Travelogues

Weekend Drive to Ganjam


For those who love a lazy lovely holiday in the lap of nature our neighbouring state Orrisa offers several beautiful tourist locales. Taptapani and Gopalpur on sea are ideal tourist places for a quiet holiday. If you revel in the pleasure of long drive then start early in a wintry morning. You will enjoy the scenic drive, wind whispering in your ear. Cruising along the awesome highway (NH5) flanked by coconut trees and beautiful countryside is nothing less than heaven. The road is as smooth as whipped cream till Ichhapuram and after that the ride is quite painful for a stretch of 25 kms till Beherampur. Tucked away in the remote corner of the Ganjam district of Orissa atop the Eastern Ghat Mountains is Taptapani – nestled at about 1800 feet above mean sea level. This spot is 56 kms away from Beherampur, the nearest rail station. 

  
View from Panthanivas restaurant,                Hot Sulphur bath, Taptapani
Taptapani                                                                

Set amidst the greenery of a lush forest, the sulphur spring of Taptapani is attributed with religious virtues and therefore a temple has also been built near the spring. The sprawling Panthanivas is the only shelter for tourists at Taptapani. The two AC suits have a common balcony, a dressing room and a bathroom containing a small swimming pool fed by the warm water from the hot spring. The cozy lukewarm water soothes the body and soul. Anyone can leisurely spend hours sitting there. The restaurant offers modest food but you can enjoy a great view of the pristine valley replete with various shades of green.

A few minutes walk from Panthanivas will take you to Kandiwala temple where the local take bath in the spring before offering daily prayers. A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geo-thermally heated ground water from the earth’s crust. The hot water spring in Taptapani erupts in bubbles in two specific places and the temperature of this hot water varies from 90 degree to 100 degree Fahrenheit.
     

 
  Panthanivas, Taptapani                           Panthanivas, Gopalpur

Located about 16 km from Berhmpur in Gopalpur where you can forget yourself in the picture blue waters and high waves, place where you can loll on the sand, stroll down the beach and gorge on sea food. A sea food lover’s paradise- the best time to visit is October to April. The Panthanivas at Gopalpur offers lovely cottages, good food and a fairly isolated clean beach. A stroll in the early morning offers the hours of complete silence overlapped with the roar of azure sea. A lovely laid back seaport village was originally a small fishing village on the coast of Orissa, it was so named when a temple dedicates to Lord Krishna was constructed some time in the 18th century. The din and the bustle of the town is totally absent and one can enjoy the roar of the waves and the sea breeze bustling through the palm trees.  

Getting there

By road: Berhampur is 280 kms from Visakhapatnam via NH5 from there Taptapani is 56kms west and Gopalpur is 16kms east.
 
By rail: Berhampur is the nearest rail station. There are direct trains from Chennai ,Howrah and Visakhapatnam.

Places to stay
In Taptapani OTDC Panthanivas is the only decent  place to stay.
Address: Panthanivas, OTDC, P.O. Pudamari Dist.Ganjam
Taptapani, Orissa. Ph: 06816255031
Room tarrif : Rs 750/- to Rs 2500/-

There are many luxury as well as budget hotels in Gopalpur. Panthanivas Gopalpur is situated in a isolated place.
Address: Panthanivas Gopalpur
Ganjam, Orissa. Ph: 06802243931
Room tarrif : Rs/- 500 to Rs/-2000
Rooms can be booked online at  www. panthanivas.com   

12-May-2010

More by :  Priyadarshini Sur

Top | Travelogues

Views: 3533      Comments: 1



Comment Wonderful written travelogue. You have provided Good information about Taptapani and Gopalpur-on-Sea in Odisha.

anju
19-Jan-2013 07:59 AM




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