Ghagra: Odisha’s Niagra

OdishaLIVE Bureau

It may not be as famous as the Niagra falls, but the Ghagra waterfalls in Keonjhar (or Kendujhar) district are well-known in Odisha, besides two other falls – Khandadhar and Pradhanpat.

There are of course a dozen small and big waterfalls across Odisha with varying degree of significance. But Ghagra stands out exceptionally.

If Niagra is the collective name for three waterfalls that overlap the international border between Canada and the United States; so also Ghagra. There area actually not one but two waterfalls here – San Ghagra and Bad Ghaghra – known for their scenic beauty.

Just as Niagra is located on the Niagara River, Ghagra too is situated on the Ghagra river. The twin waterfalls at small distances between them are among the magnificent places one must visit.

Ten Kms. away from the district headquarters of Keonjhar is Badaghagra Falls. Situated at just about five Kms from Badaghagra is Sana Ghagra .

Water cascading from a height of 60 meters makes it an important tourist destination not only for domicile tourists but holiday-makers from neighbouring states too.

Ghagra waterfalls attract travellers mostly from the three adjacent states bordering Keonjhar.Thousands of tourists from West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and different parts of Odisha visit this spot every year for picnic and outing.

The calm, peaceful, relaxing, natural green environment with the beauty of water fall has been the best choice for nature – lovers. The place is also popular for the lofty peaks that are covered with dense forests.

Besides the picturesque attraction of the waterfall, the place is excellent for trekking.The surrounding is full of foliage.

In rainy seasons the waterfall gets gigantic with water pouring from the mountain. The thunderous sound of the waterfall is truly mesmerising. The area is an extremely undulating terrain with hills, pediments and a “V” shaped narrow valley.

Although winter is the picnic season, Ghagara waterfall is pleasant to visit anytime in the year due to its cool climate. But the best time is from November to March. In winter the minimum temperature goes below 5 degrees.

Tourists can now spend a day amidst forest to enjoy the scenic beauty of the waterfall as the Odisha Forest Department has opened an eco-tourism centre at Anjara near Sana Ghagara.

Some other spots nearby for the day-tripper are Maa Tarini temple at Ghata Gaon, Jagannath temple at Keonjhar town, Gonasika and Murga Mahadev.

How to get there

By Bus

Kendujhar town is directly connected by bus service from Bhubaneswar(235 km), Puri (300 km), Cuttack (205km), Bhadrak (150 km), Balasore (200 km), Baripada(190 km), Rourkela (210km), Sambalpur(220 km), Bolangir 300 km), Anugul (160 km), Dhenkanal (220 km),Jajpur Road (100  km),Kolkata (352 km), Jamsedpur (165 km), Chakradharpur (215 km), Deogarh (110 km) , Kendrapada (200 km) , Jharsuguda (287 km) , Sundergarh (290 km) etc. Luxury sleeper buses also ply in these routes.

By train

There is direct train connectivity to Kendujhargarh station from Puri, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Barbil, Chakradharpur. A weekly train also connects Vishakapatnam with Jamsedpur via Kendujhargarh and Bhubaneswar. There are two passenger trains: Puri-Chakradharpur and Kendujhar-Bhubaneswar which ply in this route every day.

By Air

Biju Patnaik International airport in Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport which connects major cities of India .There are a couple of international flights too from Bhubanswar.

Local conveyance

There are number of auto- rickshaws and taxis available near the bus stand and railway station on hire. They also conduct package tours to nearby places at reasonable cost.