Bhawanipatna

Bhawanipatna is the headquarters of Kalahandi District. It is a town that houses many temples dedicated to different deities of Hindu pantheon.

Location of Bhawanipatna : Bhawanipatna is located at 19.9 degree North to 83.17 degree East. It has an average elevation of 248 m (814 ft). The town has been named after its presiding deity `Bhawanishankar.` It serves as the most convenient base camp for touring various places of interest in the district and the nearby district of Nawapara. The most important temple here is the one dedicated to Goddess Minakshi.

Bhawanipatna is located at 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 degree Celsius. These summer months also have dry and hot winds. In summers, the temperature can also go up to 50 degree Celsius. 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 degree Celsius.

Bhawanipatna had a population of 69,045 and total including sub-urban of 83,756. Population of Children with age of 0-6 years is 7407 which is 10.73% of total population of Bhawanipatna. In Bhawanipatna Municipality, Female Sex Ratio is of 945 against state average of 979. Moreover, Child Sex Ratio in Bhawanipatna is around 911 compared to Orissa state average of 941.

The literacy rate of Bhawanipatna city is 85.00% higher than state average of 72.87%. In Bhawanipatna, Male literacy is around 90.95% while female literacy rate is 78.72%. Out of total population, 23,705 were engaged in work or business activity. Of this 18,666 were males while 5,039 were females.

Tourism in Bhawnipatna deals with the dense forests, Hindu temples formed in Deula Structure and many archaeological places of importance. There are several places of archaeological, historical and mythological significance in Bhawnipatna that attract many tourists from all over the country. Phurli Jharan Phurli Jharan is situated at a short distance of just 15 km from Bhawanipatna. It is one of the worth visiting among the waterfalls of Odisha. The cascading waterfall of Phurli Jharan comes down with full force from a height of 16 meters. The water fall is located at a picturesque landscape that offers the local citizens and the tourists to enjoy themselves in the lap of nature. It also serves as an ideal picnic spot in late winters and autumns.
Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary
Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary was established on 6th January, 1969 with many animals and birds. It houses many endangered species of animals including Royal Bengal Tiger, sambars, leopard, guars and chitals. The hilly terrain, draped in tropical deciduous forests, gives way to the encroaching plateau in some places and makes for an ideal place for animal and bird watching.

Thamul Rampur Forest Reserve
Thamul Rampur Forest Reserve is the best option for the tribal tourism in India. Even the tribal tours to Thamul Rampur Forest Reserve near the Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary, serves as a tourist spot. Haladigundi Valley in Ambapani Hills is another popular place to catch wildlife in their natural habitats.

Belkhandi
Belkhandi is a beautiful plain land with the confluence of rivers. It is located on the confluence of the rivers Tel and Utei. It is a place of archaeological importance.

Ambapani
Ambapani is located 77 kilometres from Bhawanipatna and 45 kilometres from Nowrangpur. Ambapani is famous for the deity of Budharaja that is placed in a small temple at the foot of a hill. The picturesque Ambapani hills present a panoramic view of nature. A frolicking valley called Haladigundi in this range of hills presents some peculiar features due to the reflected rays of the sun. The whole area abounds in Spotted Deer, Sambar and Black Panthers which can be seen at the Behera reservoir.

Budhikomna
Budhikomna houses the unique brick temple of Pataleswar. It is 40 km from Khariar.

Yogimath
Yogimath is located 9 km east of Khariar. It is famous for the cave paintings of Neolithic age in Odisha.