Narayani : Narayani, is situated at a distance of 80 km from Berhampur, and located on the top of the Bhalleri hills. The temple of Goddess Narayani (Durga) is surrounded by captivating natural scenery of dense sal and mango grooves. It is one of the most famous Shakti peetha and Tantra peerha of the district, situated at the border of Ganjam and Khurda district. The extension of the Bhalleri is known as Narayani khola. It is believed the top of the shrine is the seat of Devi Banadurga. As per mythology, the deity in the shrine is an aavatar of Maishamardini Maa Durga. Earlier she was worshipped by the local tribes in a natural shape inside the cave. Later, the local civic bodies arranged the puja and shaped the deity as a ten armed figure. An ex-ruler of Khallikote garh built the present shrine. The construction of the temple used a unique method of cementing the stone pieces. The green jungle surrounding the temple, with its calm and quiet environment attracts a large number people. During the winter the rush of picnickers to the spot is multiplied. The enchanting view of Chilika Lake from the top of Bhalleri hills leaves a long lasting impression in the mind of a viewer that is beyond any description. Ashokasthami is the most important festival and is celebrated for three days. Following that, every year based on Hindu calendar, Mesha Sankranti and Raja Sankranti are also important festival dates. A huge number of devotees visit the temple and worship the deity during these days every year.
Bi-Annual Thakurani Yatra – The Festival of the Goddess : This welcomes the goddess Budhi Thakurani to her temporary abode for the biannual Thakurani Jatra (festival) late at night. The hereditary head of the festival, who is also regarded as the head of the weaver Dera community of the city, Desibehera, dressed in his traditional attire, visits the Budhi Maa Thakurani temple to invite the goddess to her parental abode at his home on Saturday afternoon. His wife also accompanies him, and they make offerings at the Kalika temple. Rituals to welcome the deity for the festival started at the temporary temple built at Desibehera street from evening with the Changudi Puja. After these rituals, flowers are carried from Desibehera’s house to the Budhi Thakurani temple. Fallen flowers are carried as representative of the deity to Desibehera Street in a large decorated procession at night. The Thakurani Yatra is celebrated in different parts of Ganjam district. One such major biennial Thakurani Yatra is Lanjipalli Thakurani Yatra.
Berhampur has produced some of the best weight-lifting and boxing players for India at the International level including present day Indian champion in Commonwealth Games (CWG) Gold medalist winner K. Ravi Kumar. Veer Hanuman Club of Berhampur has produced international weight-lifters like Bijay Kumar Satapathy, Chandra Sekhar Sahu and Tikina Gopal from the town. Bijay Kumar Satapathy, is also an Arjuna Award winner and had grabbed the Silver medal in the 1982 CWG held in Australia, and gold medal in the 1981 Mini-Commonwealth Games. Chandra Sekhar Sahu, an employee of the Railways, had clinched a Gold medal in the SAARC sports meet in 1990. Similarly, Tikina Gopal had also won Silver and Bronze medals in the Junior and Senior Asian Championship, while Ranu Mohanty, a girl from the city won medals in the International event of Power-lifting. Cricket, Volley, Basketball and Football (Soccer) are the other popular sports.
The people of Berhampur celebrate all the major festivals of Odisha, like Rath Yatra, Durga Puja, Diwali, Kumar Purnima or Gaja Laxmi Puja, Manabasa Gurubar, Raja Sankranti, Makar Sankranti, Bishuba/Pana Sankranti or Oriya New Year, Dola Yatra or Holi, Chandan Yatra, Gamha Purnima or Rakshya Bandhan, Kartik Purnima, Nabanna, Janmastami, Ram Navami, Saraswati Puja, Ganesh Puja and others. Some festivals are unique to the City, like Sharad Purnima or Kumara Purnima. In Kumar Purnima, all the girls do Janiusa Puja and pray to Tulasi Maa for blessing them with a good life partner. Every two years, a festival is held in honor of the main deity of the city, Thakurani Maa and the festival is known as Thakurani Jatara/Yatra. It is said that Goddess Thakurani Maa come to their parent’s home during the holidays for some days from her in-laws home.
