Rourkela

Rourkela is a large industrial town, surrounded by a range of hills and encircled by rivers. Situated in an area with the richest deposit of mineral wealth in Odisha, Rourkela came into prominence in 1955, with the establishment of the first of the three public sector steel plants in India. It is the most modern and largest steel plant of India built with a Indo-German collaboration and owned by SAIL (Steel Authority of India Ltd).  A lot of small and big industrial units have come up around Rourkela since its inception. Kanshbahal, Kalunga and Rajgangpur are the few other industrial towns close to Rourkela. Situated on the bank of river Bramhani, Rourkela also boasts of producing some of the best talents in areas of technology and medicine. (Interactive map of Rourkela)

Places of Interest

Hanuman Batika

The Garden located in the heart of Rourkela, has a 75-feet tall standing statue of Hanuman, monkey devotee of Rama. The statue designed by Sri Laxmana Swami has become an icon of the city. The garden on 13 acres of land has a beautiful temple complex. There are many shrines- Bata Mangala Mandira, Binayaka Mandira and Manas Parayana Sharala at the entrance and Santoshi Ma Mandira, Bruhat Sivalinga Mandira, Ram Daravar, Hanumanji Mandira, Ma Laxmi Mandira, Jagannath Mandira are some of them. The garden with all the temples has become a place of pilgrimage.

Vedvyas

Vedvyas is situated 9 km away on the confluence of the rivers Shankha, Koel and Saraswati. It is the birthplace of Vedavyasa, the author of the great epic 'Mahabharata'. Vedavyasa earlier known as Krishna Dwipayana was the son of the great sage Parasara. He has also written other Epics besides Mahabharata. This place with abundant natural beauty, is considered a place of religious sanctity. There was a Vyasa cave in the middle of the river Shankha which is now inacessible. The colour of the waters of the three rivers at the confluence looks different. There is also a Vedic Ashram and a Gurukula system school here. 

The Indira Gandhi Park

The Indira Gandhi Park near Ring Road has beautiful gardens, a mini zoo and an aquarium. Spring season is the best time for a visit to see a host rare flowers. The gardens include a fountain garden, rose garden and Japanese garden on 42 acres of land. The zoo has a train which goes around from which you can watch the animals. The park also has a big tower from where one can get a beautiful view of the city.

Nehru Traffic Park

Located at Sector-19 the park was opened to the public in 1985. The park has a gallery for children and exhibits items to make the public aware of the traffic rules.  

Jubilee Park & Mrig Vihar

Located at Sector � 8, this park has a musical fountain. Adjacent to this park there is a deer zoo.

Green Park

This Park covering 225 acre area, located in Sector- 8, has a variety of flora which has given it the name 'Green Park'.