Green forests where wildlife roams free, Balangir, or the Ramayana's South Kosala, has been the venue for numerous cultural cross-currents, from whence rose tales of Sahajayana of Laxmikara and the Seven Maidens who indulged in esoteric rites.

Lending a gem-like quality of enchantment and mystery to these exotic elements, are the Gandhamardan hill with their turbulent waterfalls and the extravagant vistas of the Mahanadi river. The drive from Sambalpur (141 km) is a visual feast.