There are many major educational institutions in Berhampur and following are some of the reputed institutions: Berhampur University, Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati (MKCG) Medical College and Hospital, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences(CPS), Khallikote Government College, Government Engineering School (Polytechnic), Parala Maharaja Engineering College(PMEC), National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), Vignan Institute of Technology and Management(VITAM), Roland Institute of Technology (RIT), Sanjaya Memorial Institute of Technology (SMIT) and Gandhi Institute for Industrial Technology(GIIT). The city has highest number of engineering colleges after the state capital of Bhubaneswar. Many students come here to prepare for engineering and medical entrance examinations especially from southern and central region of Odisha.
Many state level software companies have set up their centres here, as Berhampur offers opportunities associated with Grade II and grade III cities for BPO and software companies. The Delhi-based IT company Perfect Infotech has operations here. Also, certain small and medium scale software organizations like TeamIn Technologies Private Limited, Integrity Infotech Private Limited, Aahwaan Infotech Odisha, Ozone Software, Auro Infotech, Tapan Infotech Limited, etc., have set up operations here to cater to the IT needs in and around Berhampur. The third software park STPI- Berhampur of the state and 51st in the country inaugurated on 20th Aug. 2010 at Berhampur. Due to its moderate climate and technical education infrastructure base it may become a leading IT and ITES destination of eastern India.
Galleri and Baibelli : These villages belong to Ghumsar region of the Ganjam District. These villages are thought of to be the origination place for Danda Jatra. Danda Jatra are ritualistic performances held during the month of Chaitra for a period of 2 to 3 weeks. This is considered to be the one of the traditional form of worship. The performers showcase their performances in different villages. The performances are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Kali, which are symbolically represented by a Danda (a Pole), decorated with multi-coloured clothes. The participants showcase various items from their repertoire chiefly among them being Pani Danda, Agni Danda, Dhuli Danda etc. The closing ceremony is known as Meru Yatra, which is observed on the day of Maha Vishuba Sankranti.
Siddha Bhairavi: The place is named after the presiding deity goddess Maa Bhairabee at the remote village of Mantridi. Carved in crude fashion, the icon (one-legged goddess with four hands) was discovered and enshrined in a newly adorned temple in 1937. According to legend, fisherman and sailors used to worship the deity for blessings before commencement of their journey. Maa Bhairabee nowadays has become an important Shakti Pitha venerable for the fisherman community that live in nearby villages. Tourists from almost all parts of southern Odisha as well as northern Andhra Pradesh visit this holy shrine everyday. The holy days on which most of the devotees assemble before the deity to offer their prayers are on Sankranti days of the Hindu calendar and on all Tuesdays.
Biranchi Narayan Sun Temple : Buguda is a small town in Ghumusar Subdivision of Ganjam district. It is famous for the temple of Biranchinarayan. The temple was built by King Srikara Bhanja, who ascended the throne of Ghumusar in 1790 CE. The image of the God Biranchinarayan which is installed in the sanctum of the temple was recovered from the ruins of Malatigarh. The temple is built in the form of a chariot driven by seven horses and is conspicuous for its remarkable wood carvings and wall paintings. At the other end of the main road facing the temple of Biranchinarayan is a temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath. The temple is built in such a manner that the devotees can see the Arati of both the temples at the same time from any of these two places.
This is one of the oldest pilgrimage place of mother goddess and amongst the four major ancient Adi Shakti centers in India. The mythological texts recognize four major Shakti Pithas (centers), like Bimala, Taratarini, Kamakshya and Dakhina Kalika, which originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga. Rooted in the hoary past, mentioned in the Puranas, the Tantras and as the main seat of Tantric cult for thousands of years and center of Shakti worship since time immemorial, this hill Shrine is believed to be the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine of Mata Sati) and an important prehistoric religious center which bears an uninterrupted history of about 6000 years. Ballipadar : It is famous for black bucks.
Gopalpur Beach : This is located at a distance of 16 km from the city and the Gopalpur-on-Sea is a retreat for sun, sea and sand lovers. At one time it was a busy seaport and it still displays the crumbling walls and pillars of the jetty. There are various town buses that run from Old Bus stand to Gopalpur. It is quite convenient to drive to Gopalpur on ones personal vehicle. Gopalpur once used to be a bustling place with tourists. There are many good hotels like Oberoi Palm Beach resort. It is a lesser known fact that, Oberoi Palm Beach resort was the first property to be acquired under the Oberoi Group brand. Gopalpur has an old light house, and a small fisherman’s cove. The Gopalpur Beach Festival is also held here.
