A visit to Talcher palace and historical sites in Talcher.

For offbeat destinations in odisha please refer to our blog http://toursandjourney.com/best-offbeat-destinations-in-odisha-2020/

Scotland Palace

Talcher is a major town in Angul district in Odisha which is situated at a distance of 130 km from capital city Bhubaneshwar and is well connected by road and rail.Talcher is the coal capital of India having largest reserve of coal mines in India.So primarily Talcher is an industrial town situated on the banks of river Brahmani.There are many tourist places in Talcher which I will describe in this blog and hopefully it will attract tourists across the world.Scotland Palace is located in Scotlandpur village in Talcher .It has a brief history which dates back to 19 th century .It was built by Pramod Chandra Deb in 1891 after he went to Scotland after being awarded by the title 'Dewan Bahadur' by the commander in chief of the British Indian Army. It is the second most famous palace after Talcher Palace in Odisha.

Talcher Palace

Talcher Palace

Talcher Palace is the prime attraction in Talcher. It was the official residence of Raja Rajendra Chandra Deb .The main attraction is the big round wheel and the two lion sculpture in the main gate of Talcher Palace. Talcher Palace is built on an elevated portion of Talcher town overlooking the Brahmini river.A view point and a park have been newly constructed and is well maintained by the municipality, providing panoramic view of the Brahmini River.It is worth to sit on the chairs of the viewpoint and watch the riverbed of Brahmini river.Talcher Palace is now a lavish property where the king lives with his family.

Rengali dam

Rengali dam is situated at a distance of 70 km from the district capital Angul and is a weekend hotspot from Talcher . Rengali dam is a major hydroelectric and irrigation project for the state government of odisha . Rengali dam has 5 turbines of 50 megawatt each which produce electricity of 250 megawatt.Rengali dam is built on Brahmini river and has the second largest reservoir in Odisha.The beautiful scenery of the Eastern ghats surrounding the Rengali dam provides us numerous locations for photography.As we go on the downstream of the Rengali dam , we have to cross a local village and then we reach a scenic spot that consists of rock boulders and a panoramic view of the Rengali dam.From the rock boulders , the sunset in the Rengali dam is an out of the world experience.Due the rock boulders, the downstream of the Brahmini river forms rapids that enhances the natural beauty of the surrounding area. It is about 55km from Talcher Palace.

Anantsayana Vishnu

Anantsayana Vishnu is located at Sarang village in Talcher on the banks of Brahmini river.It is largest of it’s kind in India measuring 15.4 metres in length. It is built in 9 th century.It's elevation is 61 metres.It is now a protected site.Vishnu is the preserver of universe and creator of Lord Brahma and it is believed that Lord Vishnu was in such reclining position when he created Lord Brahma,the universe from his navel.So this largest statue of Lord Vishnu in reclining position is auspicious in nature and government of India should take utmost care to preserve this ancient historical site.Talcher Palace and Anantsayana Vishnu statue are two most famous tourist places in Talcher.

Mandua

Mandua is a small village located in the rural areas of Kaniha which is 35 km from Talcher Palace.Mandua is a hotspot among all the picnic-goers in this region since it is situated on the shallow riverbed of a tributary of Brahmini river, Tikira.This shallow riverbed is surrounded by mountains that provides a paradise for all nature lovers.Various migratory birds come here during the winters and among them Brahmini ducks and stilts are common.Because local people come here often for picnic, the place may look dirty but as one goes towards the shallow riverbed the serene greenery provides an ultimate experience of tranquility.

Ashtashambhu temple is located near Talcher in Kualo in Dhenkanal district of Odisha . It is about 14 km from Talcher Palace.Ashta means eight and Shambhu is another name of Shiva and hence the name Ashtashambhu because basically Ashtashambhu temples is a collection of 8 Shiva temples located in Bhubaneshwar and Talcher and two of these are also located in Sambalpur. Ashtashambhu temple in Kualo is currently under renovation .It was constructed in 10th century A.D. and the architectural style was Kalinga architecture.

While visiting Talcher, do not forget to carry sunglasses, umbrellas and sunscreens. It is important to carry sunscreens during summers.