Balasore or Baleswara is a city in the state of

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

, about north of the state capital

Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango trees (''ekamra'')). Bhubaneswar is ...

and from

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

, in

eastern India East India is a region of India consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The region roughly corresponds to the historical region of Magadha fr ...

. It is the largest town of northern Odisha and the administrative headquarters of Balasore district. It is best known for Chandipur beach. It is also called 'missile city'. The

Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme The Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Program is an initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered ballistic missile defence system to protect India from ballistic missile attacks. It was launched in 2000 after Kargil War by the Atal Bihari Vaj ...

's Integrated Test Range is located 18 km south of Balasore.

History

Excavation at villages nearby by Balasore has given evidence for three distinct cultural phases of human settlements, viz.,

Chalcolithic The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and ''líthos'', "stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin '' aeneus'' "of copper"), is an archaeological period characterized by regular ...

(2000-1000 BCE),

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

(1000-400 BCE) and early historic period (400-200 BCE). Baleswara district was part of the ancient

Kalinga Kalinga may refer to: Geography, linguistics and/or ethnology * Kalinga (historical region), a historical region of India ** Kalinga (Mahabharata), an apocryphal kingdom mentioned in classical Indian literature ** Kalinga script, an ancient writin ...

kingdom which later became a territory of

Utkal Utkala Kingdom was located in the northern and eastern portion of the modern-day Indian state of Odisha.This kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata, with the names ''Utkala'', ''Utpala'', and ''Okkal''. It is mentioned in India's national ...

, till the death of Mukunda Deva. It was annexed by the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

in 1568 and remained as a part of their suzerainty up until the 1700s. The British

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

(EIC) established a

factory A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. T ...

at Balasore in 1633. In 1719, the

Trieste Company Austrian East India Company (german: Österreichische Ostindien-Kompanie) is a catchall term referring to a series of Austrian trading companies based in Ostend and Trieste. The Imperial Asiatic Company of Trieste and Antwerp (french: Société im ...

merchants established a trading post there. As

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

rose in importance, Balasore became the center for

river pilot A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. Maritime pilots are regarded as skilled professional ...

services for vessels seeking to ascend the

Hooghli River The Bhagirathi Hooghly River (Anglicized alternatively spelled ''Hoogli'' or ''Hugli'') or the 'Bhāgirathi-Hooghly', called the Ganga or the Kati-Ganga in mythological texts, is the eastern distributary of the Ganges River in West Bengal, Indi ...

. The city was bombarded by forces of the

during the

Anglo-Mughal War The Anglo-Mughal War, also known as Child's War, was the first Anglo-Indian War on the Indian Subcontinent. The English East India Company had been given a monopoly and numerous fortified bases on western and south-eastern coast of the Mughal ...

in 1686 however the Company was repulsed by the Mughal forces. The old Pipili port was located near Baliapal north of Balasore along the coast near Subarnarekha. The Portuguese arrived for trade and commerce, exporting Orissa products like rice, cotton and butter from Malaysia to Borneo, and bringing Chinese products and spices from Indonesia. The

Marathas The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...

then occupied this part of

and it became a part of the dominion of the

Bhonsle The Bhonsle (or Bhonsale, Bhosale, Bhosle) are a prominent group within the Maratha clan system of kunbi origin. They claimed descent from the Sisodia Rajputs but were likely Kunbi tiller-plainsmen. History Earliest members The earliest a ...

Maratha The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...

Rajas of

Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nag ...

. They ceded this part through the

Treaty of Deogaon } The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805) was the second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. Background The British had supported the "fugitive" Peshwa Raghunathrao in the First Anglo-Maratha War, ...

in 1803 and it became a part of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...

until 1912. Balasore as a separate district was created in October 1828 under the

. On 7 November 1845, all of

Danish India Danish India () was the name given to the colonies of Denmark (Denmark–Norway before 1814) in the Indian subcontinent, forming part of the Danish colonial empire. Denmark–Norway held colonial possessions in India for more than 200 years, i ...

was sold to the British to form a part of

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. With the creation of

Bihar Province Bihar Province was a province of British India, created in 1936 by the partition of the Bihar and Orissa Province. History In 1756, Bihar was part of Bengal. On 14 October 1803, Orissa was occupied by the British Raj. On 22 March 1912, both Biha ...

