Gadachandi(Gadchandi) in Kendujhar

Continuing my drive in southern parts of Kendujhar after photographing Gudguda Waterfalls and Ghatgaon temple, I halted at Anandpur. I had heard of this place called Gadachandi earlier but lot of research on net did not come of any help. Hardly any information available on net. Asked one of local petrol pump owners about the road to Gadachandi. Its around 35 kms on the road towards Bhadrakh from Anandpur. After driving through for around 15 kms one can have glimpse of the southern parts of famous Boula Mountain Range of Eastern Ghats. These are actually the southern parts of Hadagarh Sanctuary.From a chowk called Chenapati, one needs to take a left turn towards Gadachandi. The same road leads to Hadgarh dam and Boula Mines owned by TATA group(I was told so).






Stream flowing down near the Gadchandi temple

After reaching the place one can feel the coolness of the bushy trees of the Boula Hills.The place is absolutely superb for Rock climbing as the hill is almost vertically steep. There are lot of caves around and one needs to have experts while trying hand out in rock climbing. Some steps beside the stream leads to the
place where Chandi thakurani(Goddess) is worshipped. The temple is actually a part of the cave in the lower parts of the Boula Hills. From a near by rock a perennial stream flows down creating a beautiful scenery. Perfect picture setting. I always ask a question that why our Oriya Movie makers never try to shoot some sequences in these places.Perhaps one needs the passion of someone like Dwarka Divecha who roamed around India to select location for Sholay and finally zeroed on in a place called Ramnagram( between Bangalore and Mysore).



Stream flowing out of the Rocks near the Temple



Man.. I am tired




Southern Parts of Boula Hills

I was very tired driving through out the sunny day. So just fell flat on one of the rocks. Wished that I could stay for some more time but sun was about to set. We drove back to Baitarani Road my maternal uncle’s place via Jajpur Road.

Category › Gadachandi , Kendujhar

Maa Tarini Temple at Ghatgaon

Maa Tarini is the Forest Goddess that every Oriya retorts to in the time of need…when all hopes fade away, one goddess will come to your rescue-Maa Tarini of Ghatgaon (Ghatagaon).
Anecdote is that King of Kendujhar was bringing Tarini Maa from Puri to Kendujhar. But Goddess in the beginning of journey warned the King that if King will turn back and look at the Goddess then she wouldn’t proceed further. So, the journey started. King was riding a horse and Goddess was following her to Kendujhar. King could make out from the Jhum Jhum sounds of the Goddess’ ornaments that she was accompanying him. Suddenly near thick forests of Ghatgaon, the sound stopped. King stopped over there and turned his head to see whether Tarini Maa was there or not. This was the mistake he committed. Tarini Maa vanished. She made Ghatgaon her new home. This way she came from Puri to Ghatgaon.

Main Entrance of Maa Tarini Temple,Ghatagaon

Situated amongst thick Sal forests on NH 215 and about 70 k.ms from Panikoili and 40 kms from Kendujhar is Ghatgaon. It’s in Anandpur Subdivision.

NH 215 passes through the thick forests of Kendujhar


Inside the temple-Maa Tarini

There are few things quite famous about Ghatgaon- Nadiakora(Coconut Sweets) and the way Coconuts reach Ghatgaon from various parts of Orissa.
Suppose a devotee wants to send a Coconut to be offered to the deity from as far as Koraput..then he need not worry. Fastest and the most efficient courier service and that too free of cost is available in Orissa. The devotee needs to give that coconut to any long distance Bus. The Bus driver will carry the coconut to the nearest possible place of Ghatgaon on his route. From there another bus will carry that Coconut in the same way. Finally busses going directly towards Ghatgaon will drop the coconut at the Temple.No bus driver will charge or even say “No” for rendering this service. By default any coconut that is offered to a Bus driver will reach Ghatagaon safely. DHL & Fed Ex –is this service comparable with yours????

Bus Carrying Coconuts from devotees and delivering at Ghatagaon

There are so many Coconuts reaching Ghatgaon-Maa Tarini temple that temple authorities are making best use by giving them to local agents for making Nadiakora . They are quite sweet made only with sugar and coconut. I still remember when I used to be a child and used to go in bus to Panikoili from Rourkela, I used to gulp down a quite few. My mother would carry some packets of Nadiakora to distribute to all our neighbors.

"Nadiakora"(Coconut Sweets) Sellers infront of the Temple

Its my personal experience that whenever I am in any sort of trouble, I have always turned to Maa Tarini for help and she has always listened to me. Hopefully, her blessings will always be there with me and others…..

Category › Ghatgaon , Kendujhar

Gundichaghai Waterfall

“What’s the happiness you get by visiting new places and photographing them?”...This was the question one person asked me when I told that I was going to one unheard place called Gundichaghai for photographing a waterfall. After travelling overnight in train from Rourkela to Jajpur Road…then biking for 75 kms towards Ghatgaon on a beautiful road (NH 215) amongst forests of Sal & Mahua…then driving on a virtual non existent road to the point of waterfall..and finally photographing the waterfall and publishing in the web for the first time….What did I achieve? Answer is simple- Sense of Achievement.

Gundichaghai Waterfall

River Mudala cuts through the rocks

Daitari-Banspani Railway Line ....Lifeline of Orissa's Economy

Me and my cousin Bunty took the left diversion from Ghatgaon towards Harichandanpur..Its surprising that few people have idea of this waterfall near Ghatgaon of Kendujhar district. After you drive for 15 kms on the road you reach Harichandanpur.This is an important small road junction with roads leading to Kendujhar,Bansapani and Sukinda. There is also a railway station at Harichandanpur but presently not a single passenger train plies on the important route of Daitari-Bansapani.Thanks to our poor, low voiced good for nothing MPs .From Harichandanpur, there is a kachha road of 4kms that leads to the waterfall. River Mudala was at full flow due to incessant rains on previous day.

I just wish that more and more people can visit these unheard ..unknown..neglected tourist places…Tourism in Orissa is not only Puri,Konark ,Bhubaneswar & Chilika….but rather those numerous waterfalls like Gundichaghai…deep gorges of Tikarpada…Temples of Veda Vyas…Tiger sanctuaries of Similipal….Sprawling Deomali of Eastern Ghats in Koraput and the list is never ending…..

Category › Gundichaghai , Kendujhar , Orissa