Balasore
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Balasore

Balasore

Coastal Odisha district known for rice country and Chandipur beach's unusually retreating tide.

Balasore is a coastal district in the far north of Odisha (formerly Orissa), bordered by West Bengal to the north and the Bay of Bengal to the east. The district town is a busy trading centre in a fertile agricultural area, traditionally known as the granary of Odisha for its rice production.

The coastline includes Chandipur beach, one of the stranger beaches in India — the sea retreats up to 5 km at low tide, exposing a vast expanse of red sand, then surges back. It is also the site of India's Integrated Test Range missile facility, which means access to the shoreline can occasionally be restricted. Remuna and its Khirachora Gopinath temple is a major Vaishnava pilgrimage site about 10 kilometres from town. Panchalingeswar — where five Shiva lingas sit submerged in a forest stream — is worth the 60-kilometre drive into the Nilagiri hills.

Guide

Getting There

Balasore is on the main Kolkata–Chennai railway line, which means direct trains from both cities. From Kolkata, the journey takes around three to four hours; from Bhubaneswar (Odisha's capital), about two hours. The railway station is well-served and centrally located.

By road, Balasore is on NH-16 (the old NH-5), the main coastal highway between Kolkata and Chennai. State buses connect the town with Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Kolkata. The NH-16 also provides access to the smaller attractions in the district; most require either a private vehicle or an auto-rickshaw from the town centre.

Guide

Things to Do

Balasore district is not on the standard tourist circuit, which is part of its appeal. The coastline, the Hindu shrines in the surrounding countryside, and the agricultural landscape give the area a lived-in, non-performative quality that travellers who have seen too many polished heritage sites will appreciate. The main draw is Chandipur beach and its extraordinary tidal phenomenon.