Hirakud can start your Orissa tourism
Orissa tourism refers to the travel and tourism plans across the state of Orissa. Visiting Hirakud dam is a must while you are at Orissa. The dam is the longest dam in the country. It was the first river valley project undertaken by the Independent India. The Indian Independence movement was a phenomenal struggle. Over the years patriotism kept pounding and finally the British’s let India free.
Hirakud is the largest manmade earthen dam. It is crowned as the longest dam. A massive area of 746 Km is covered by the Hirakud dam project.
Not just a dam
Hirakud is not just a dam. It is a project that took care of various aspects of life. The purposes of building this dam were many. The prime focus of the project was saving the delta from Mahanadi’s devastating floods. ‘Mahanadi’ literally means ‘the great river’. Very aptly named, this river is spread over the east central India. Since the dam has been operational it has served many aspects of human life. It is no doubt a sustainable project. A million thanks to the authorities who built this.
The dam has been a boon to Orissa tourism. Following are some of the important features of the dam.
- Saved the delta from floods.
- Provides employment in the area.
- Hydro electricity production.
- Enhanced Orissa tourism.
- Promoted fisheries in the area.
- Worldwide recognition to the country.
- Improved irrigation facilities.
- Lesser or no wastage of water.
- Huge reservoir of water.
Places to visit in Hirakud
Cattle Island – 90 kms from Sambalpur is this wonderland called the Cattle Island. It is inhabited by the wild cattle without human intervention. The story is interesting. While resetting the area for the dam, villagers left this part of the area, leaving their cattle behind. Over the time this got submerged and the cattle settled on a hill top. One can reach this island through the river. They have developed different breeds of cattle and are wild in nature.
Gandhi minar – as the name suggests it has been dedicated to the father of nation Gandhi ji. This is a pole like structure that you can climb through stairs. This Minar provides a 360 degree view of the dam. Visitors claim that the best view can be seen on a cloudy rainy season day.
Ghateshwari temple – the name of the temple literally means lots of bells in the temple. This is a sought after temple in the Sambalpur area. Orissa is a land of old temples and the architecture is mesmerising. In the past this area used to form whirlpool of various streams, however after the construction of Hirakud it is now safer.
