Twenty kilometres from town, the Upper Kolab dam holds back a reservoir wide enough to feel like a lake in the hills. It is the stop that asks nothing of you: a garden, a view and the evening light.
- From Koraput
- About 20 km, 35 min
- Altitude
- About 914 m
- Best time
- Late afternoon
- Season
- Year round
What is here
A gravity dam on the Kolab river, built for power, irrigation and drinking water for southern Odisha. Below the wall is a terraced garden with fountains and lawns; above it, a viewpoint over the reservoir and the hills on the far shore.
How to time it
Arrive an hour and a half before sunset. The garden first, then the viewpoint as the light softens. It closes around dusk, so this is an ending, not a beginning. On the way back the Traveller is in town in half an hour.
Good with
- The town temple and museum on an arrival day, as in every one of our plans.
- Gupteswar on the way back from the west.
- Jeypore's old town if the group wants a market evening.
Boating and garden entry depend on the season and local notices. We check on the day.