, Odisha, along with Balasore district, was transferred from Bengal to Bihar. But with the creation of Odisha as a separate state on 1 April 1936, Balasore became an integral part of Odisha State. The national movement of independence surged ahead with the visit of

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

in 1921. Similarly Praja Andolan was initiated against the ruler of Nilagiri State. The state of Nilagiri merged with state of Odisha in January 1948 and became a part of Balasore district. On 3 April 1993,

Bhadrak Bhadrak is a city of Odisha state in eastern India. The city is the district headquarters of Bhadrak district. According to legend, the city derives its name from the Goddess Bhadrakali, whose temple is on the banks of the Salandi River. His ...

sub-division became a separate district and from this day Balasore remains a district of Odisha with two Sub-divisions namely Balasore and Nilagiri having eight

Tehsils A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

, namely Balasore, Soro, Simulia, Nilagiri, Jaleswara, Basta, Baliapal and Remuna and 12 blocks namely Bhograi, Jaleswar, Baliapal, Basta, Balasore, Remuna, Nilagiri, Oupada, Khaira, Soro and Bahanaga. The name of the district is being derived from the name of the town. Balasore is where the famous freedom fighter Jatindranath Mukherjee, also known as

Bagha Jatin Bagha Jatin (; ) or Baghajatin, born Jatindranath Mukherjee (); 7 December 1879 – 10 September 1915) was an Indian independence activist. He was the principal leader of the Jugantar party that was the central association of revolutionary i ...

, was injured and died fighting the British.

Geography

Climate

Balasore's climate is generally hot with high humidity. May is the hottest month and December is the coolest one. Monsoon generally arrives in the city from June every year. The city enjoys pleasant evenings with cool breeze most of the times. Sand dunes are common in the city for which the city is popularly known as "Sand City". The average rainfall of the District is 1568.4 mm.

Demographics

According to

2011 Indian Census The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...

, Balasore (municipality + overgrowth) had a total population of 144,373, of which 73,721 were males and 70,652 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 14,773. The total number of literates in Balasore was 113,418, which constituted 78.6% of the population with male literacy of 81.7% and female literacy of 75.3%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Balasore was 87.5%, of which male literacy rate was 91.0% and female literacy rate was 83.8%. The

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...

population was 15,812 and 9,291 respectively. Balasore had 30460 households in 2011.

Languages

The official language of Balasore is

Odia Odia, also spelled Oriya or Odiya, may refer to: * Odia people in Odisha, India * Odia language, an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family * Odia alphabet, a writing system used for the Odia languag ...

which is also the most commonly spoken language of the city. It is followed by

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

, Santali and

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

in the descending order per the number of speakers.

Government and politics

The MP from Balasore Parliamentary Constituency is

Pratap Chandra Sarangi Pratap Chandra Sarangi (born 4 January 1955), was a Minister of State in the Government of India for Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. He is a Politician from Balasore, Odisha and serves as a Nat ...

BJP The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...

, who won the seat in the Indian general elections of 2019. The MLA from Balasore Vidhan Sabha Constituency is Swarup Kumar Das of BJD, who won the seat in the 2020 bye-elections. Previous MLAs from this seat were Madan Mohan Dutta (BJP), who won the seat in 2019, Jiban Pradip Das ( BJD), who won this seat in 2009, Arun Dey (

CPM CPM may refer to: Advertising *Cost per mille, the advertising cost per thousand views *Cost per impression, Cost per thousand impressions, the online advertising equivalent Management *Certified practising marketer, a qualification for Australi ...

