Nilagiri, Odisha – a place for picnic and pilgrimage

Winter is the best time to visit Nilagiri, in the Balasore district of Odisha. Every year during the winter seasons thousands of tourists flock to enjoy the climate and natural scenic beauty of Nilagiri.

Panchalingeswara temple which is situated on the hilltop of the Eastern Ghats in the area will be crowded with tourists from all around the state. The famous shrine is a serene place for darshan of Lord Shiva. Surrounded by natural landscapes, the place offers tourists great experience of pilgrim, picnic and sightseeing.

A stream running down the hill makes the place even more attractive, where tourists enjoy bathing and also offer prayers to the deity.

Stream near the temple

Through the Nilagiri state highways, tourists can take the narrow road that leads straight into the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary which is an integral part of tourism in northern Odisha. Filled with wide range of flora and fauna, sanctuary provides an experience of a lifetime to tourists who come here to enjoy the natural paradise.

Besides, Panchalingeswar temple, the Jagannath temple and Guhuribal dam situated nearby also places worth visiting in the vicinity of Nilagiri.

Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary

Special arrangements for boating and bird watching have been made in the Guhuribal dam while provisions for lodging have also been made by the forest department for facilitating night stay.

“A visit to this place gives us a wonderful feeling. The rich combination of flora and fauna of this area is like no other,” said Prasanna Chakraborty, a tourist from West Bengal.

“This place boasts of natural beauty and is surrounded with a number of tourist destinations. Tourists generally love to stay here for 2-3 days,” said Manoranjan Das, Tourist guide