About this Blog: Bangriposi is an offbeat and secluded village located at the foothills of the Thakurani Hills in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. The place is known for its picturesque and serene surroundings. While you can visit Bangriposi at all times of the year, the beauty of the place is truly highlighted during the monsoon. In this blog, we will tell you about our experience at Bangriposi during the monsoon, how to reach the place, where to stay and other relevant details.

How many times have you read a book and longed to go to a place where the book is based on? I have so many times fallen in love with cities and villages and countries after a good read. My heart yearned for Tibet after reading “Seven Years in Tibet”. I want to visit the Andes in South America after reading “Prisoners of the Sun”. Our visit to Bhulbhulayia in Lucknow was so much fun when I knew a certain “Feluda” had been here! So, when I read “Bangriposir du Ratri” (2 nights at Bangriposi), a romantic novel by Buddhadeb Guha, I had an incessant desire to visit Bangriposi.

The wait was quite long as Bangriposi never seemed to crop up in our travel plans even after visiting Odisha a number of times. Finally, after an impromptu plan with another friend, we decided to visit Bangriposi right in the middle of the rainy season. It was as if Bangriposi was beckoning us to visit, no matter the rains and sun. I guess it is never too late to d visit the places you so desperately want to and do all the crazy things you desire.

Bangriposi is a tribal village at the Thakurani ranges of Odisha offering the perfect union of topography and tranquillity. Bangriposi means “beautiful daughter of the hills” and is very aptly called so.

Where is Bangriposi?

Bangriposi is a tribal village at the Thakurani ranges of Odisha offering the perfect union of topography and tranquillity. Bangriposi means “beautiful daughter of the hills” and is very aptly called so. The place is located about 220 km from Kolkata and about 286 km from Bhubaneswar. Quite naturally, Bangriposi is a wonderful weekend destination from Kolkata where you can simply marvel at nature and enjoy her tranquility.

How to reach Bangriposi?

You can reach Bangriposi by train, car and bus. Bangriposi has a small railway station. However, the nearest main railway station is Balasore.

If you are coming from Kolkata, it is best to take the Dhauli Express. It reaches Balasore at 9:30 AM. There is a connecting DMU local at 10:00 from Balasore to Bangriposi. Infact, this local train actually waits for the Dhauli to arrive at Balasore (if it is not extraordinarily late) so that it can pick up the passengers from Dhauli express. You can also take a cab to Bangriposi from Balasore should you miss the DMU train.

The distance between Balasore to Bangriposi is about 100 km and takes about 2 hours to reach by car. Train travel by the DMU takes a little more time, about 3 hours. But the train journey is beautiful. There is another train from Balasore to Bangriposi in the evening around 8:20 PM that reaches its destination at around 11:00 PM.

You can also come to Baripada and then reach Bangriposi. Buses are available from Esplanade in Kolkata to Baripada.Bangriposi is about 35 km from Baripada and you will get a car from there to reach Bangriposi.

Bangriposi by car

If you are travelling by your own car, take the NH6 route from Kolkata and drive straight towards Bangriposi, 230km from Kolkata. This is the route to follow.

Kolkata – Kolaghat – Kharagpur – Lodhashuli – Baharagora – Jamsola – Bombay Chowki – Bangriposi

Our trip to Bangriposi

It was mid-July and we were already in Bhubaneswar and had just completed our trip to the Diamond Triangle in Odisha. We had taken an early train from Bhubaneswar to reach Balasore. Our friend Debika and her mother, however, were coming from Kolkata by Dhauli Express. So we were waiting for the train at Balasore station. The train, as usual, was running late. Finally, the train reached Balasore at 10:20 AM. Thankfully, the local train to Bangriposi had not yet left. It seemed that it was actually a connecting train and it would start only after taking the passengers from Dhauli. So we clambered on the train quickly and got our seats.

The train journey was a beautiful one. The train stopped at the stations and we saw the local people boarding the train and some getting down. There were also a few school girls who boarded the train. They were returning from their school. It reminded me of our school days when all of us used to make so much noise and commotion in the trains and buses!

Finally we reached Bangriposi – a small railway station and nothing else much. As we got down the train, we had a pleasant feeling.  It was drizzling and we booked an auto to Khairi Resort, our stay at Bangriposi. The Khairi Resort was originally the OTDC Panthanibas, but now it is run by private. The resort stands on a large area and is quite beautiful.

By the time we reached the Khairi Resort, it had started raining heavily. We had a very sumptuous lunch and sat at the verandah looking at the rains and waiting for it to stop. As soon as the rain stopped, we scrambled out to explore this beautiful little village.

Things to do in Bangriposi

Bangriposi is small and beautiful. The best way to explore this quaint village is by foot. You can also hire a car to visit the attractions of Bangriposi. We stayed for 2 days in Bangriposi. On the first day, we had a car to our disposal and explored the local attractions.

Buribalam River

Our first stop was the Buribalam River. This place has an interesting place in the Indian struggle for freedom. Indian freedom fighter Bagha Jatin had fought against the British along the banks of Buribalam River. His real name was Jatindranath Mukherjee. It is said that he single-handedly took on a tiger that was killing the villagers. He fought hand-to-hand with the tiger and got grievously wounded. However, he managed to kill the tiger by striking it with a Khukuri (a Gorkha dagger). Jatin was conferred the title “Baghajatin” (Bagh means tiger in Bengali) after this incident.