) in 2004, Gopa Narayan Das of

INC Inc. or inc may refer to: * Incorporation (business), as a suffix indicating a corporation * ''Inc.'' (magazine), an American business magazine * Inc. No World, a Los Angeles-based band * Indian National Congress, a political party in India * I ...

in 1985 and Kartik Chandra Rout of JNP in 1977. Balasore is part of

Balasore (Lok Sabha constituency) Balasore is a Lok Sabha parliamentary constituency in Odisha. Assembly segments Assembly Constituencies which constitute this Parliamentary Constituency, after delimitation of Parliamentary Constituencies and Legislative Assembly Constituenci ...

Civic Utility / Amenities / Services

Healthcare

Industrial and infrastructural development has boosted the healthcare market in Balasore and attracted healthcare corporate houses to set up base in the city. Balasore government hospital was the city's first hospital. Also, it has a newly established Government Medical College at Remuna named after Fakir Mohan Senapati (FM Medical College).

Economy

Balasore is the main city in the District of Balasore. The district has four major revenue sources – industries, agriculture, fishing and tourism with its base in Chandipur. Many small and large scale industries are located both within the city limits as well as the outskirts. Balasore Alloys Limited,

Emami Emami Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Kolkata, India. This group trades with their tag name Himani. The company has seven manufacturing units across India and one overseas unit. The Company caters to a nu ...

Paper Mills, Oriplast, and

Birla Tyres Birla Tyres, a division of Kesoram Industries Ltd., was first established in 1991. They manufacture tyres for automobiles, motorcycles, commercial vehicles, farm vehicles and heavy earth-moving machinery. They have over 170 sales depots with mo ...

are some of the major industries based in Balasore. It is one of the richest cities of Odisha. The main markets of Balasore are Nua Bazara, Motiganj, FM Square, Vivekananda Marga, Station Square, ITI Chhaka, Kachehri Road, Town Hall and Nua Shahi.

Industry

In an effort to bring industry, trade and commerce to a common meaningful platform, the Confederation of Indian Industry, with local chambers like North Orissa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, serve as an interface to fight for the rights and issues concerning the industrial scenario so as to contribute to the development of the state as a whole. Members from both public and private sectors work closely with the government for the expansion of business opportunities, enhancing efficiency and competitiveness and to work on policy issues. Located in Januganj, Balasore, NOCCI is essentially a business park with a massive exhibition hall, a separate residential block with hotel and restaurant facilities and an extended building called the industry facilitation center specifically for industrial training. NOCCI comprises about 100 member units and six affiliated associations of the industrial units. NOCCI is instrumental in the promoting the initiative of the Department of Industrial Promotion and Policy, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India (GoI) through a scheme of Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation. The

Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Program The Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Program is an initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered ballistic missile defence system to protect India from ballistic missile attacks. It was launched in 2000 after Kargil War by the Atal Bihari Vaj ...

's Integrated Test Range is located 18 km south of Balasore. The

Defence Research and Development Organisation The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India ...

developed many different missiles such as Nag,

BrahMos The BrahMos (also designated as PJ-10)Agni Missile The Agni missile (अग्नि IAST: Agni ''"Fire"'') is a family of Medium-range ballistic missile, medium to intercontinental ballistic missile, intercontinental range ballistic missiles developed by India, named after one of the Mahabhuta ...

among others here.

Culture/Cityscape

Balasore culture is a blend of traditional festivals, food, and music. The city offers a cosmopolitan and diverse lifestyle with a variety of food, entertainment, available in a form and abundance comparable to that in other cities. Balasore residents celebrate both Western and Indian festivals.

Diwali Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...

Holi Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...

, Eid,

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

Navaratri Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in the honour of the goddess Durga. It spans over nine nights (and ten days), first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and again in the month of Sharada. It is ob ...

Good Friday Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...

Dussehra Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu ...

Muharram Muḥarram ( ar, ٱلْمُحَرَّم) (fully known as Muharram ul Haram) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden. It is held to be the second holiest month after R ...

Ganesha Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: ), also known as Vinayak Chaturthi (), or Ganeshotsav () is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols privately in homes and p ...

Durga Puja Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...

