Surrounded by hills and rivers, the city of Rourkela is located in the state of Odisha. Popularly called as the ‘Steel City of Odisha’ and Ispat Nagar, it is one of the first cities of the country to become commercialized for steel production.  Rourkela’s natural positioning in the lap of nature makes it an offbeat tourist location for the people of nearby areas.

Rich in naturally occurring minerals, Rourkela has also been blessed with a variety of relief features and natural tourist destinations. Falling in the Sundergarh district of Odisha, Rourkela is considered as a stopover destination, before visiting the other popular destinations nearby. It also holds great religious significance due to its prominence in epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Places to Visit

Khandadhar Waterfall

15km from NH215 near Lahunipara is this beautiful surprise of nature. Falling from steep mountain flat on the surface, it emerges like the edge of the sword and hence is named so.

It is not easy to locate Khandadhar, but once here, tourists feel the long and uncomfortable journey was worth it. In the middle of dense forest, this waterfall is like a breath of fresh air. It is a lovely gift for nature lovers. There is a guest house nearby run by the PBDA available only for VIPs. There is no facility for night stay in the location.

Darjing & Deoghar

By the NH23 towards Rajamunda, on the banks of Brahmani is this beautiful picnic spot, Darjing. It is a small village some 45 km away from Rourkela, it is a popular tourist spot for its soothing landscape.

A village by the side of a river, lush greenery and cold breeze. Ah, what peace! An inspection bungalow amidst beautiful gardens and gold traces in the golden sand by the river. That’s Darjing for you. Deoghar is another popular tourist spot 3 kms ahead of Darjing.

Vedyas

Vedavyas in Rourkela is situated at a place where three rivers merge or unite. The three rivers are Sankha, Koel and underground Saraswati. It is believed that the place is named after a great sage named Vedvyas, who wrote Mahabharata. The place contains many temples around dedicated to different gods. Shivratri mela is the largest festival celebrated at Vedavyas. The best thing about the place is that near the river bank is situated a Sankirtan mandap, where sankirtan is going on for the past 13 years.

Ghogar

27km away from Rourkela, Ghogar is a gorge on the river Ib, it is extended over 5km and is a treat to the eyes. There is also a naturally formed Shivalinga, made of black granite, this Shiva linga is extensively preached by the followers.

Ambagan Market

Also known as the Ispat market, it is one of the oldest markets in Rourkela. Since it is centrally located, it receives huge amount of crowd on all days apart from Monday when it is closed. It is centrally located and hence is most accessible to people.

Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium

Established and maintained by SAIL, this stadium has been holding several friendly matches and tournaments throughout the year. Constructed for nurturing the young talent in Hockey, the maintenance and growth of this stadium is closely followed by the Higher officials of SAIL.

The stadium even has Astroturf and nylon grass for national and international level hockey matches.

Super Market

Inaugurated in 1976 by the then CM of Odisha, this is another popular market of the town with some exclusive stores of popular brand. It also has the only other computerized ticket booking system other than the railway station in the town.

VIP Market

The oldest of its kind, It is a small clutter of 36 shops arranged closed to each other opened in residential complex where trades have their homes on the first floor.

This market was initially run by Odiya trader, however, now, it has been totally commercialized with big brands opening here.

Hanuman Vatika

Situated in Rourkela in Odisha, Hanuman Vatika is a garden dedicated to the Hindu God Hanuman. It boasts of housing Asia’s tallest Hanuman statue which is 75 feet tall. Besides, the garden also has several temples in the premises enshrined by Vaishnodevi, Sarala, Dwadash Linga, Siva, Santoshi Maa, Maa Laxmi etc.

Pitamahal Dam

Pitamahal Dam is situated near village Balanda, which is around 22.3 km away from the city of Rourkela. The dam started operation from the year 1978. It is located across the Pitamahal river. The dam has a total length of 660.20 m. The dam has a maximum height of 25.96 m. Among the various picnic spots in and around Rourkela, the Pitamahal Dam is a prominent one. There is an Inspection Bungalow near the dam, which is maintained by the irrigation department. Visitors making a trip to the dam are mesmerized by the scenery of the place.

Must Try Food in Rourkela

1. Hideaway Restaurant & Cafe
2. Curry Pot
3. Rajasthani Restaurant Moksha
4. Pizza Den
5. Jaga Balia Hotel
6. Anandaloke Vegetarian Restaurat
7. Sai Fast Food
8. Biryani at Abi’s Kitchen
9. 7 AM End & Repeat
10. Chandan Fine Dining

How To Get Here

By Air

The nearest airport is Ranchi, it is 250kms away from the town, Rourkela also has its own airstrip but it mostly used by the officials of SAIL. 

Nearest Airport: Birsa Munda Airport (IXR) – 127 kms from Rourkela 

By Road

There are regular buses which run from Bhubaneswar and nearby cities, the road journey is pleasant and easy to drive.

By Train

Rourkela station is well connected to most parts of the country. The Rourkela Junction railway station is a part of the Howrah-Mumbai line under the South-Eastern Railway system with a total of 5 platforms. Important trains from here include Dhanbad Bhubaneswar Garib Rath Express, Rourkela – Jammu Tawi Express, Rourkela – Gunupur Rajya Rani Express, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus – Tatanagar Antyodaya Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express.