The river had a soothing effect on all of us. Buribalam was in her full glory flowing over the rocky terrain. We usually don’t see so much greenery in Kolkata. Here it was green everywhere.

And with the rains, the trees, shrubs and bushes looked fresher than ever, each having a different hue of green. “50 Shades of Green” is what we called it. If not 50, but we were quite elated to see so much greenery around. A few local men were fishing along the banks of the river. We spent some time there and then headed towards our next destination.

Duarsini Temple or Bonbibi Temple

Duarsini Temple, perched on the Thakurani Hills is also known as Bonbibi and Kanak Durga Temple. Bonbibi Temple is quite popular here. The place where the temple is situated is actually regarded the gateway to the Simlipal Forests. Likewise, the locals take the blessings of Bonbibi before venturing into the forest.

The villagers believe that if you pray to the Goddess for something, she grants your wish. But you have to come back to the temple again and pay your homage. In case you do not, She will come in your dreams to remind you of your promise.  Well, I don’t know whether it is true or not, but it is the faith that can move mountains. I think all of us had a secret wish for them to Bonbibi.

Bisoi Haat

Our next stop was the Bisoi Haat (Local village market). Bisoi is 17 km from Bangriposi and the drive to the place is so scenic that we wanted to keep on driving! It was a weekly market held on every Saturday, with all the local people buying and selling their merchandise. It was an utterly colourful and chaotic affair. Sometimes, cockfights are held here. We just saw one when we arrived at Bisoi.

Places to visit near Bangriposi

There are a number of places to visit in Bangriposi. On our second day, we made a trip to a few of these places. We decided to visit the Sulaipat and Bankbal Dam and while returning toward Balasore, we would visit Kuliana, the dokra village of Odisha.

Sulaipat Dam

Sulaipat Dam is located about 40 km from Bangriposi near Baripada region. We started early and it was raining quite heavily. Today also we took the same route towards Bisoi and then further went towards Sulaipat Dam. When we reached there, it was raining quite heavily.

Sulaipat Dam over the Kharkai River looked absolutely mesmerizing. The vast stretch of water with the hills and grey clouds at the background looked surreal. And with the rains falling on us, the whole place looked and felt romantic.

Monsoons have a special charm and some places take a gorgeous look during the rainy season. Bangriposi is one such place. We did not want to leave Sulaipat, but Bankbal was calling us. Even though we wanted to stay there, we had to start our journey towards Bankbal Dam.

Bankbal Dam

The Bankbal dam is also beautiful, though not so much as the Sulaipat. But, the large reservoir brimming with water, the surrounding hills and greenery made the place no less gorgeous. It was not raining here, so we walked along the dam at our own pace.

The grey clouds at a distance looked ominous and very soon, the clouds were rushing towards us bringing with it heavy rain.  Here, we literally saw black clouds approaching us along with rain.

Kuliana Dokra Village

After a visit to these two dams, we started towards Balasore. En route, we stopped at Kuliana, the village where Dokra handicraft is made. Dokra is an ancient handicraft form of non-ferrous metal casting using lost wax technique. You can read more about Dokra in our post here.

Kuliana is a small village of few families still practicing the ancient handicraft form and keeping it alive. We went inside one house. They showed us the craft they had so lovingly created. During the monsoon, they do not make the dokra artifacts, as sunlight is required for drying. The handicrafts were made with so much care and finesse; the intricate details made them look so unique.

With Kuliana, our trip almost came to an end. We were back at Balasore waiting for Dhauli Express and reminiscing about our wonderful weekend trip.

Simlipal National Park

Usually Simlipal National Park and Bangriposi can be visited together. Simlipal is located around 60 km from Bangriposi and is a 2,750 sq km sanctuary and Tiger Reserve. You can extend your weekend and include Simlipal in your trip as well.

Barehipani and the Joranda Waterfalls

These two waterfalls are located right in the heart of Simlipal National Park. Barehipani waterfall is a two-tiered waterfall with a drop of 400 metres. It looks quite majestic. The Joranda waterfall is also quite breathtaking, having a drop of 150 metres.

Where to stay at Bangriposi?

There are a few hotels and resorts in Bangriposi. We had stayed at Khairi Resort. This resort was once the Panthanibas under Odisha Tourism Department. It was later given over to private players and is now converted into a beautiful resort. Khairi resort is spread across a large area and is quite lovely. It has a beautiful garden and is surrounded by foliage of trees.

Contact number of Bangriposi Hotels

• Khairi Resort: 06791 223292/ +91 8249002656/ 9437877730
• Hotel Bangriposi: +91 9831309512 / 9836830342 / 6291377154
• Simlipal Resort: +91 8327789997, 9437612747

What is the best time to visit Bangriposi?

Bangriposi is an all year destination. In the winters, you can visit the nearby forests. We visited during the monsoons and the place has a different charm at this time. The Simlipal Forest, however, remains close during the monsoon.

A Trivia

At Khairi Resort, we made an interesting finding. Debika is from a Geography background and she was quick to spot a GTS Benchmark. GTS or the Great Trigonometrical Survey was a project to measure the entire Indian subcontinent with scientific precision started in 1802. Among the many accomplishments of the Survey were the demarcation of the British territories in India and the measurement of the height of the Himalayan giants: Everest, K2, and Kanchenjunga. (Source: Wikipedia). We asked the people at the hotel about the benchmark. They could only say that it was there since long, from the British time. We could only conclude that it must have been a local GTS benchmark.

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