, Raja) and

Maha Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri (IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava. In every month of the luni-solar Hindu ca ...

are some of the popular festivals in the city. The akhada Arts Festival during durga puja is a unique culture of Balasore. Wedding ceremony of Lac Coated Dolls (also known as Jaukandhei) which has a rich ethical and ritual values in maintaining peaceful conjugal relationship in the family while bringing the health, wealth and prosperity to an individual’s home is an important part of Balasore's folk culture.

Festivals

Durga puja Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...

, the festival of goddess Durga, is very popular in Balasore. Idols are worshipped in many streets and localities. In this city, Durga puja is famous for its idols, with localities trying to outsmart each other by constructing more attractive idols. Indeed, the whole city comes to a standstill on Astami, Navami and on Dashami burning of effigy of the demon Ravana (the eighth, ninth and tenth days of Durga puja) as people travel all over the city appreciating all the idols put forth by the neighbourhoods. *

Kali Puja Kali Puja, also known as Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja, is a festival originating from the Indian subcontinent, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. It is celebrated on the new moon day (Dipannita Amavasya) of the Hindu calendar month of Ashway ...

, Just after Durga puja gets over, Balasore gear up with all their vigour to celebrate Kali puja. On the auspicious day of Diwali amidst the bursting of

firecrackers A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental to ...

. * Kartikeshwara/Kumara puja: Kartikeshwara/Kumara is the eldest son of

Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

. * Kite flying is also celebrated with much enthusiasm and energy in the city. Kite-flying culminates with the

Makara Sankranti Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sag ...

, with kite-flying competitions being held all over the city. * All the other regular Indian festivals like

Vasanta Panchami Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region ...

Eid ul-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , dat ...

Ratha Yatra Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...

and the numerous Hindu festivals are also celebrated.

Places of interest

Chandipur-on-sea is a seaside resort famous for its mile long beach. It is a unique beach – the tide comes to the shore only four times a day, at fixed intervals. At a distance of 30 km south-west is

Panchalingeshwar Panchalingeswar Temple is in Balasore district of Odisha, India. It named after the five Shivalinga that are enshrined inside. The temple is on top of a hillock near the Nilagiri hill. The Shivalingas are said to have been enshrined by Sita, th ...

, a temple and scenic spot high on a mountain. The presiding deity there, Shiva, cannot be seen. One has to touch and feel the statue as it is behind (submerged under) a waterfall. About 33 km south-west of Balasore, the town Santaragadia has the Bisweswara temple situated on a hill. The town is surrounded by hills on all sides. Nearby is Khulia village, a settlement of aboriginals. Around 30 km south-east of Balasore is a port named Dhamara. * Kshirachora Gopinatha Temple, situated at Remuna, approximately 7 km from the main town of Balasore, was built by King Langula Narasimha Deva, who also built the famous temple at

Konark Konark is a medium town in the Puri district in the state of Odisha, India. It lies on the coast by the Bay of Bengal, 65 kilometres from the capital of the state, Bhubaneswar. It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple, also known as t ...

a. Khirochora Gopinatha Temple is notable for its mythological story about how it was built there. The prashad of Krishna – the khira – is famous. *The Biranchinarayana Temple, Palia, AstaDurga, and Bhudhara Chandi are some other temples located in the region. *Jagannatha Temple, Remuna is a newly built temple in the area, the architecture of which is influenced by the famous Jagannatha Temple of Puri. It is the recent favourite tourist spot concerning the region. Jagannatha Temple Nilagiri

Bhusandeswara Temple Chandaneswara Baleswara

*There is a Jagannatha Temple in

Nilagiri Nilagiri is a town and a Notified Area Council in Balasore district in the Indian state of Odisha. History Nilgiri is a very small town but replete with rich history and heritage. Its history can be traced back to paleolithic age. Its mode ...

which is one of the prominent Jagannatha temples of

. Lord

Jagannath Jagannath ( or, ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ, lit=Lord of the Universe, Jagannātha; formerly en, Juggernaut) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India and Bangladesh as part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra, and sister ...

