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Saturday, December 11, 2010

This is my Balasore

Overview:
Balasore District is an administrative district of Orissa state in eastern India. Balasore became an integral part of Orissa State. The coastal district is known for its beautiful mountains and famous temples. Integral test range (ITR) is situated in Chandipur the distance of 15 kms from Balasore. Balasore is a place of scenic beauty and a major tourist attraction, also because of its historical monuments and temples. There are a few hill ranges in the region too.


(Graphical representation of Balasore district, Orissa)

History of Balasore, Orissa
Balasore is one of the coastal district of Orissa, Geographical area of the district is 36, 34  Sqr.  KM. Midnapore district of West Bengal is in its North, the Bay of Bengal is on the east and Bhadrak district lies on the South whereas Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar districts are on its western side. As per the 2001 Census, the population is 20,23,000 comprising 10,38,000 males and 9,85,000 females. Balasore has an average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. It is the most literate town of Orissa state.

(A picture of princely remnants’ in Niligiri , Balasore)
The historical place of Balasore is very pleasurable and unforgettable. It was a part of the ancient Kalinga and later became a territory of Toshala or Utkal, till the death of Mukunda Dev. Subsequently, the Marathas of Nagpur occupied this part of Orissa and it came under the dominion of the Maratha Rajas. In 1803, this part was ceded to The British East India Company through the Treaty of Deogaon and it became a part of Bengal Presidency until 1912. But the first English Settlement came into existence in Balasore region in 1634 while Shah Jahan was the emperor at Delhi. The region was an early trading port for British, French and Dutch ships in the early age of Enlightenment and became a colonial part of first Danish India and later British India. The first of English factories was established in this region in 1640. During this period Dutch and Danish settlements were also found in this region
Temples, Balasore, Orissa
Balasore is known all over Orissa for its beautiful mountains and famous temples. Some of them are Biranchi Narayan temple, Khirachora Gopinath temple, Panchalingeswar temple, Langaleswar lord shiva temple, Baliapal jaganath temple, Bhushandeswar, Bhudhar Chandi,, Ayodhya, Astadurga temple, Bardhanpur Maninageswar.
Khirochora Gopinath temple is one of most beautiful and famous temple of Balasore. Khirachora Gopinath Temple which dates back to 13th century is a temple of Lord Gopinath. It is situated in Remuna the distance of 9 kms form Balasore. Khirochora Gopinath temple Remuna has been a seat of Vaishnawite Culture for centuries, Madhabendra Puri the teacher of Shri Chaitanya and Shri Chaitanya himself visited Remuna and offered their worship to Khirochora Gopinath. Today hundreds of devetees gather daily for the sacred Darshan lof the Lord.Specially prepared milk is the most delicious prasad of the temple.Remuna is a chunk of Vrindaban In Orissa. From Balaore connected with good motarable road.

(Khirochora Gopinath temple, Remuna, Balasore)

Interim Test Range, Balasore, Orissa
ITR is situated in Chandipur the distance of 15 kms from Balasore. It is famous for launching missiles, rockets and flight test vehicles, a dedicated range known as Interim Test Range (ITR) was established in 1989 at Chandipur-On-Sea, 15 km from Balasore, Orissa. A number of test vehicles of different class including multirole missile Trishul, multitarget capability missile Akash, the antitank Nag missile, the most precise surface-to-surface missile Prithvi and the Agni-I large scale technology demonstrator have been test fired from this range. An operational demonstration in which a salvo of four Prithvi missiles was conducted on 04 June 1994 from the Interim Test Range. With its versatile technical and scientific capability, ITR has also supported a number of other missions such as Multibarrel Rocket Launcher—Pinaka and Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA).

(Picture of missile test in Chandipur, Balasore)

The beautiful beaches, Balasore
Chandipur
The calm beach at Chandipur is surely one among many of the fine beaches of the country, but with a plus there the waters of the Sea recede five Kms. Off shore and proceed rhythmically after a regular interval. The sand-dunes green with wild creepers and the casuarinas whistling with the breeze create a fantastic moment for a visitor absorbed in observing the play of the tide. The nearest air port for visiting the places of interest in Balasore district is at Bhubaneswar which is connected with Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad, Raipur, Nagpur and Mumbai by bording flights. Nearest rail head is at Balasore on S.E.Rly . Chandipur is 16 Kms. by road from Balasore. Bus services are available from Balasore to Chandipur.


 Kasaphal
Kasaphal beach is an ideal fishing harbour. It has a scope for boating on river Dubdubi and Panchupali. The solitary beach of Kasaphal is an ideal spot for picnic. The calm and quite rural atmosphere and wistling casurina will definitely attract the nature loving tourist. The spot is connected with all weather road ( 36 Kms. From Balasore ). Nearest rail head is Basta in Sheryl.