in nature. Mandira Dam therefore offers a different focus from Khandadhar and Kanhakund, whose defining features are the height of the waterfall and the gorge formations, respectively. If you plan to go boating, check the current schedule in advance.

Hanuman Vatika: Statue and religious programmes

Hanuman Vatika is home to a 75-foot-tall statue of the god Hanuman. Religious programmes are held there every year, including the Foundation Day programme on 23 February, Shivaratri and Rathayatra. The statue provides a constant point of reference, while the programmes bring recurring religious occasions to the site. If you want to plan your trip around a particular programme, check its date in advance. This helps distinguish an interest in the statue from plans timed to coincide with a festival. Converted, the height is around 22.9 metres, which makes it easier to grasp the 75-foot Hanuman statue in metric terms.

The waterfall and gorge are as different as the activities at Mandira Dam and the occasions at Hanuman Vatika.

Discover more destinations: Rourkela, Jajpur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Khordha, Gopalpur, Puri, Kalahandi

For the main travel overview: Orissa.