Balabhadra In Jainism, Balabhadra or Baladeva are among the sixty-three illustrious beings called ''śalākāpuruṣas'' that are said to grace every half cycle of time. According to Jain cosmology, ''śalākāpuruṣa'' are born on this earth in every ' ...

and

Subhadra Subhadra ( sa, सुभद्रा, Subhadrā) is a Hindu goddess mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana''. She is described as the favourite child of Vasudeva and the younger sister of de ...

are worshipped here. Every year,

is performed with all the deities. * Panchalingeswar Temple is a temple near a picnic spot in Baleswara which is located 30 km from Balasore. There is a state tourism Pantha Nivas in Panchalingeswara for tourists. Panchalingeswara is surrounded by hills and forests. * Bhujakhia Pir, situated at sunhat at the heart of the city is the tomb of Sufi saint Aasthana Sharif Hazrat Pir named as Bhujakhia Pir. The most interesting thing that both Muslim and Hindu jointly worship pir baba. * Baba Bhusandeswar Temple, is one of the largest Shiva Lingams in the World is in Bhogarai village of Balasore district, Odisha.which is located 100 km from Balasore. The 12 feet long and 14 feet width lingam is carved out on a black granite and only half of the lingam is visible. The other half has remained buried for years. The diameter of the lingam is 12 feet and has three parts. The middle portion of the lingam is octagonal in shape, about 12 feet in diameter and nearly four feet in height. The Lingam slightly leans towards the right side. *Mitrapur Jagannath Mandir is known as second Puri temple in Odisha. *Dublagadi Sea Beach is a recently explored gem near the city where one can observe a magnificent dawn turning the white sands of the beach red. In winter time, especially after or before two days of the new moon you can watch the fluorescent sea waves under the bright open sky. Recently many camps have been opened in this area by the local villagers to enjoy a beautiful stay in the lap of mother nature.The villagers maintain the area's cleanliness and the well-being of the environment.

Transport

Air

The nearest airport is

Biju Patnaik Airport Biju Patnaik International Airport is an international airport serving Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha. It is situated around south-west from Bhubaneswar Railway Station and from the city center. Named after the former chief ministe ...

which is 200 km from Balasore.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an international airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the Kolkata Metropolitan Area and is the aviation hub for eastern and northeastern India. It is located approximatel ...

is 254 km from Balasore.

Rail

Balasore railway station Balasore railway station serves Balasore, Remuna, Chandipur, Bhograi, Nilagiri, Odisha in Balasore district and other districts like Mayurbhanj, Kendujhargarh and Bhadrak for boarding major trains like Duronto, Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Humsafar ...

is an important station on the Howrah-Chennai main line of the South Eastern Railway. The distance to Kolkata is approximately 254 km, while the distance to Bhubaneswar is about 206 km. A branch line to

Baripada Baripada () is a city and a municipality in Mayurbhanj district in the state of Odisha, India. Located along the east bank of the Budhabalanga river, Baripada is the cultural centre of north Odisha. In recent years, it has emerged as an educ ...

starts from

Rupsa Rupsa is a Village development committee (Nepal), village development committee in Kalikot District in the Karnali Zone of north-western Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 2659 people living in 423 individual hous ...

, near Balasore. Balasore is connected to different parts of India through trains. There are frequent trains to Bhubaneswar, Cuttack,Rourkela, Brahmapur,Mumbai,Kolkata, New Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Bangalore, Puri, Pondicherry, Ernakulam. BLS station n GZB WAP-7

Road

Balasore has a well developed roadways. National Highway 16 and National Highway 18 pass through the city. A part of the

Golden Quadrilateral The Golden Quadrilateral ( hi, स्वर्णिम चतुर्भुज, Svarnim Chaturbhuj; abbreviated GQ) is a national highway network connecting several major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres of India. It forms a ...

project, this highway runs from

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

. Intra-city transport comprises

cycle rickshaw The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab ...

s and

auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...

s. City bus services commenced in Balasore on 15 August 2017. The bus terminus is at Sahadev Khunta and thousands of private buses ply to hundreds of destinations every day. Many luxurious A.C buses ply to Bhubneswar, Kolkata and other nearby cities daily.

