Rayagada is a city in the Indian state of Orissa. It is a district of meadows, forests, water falls and terraced valleys making it a small scenic wonder of Orissa. Inhabited mainly by primitive tribal groups, Rayagada is divided into eleven blocks. This is a mineral-rich district in the southern part of the state of Orissa. The river Bansadhara flows through this district. The district of Rayagada is known as the most famous region of the state because of its longest human history.The pattern of people living in the district shows unity in diversity of languages and culture. The Scheduled Tribes living in the district possess dissimilar economics ranging from food gathering to settled cultivation. This district is also known for its Ferro Maganese factory, Ferro Silicon factory, paper Mill and Sugar factory. Previously a town in the Koraput district, Rayagada, now a new district, has the district headquarter situated on the way to Koraput from Berhampur. It has the facilities to serve as a base for visiting the nearby place of interest like Hatipathar. Devagiri, Minajhola and Padmapur.
Best For:
The scenic beauty and heritage on the land is an unexplored paradise. Rayagada is a very good place to study the various tribal cultures settled there and shop for curios and tribal jewelry at the weekly tribal markets. The tribal traditions and customs that vary from village to village and men to women in clothing, accessories, jewelry and dance steps is a fascinating aspect to observe.
The best time to visit Rayagada is October to March.
Rayagada is nearly 390km away from Bhubaneswar by road. It is connected by regular bus services from Berhampur, Koraput and Bhubaneswar. It is a railhead on the Rajpur-Vizianagaram rail line of South Eastern Railway and is connected to quite a few major cities of India.
By Air: The nearest Airports are Vishakhapatnam and Bhubaneshwar. Both the places are well connected to the major cities of India through Airways.
By Road: As Rayagada is nearly 390km away from Bhubaneswar by road, it takes a while to reach there. Rayagada is connected by regular bus services from Berhampur, Koraput and Bhubaneswar. Though there are no good roads to reach the place, yet it is worth visiting.
Local Transport: As Rayagada is more of a tribal dominated place & not very developed; one may find very few, though not many means of local transport.
Hatipathar, Minajhola, Devagiri, Padmapur and Machhakund are the places of tourist interest in & and around Rayagada.
Hatipathar is situated 3kms away from Rayagada.This is a place of impressive science beauty with two waterfalls on the course of river Nagavali.
Minajhola is a scenic spot as well as pilgrimage centre situated at a distance of 134 kms on the confluence of three rivers in the heart of the dense rich wild-life forest. At the top, there are perennial pools of water called Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Bhargavi and Indrayaumna. The Siva Lingam is enshrined at the meeting point of the Jawas. Sivaratri is the biggest festival here, which draws a large crowd every year. There are some inscriptions which speak of the antiquity of the place. Regular bus service is available from Rayagada to Kalyanisinghpur.
Devagiri, the 120 meter hill flattened at the top unlike other hills is 48 kms from Raygada. The unique features of this hill is its seven natural steps out of which the fourth step enshrines Mahalaxmi, the goddess of wealth and beauty.
Padmapur, housing the shrine of Manikeswar Shiva, situated at a distance of 94 kms from Rayagada, identified as the seat of Dharmakirti, the Buddhist Logician-Philosopher. The village Padampur is a flourishing centre of agriculture. It is close to the Jagamanda hill adorned by five Shiva temples dedicated to Manikeswar, Dhavaleswar, Mallikeswar, Nilakantheswar and Podukeswar. A perennial water reservoir is on the top of the hill.
Machhakund is an important place for pilgrimage. It is called 'Matsys Tritha'. There is a tank named 'Matsyakund' having mythical importance.
Duduma(Macchakund)-Waterfall The enhanting waterfall of Duduma has a special charm of its own. The glittering waterfall of 157.5 meters has been formed by the Machhakunda River at Badigoda. It is said to be one of the highest waterfalls. Eternal calmness of the surrounding is thrilling by the murmuring of this fall. The fascinating aspect of this falls is that it moves in a sloppy serpentine manner. Duduma is perched in greenery and offers picnickers a gorgeous view of the huge perennial water fall.
Where To Eat:
There are a few good hotels in Rayagada, where accommodation is also available. It is better for tourists to eat in these hotels and not try out anything in the local markets.
Where To Stay:
The few good places where tourists can stay is Hotel Swagat, Hotel Kapilas , Hotel Ashok, Hotel Vasudev and Hotel Jyoti Mahal.
All foreign visitors are required to carry a passport valid at least for 6 months. Visa exemptions include Bhutanese and Nepalese who are staying for less than 3 months and Special restrictions apply to Pakistani and Afghan nationals. It is always wise to check updated visa requirements prior to travel.
Rayagada is a small but important district of Orissa but except for studying the tribal culture and viewing its scenic beauty, Rayagada does not have much to offer its tourists. To visit here it is best to cover the place in an overall tour of Orissa.
