Jharsuguda is a small district town in western Orissa, historically part of the Sambalpur kingdom founded by the Chauhan dynasty in the 16th century. It is an industrial town at heart — coal, aluminium, and power plants dominate the local economy — but the surrounding district holds a handful of genuinely interesting sites for those passing through.
The district's festivals set it apart. The Ranjta Festival, observed on the tenth night of the bright fortnight of Ashwin, is a procession rooted in the martial traditions of the old Sambalpur kingdom. Descendants of the former zamindars parade through town carrying the royal sword, accompanied by demonstrations of traditional martial skills and the heavy beat of war drums. In Jharsuguda town and the nearby village of Kolabira, it draws large crowds every year.
Seven kilometres from town, the village of Kukurjanga hosts an unusually elaborate Rath Yatra. The chariot here is a massive structure with sixteen wheels, and unlike most places in Orissa where the return journey happens on the tenth day, Kukurjanga's Bahuda Yatra continues until the full moon of Ashada. The temple dates to the 17th century.
If you have time, the rock paintings at Bikramkhol are the most significant site in the district — prehistoric lithographs that are worth the trip. The hill fort ruins at Ulapgarh and the Koilighughar waterfall near Lakhanpur also reward a detour. The Kukurjanga Rath Yatra is worth timing a visit around if you are in the area in June or July.