Education

Balasore is the main education hub of Northern Odisha with many engineering schools and colleges and the famous

Fakir Mohan University Fakir Mohan University (FM University) is a state university located at Nuapadhi, Balasore, Odisha, India. It is named after Odia writer Fakir Mohan Senapati. History This university was established by the Government of Odisha, under Section ...

, named after the renowned novelist

Fakir Mohan Senapati Fakir Mohan Senapati ( Odia: ଫକୀର ମୋହନ ସେନାପତି; 13 January 1843 – 14 June 1918), often referred to as Utkala Byasa Kabi (''Odisha's Vyasa''), was an Indian writer, poet, philosopher and social reformer. He played ...

, who hails from this town of Odisha. Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital was established in the year 2018 to boost the medical facility in Balasore and Northern Odisha.

Technical colleges/institutions

* Academy of Business Administration *

Balasore College of Engineering and Technology Balasore College of Engineering and Technology is a private technological college in Sergarh, Baleshwar, Odisha. The college has eight academic departments for polytechnics and engineering. Established in the year 2001, it is one of the oldest ...

* Srinix College of Engineering * Satyasai Engineering College * Vijayanjali Institute of Technology

Universities/colleges

* Balasore Law College * Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital *

* Fakir Mohan Autonomous college * Balangi Mahavidyalaya *

Sagar College of Science The Sagar College of Science, also known as SCS Balasore is a private college which is affiliated to the Govt. of Odisha, Odisha, India. It is situated in the town of Balasore which sits between Kolkata, the capital of the state of West Bengal ...

Schools

* Balasore Zilla School, Balasore * Town High school,Balasore * D.A.V. Public School, Balasore *

Maharishi Vidya Mandir Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born Mahesh Prasad Varma, 12 January 1918

* Modern Public School, Kuruda * St. Vincent's Convent School

Sports and entertainment

Cricket is the most popular sport in the city. The city is also represented by the Balasore Baghas in the Odisha Premier League. Apart from cricket, people here love the game of football, volleyball & other sports.

Permit Field

It is a mini stadium located in front of District Hospital in the heart of the town known to host District and State level Cricket and Football matches. Many people come here for an early morning walk or doing yoga. This place has given birth to many sports personalities of Balasore. This place is maintained by Balasore Athletic Association.

Reserved Police Line Ground

It is a big ground belongs to the Balasore Police Department and maintained by them it used as a parade ground during various occasions. Many athletes come here for training purpose. General Public is allowed for morning walk.

Entertainment

Balasore has several cinemas playing films in Odia, Hindi, and English languages.

Notable people

Gopanarayan Das Gopanarayan Das (1 March 1948 – 15 September 2022) was an Indian advocate and politician who served in the Orissa Legislative Assembly from 1985 to 1990. Das represented the Balasore Assembly constituency as a member of the Indian National C ...

(1948–2022), MLA *

Reela Hota Reela Hota ( or, ରୀଲା ହୋତା) is an Odissi dance performer, educator and producer, who has several performances to her credit. Daughter of Yoga Guru, Bijoylaxmi Hota and former bureaucrat Purna Chandra Hota, Reela was exposed to d ...

odissi Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the Hindu temple, temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India.Rocket launch site This article constitutes a list of rocket launch sites. Some of these sites are known as spaceports or cosmodromes. A single rocket launch is sufficient for inclusion in the table, as long as the site is properly documented through a reference. M ...

s *

Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO; ) is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. It operates under the Department of Space (DOS) which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while the Chairman ...

* Thumba, Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station * Chandipur, Odisha, Chandipur * *

References

External links

*
Online Information Center of Balasore

Baleswar District website
{{Authority control Balasore, Cities and towns in Balasore district Port cities in India Danish India Former Danish colonies Rocket launch sites in India Hindu–German Conspiracy