Ujaleswar : The shrine of Ujjaleswar, 19 km from Digapahandi and 45 km from Berhampur, near Ghodahada Dam, was developed from a cave temple, on a hillock which is approachable by steps. A huge stone shadowing the deity forms the back side of the temple, which has been also chiseled to steps for facilitating a circumambulating around the shrine. Before reaching the unctuous site, one would come across the pleasing surroundings of Ghodahada Dam, which has submerged a fort named Vijayanagar and its temple. The reservoir shelters a herd of elephants, crocodiles, and pythons, and provides subsoil water for a horticulture farm of tube rose.
Brahmapur (earlier known as Berhampur) (Oriya: ?????????), nicknamed “The Silk City”, is a city located in the eastern coastline of Ganjam district of the Indian state of Odisha, about 160 kilometres (99 mi) south of the state capital, Bhubaneswar. It is one of the oldest and largest city of Odisha. It is famous for its silk saris, famous temples and its unique culture. The latest estimate of the population of the city is 355,823 (2011 census) making it the fourth most populous urban city in the Odisha state and 58th overall in India. Brahmapur (or Berhampur) also got the status of a Corporation after Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
Taptapani : Taptapani (Hot-Water), as the name suggests, is famous for its hot springs. Nestled at about 1,800 feet (550 m) above sea level, this spot is 56 kilometres away from the city’s railway station. The sprawling Panthanivas is the only shelter for tourists at Taptapani. The cottages overlook a pristine valley, and the dining hall is strategically placed between two crests of mountain fold. A few minutes walk from here will take you to Kandimata Mandir, where the locals bathe in the spring before offering their daily prayers. There is also a deer park maintained by the forest department.
The town is also a major center of education in south Odisha. The city is the home to 9 engineering colleges, 11 Polytechnic colleges, 14 ITI’s (as of 2011) and the number is growing every year. The city is also home to many tutorials and coaching institutes who prepare students for various entrance exams. Real Estate have also emerged as a big player in Berhampur urban area. Recent times have seen large scale retail chains such as Vishal Mega Mart, The Planet, Kolkata Bazar, Reliance, The World, etc. opening outlets in Berhampur.
Chilika Lake : Chilika is India’s biggest inland lake, spread over 1,100 square kilometers stretching across the length of the three districts of Puri, Khurdha and Ganjam and finally joins the Bay of Bengal through a narrow mouth, forming an enormous lagoon of brackish water. Dotted with many emerald green islands with colourful names such as Honeymoon Island and Breakfast Island, Chilika is home to a rich variety of aquatic fauna. It is also a sanctuary and winter resort for migratory birds, some coming from as far as Siberia.
Berhampur University, Bhanja Bihar – The Berhampur University came into existence on 2 January 1967, being inaugurated by Dr. A. N. Khosla, the then Governor of Odisha and the first Chancellor of the University. The University was later shifted to the present site known as Bhanja Bihar, named after the celebrated poet of Odisha, Kabisamrat Upendra Bhanja. Spreading over an area of 250 acres (1.0 km2) the university is twelve kilometres and five kilometres away from the Berhampur City and sea beach of Gopalpur respectively.
Potagarh : This is a historical fort built by Britishers in the 18th century. It is situated close to river Rusikulya and is surrounded by a moat. The remnants of majestic fort houses and a buried tunnel specks, the melody of glorious past of Ganjam city, which was cursed by a dreadful epidemic plague in the year 1815 CE. The place attracts students, scholars and history lovers. Due to its geographical location close to the confluence of Rusikulya river and Bay of Bengal, it is a favored picnic spot among the picnickers.
As per the 2011 Census of India, the population of Brahmapur is 355,823, in which 185,584 males and 170,293 females are included. The effective literacy rate of Brahmapur is 90.04%, higher than the national average of 74.04%. Male and female literacy are at 93.83% and 85.92% respectively. 8.2% of the population is under 6 years of age. Adult sex ratio is at 917 females per 1000 males, while child sex ratio is at 898 females per 1000 males. It is 15 km away from Gopalpur sea beach/port and 35 km away from Aska.