Eighteen places, three directions and one honest line about each: how far it is from Koraput town by road, when it is at its best and what to expect when you get there. Distances are from Google Maps; the Koraput distance chart adds Semiliguda, Jeypore and the cities.
- Places
- 18
- Furthest
- Gupteswar and Machkund, about 76 km
- Closest
- Temple and museum, in town
- Duduma at its best
- June to September
| Where | From Koraput |
|---|---|
| Dumuriput Ram temple | 13 kmAbout 25 min |
| Kolab damalso called Upper Kolab | 18 kmAbout 30 min |
| Bagra waterfall | 18 kmAbout 35 min |
| Maa Kanta Baunsuni | 23 kmAbout 45 min |
| Maliguda | 26 kmAbout 50 min |
| Subai Jain temples | 36 kmAbout 1 h 5 min |
| Putsil | 43 kmAbout 1 h 20 min |
| Nandapur | 44 kmAbout 1 h 15 min |
| Talamalialso called Talamali Hilltop | 45 kmAbout 1 h 25 min |
| Pottangi | 47 kmAbout 1 h 25 min |
| Rani Duduma | 48 kmAbout 1 h 20 min |
| Kalyamalialso called Kaliamali | 50 kmAbout 1 h 40 min |
| Deomali | 53 kmAbout 1 h 45 min |
| Balda Cave | 66 kmAbout 2 h |
| Duduma Waterfallalso called Machkund | 68 kmAbout 1 h 40 min |
| Jalaput dam | 70 kmAbout 1 h 45 min |
| Onukadelli | 71 kmAbout 1 h 50 min |
| Gupteswar | 76 kmAbout 2 h |
| Machkund power house | 76 kmAbout 2 h 5 min |
| Araku ValleyAndhra Pradesh | 96 kmAbout 2 h 30 min |
| JagdalpurChhattisgarh | 101 kmAbout 2 h 25 min |
| Maa Majhighariani TempleRayagada | 111 kmAbout 2 h 45 min |
| Borra CavesAndhra Pradesh | 135 kmAbout 3 h 40 min |
| Tiratgarh waterfallChhattisgarh | 136 kmAbout 3 h 20 min |
| Chitrakote waterfallChhattisgarh | 138 kmAbout 3 h 20 min |
| Gundicha Ghagi waterfallKeonjhar | 670 kmAbout 14 h 55 min |
Deomali
Odisha's highest peak at 1,672 m, 53 km and about 1 hour 45 minutes from town via Semiliguda. A tar road climbs almost to the summit; on top it is open grassland with valleys on every side. Cold and windy at dawn. Full Deomali guide.
Duduma Waterfall
The Machkund river drops 175 m into a forested gorge on the Odisha–Andhra border, 68 km and about 1 hour 40 minutes south-west. Best in the monsoon, June to September. A full day. Full Duduma guide.
Machkund
The river below Duduma, its gorge and the hydro-electric power house that President Rajendra Prasad opened in 1955, 76 km, about 2 h 5 min from town. The winch down to the power house is for project staff only. Full Machkund guide.
Jalaput Dam
A 68.2 sq km reservoir on the Machkund river at the Odisha–Andhra Pradesh border, held back by a dam the two states built in 1955, 70 km, about 1 h 45 min from town. Full Jalaput guide.
Balda Cave
A cave shrine on a flat-topped hill that looks over the Jalaput reservoir, 66 km, about 2 h from town. Local people worship there during the Chaitra festival, in March or April. Full Balda Cave guide.
Rani Duduma
A smaller, quieter waterfall in the Nandapur area, 48 km and about 1 hour 20 minutes from town, reached by a country road through paddy and forest. Full after the rains, a trickle by late winter. Pairs naturally with Nandapur.
Gupteswar Cave Temple
A limestone cave shrine above the Sabari river, 76 km west, reached by roughly 200 steps through forest. Crowded in Shravan, peaceful the rest of the year. Full Gupteswar guide.
Upper Kolab Reservoir
A gravity dam, a terraced garden and a wide reservoir at about 3,000 ft, 18 km from town on the Jeypore road. The easy evening stop. Full Kolab guide.
Bagra Waterfall
Three small falls, about 9 m (30 ft) high, where the Kolab river comes down to the Jeypore plateau, 18 km, about 35 min from town. Full Bagra guide.
Sabara Srikhetra
Koraput's Jagannath temple, in town. It is built around the idea that Jagannath belongs to everyone, with roots in the region's tribal traditions, and the shrine is open to all visitors. A calm half hour in the morning. Full temple guide.
Tribal Museum
In Pujariput, Koraput town: reconstructed homes, textiles, tools, musical instruments and wall art of Koraput's Adivasi communities. Open daily, 9 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 6:30 pm; allow about 2 hours. It makes the rest of the drive make sense. Full museum guide.
Dumuriput Ram Temple
A Ram temple beside NH 26 between Koraput and Sunabeda, known for its giant kneeling Hanuman, 13 km, about 25 min from town. Open 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. Full Dumuriput guide.
Subai Jain Temples
The remains of a Jain monastery on the Nandapur road: small stone temples and rare images of the Tirthankaras, 36 km, about 1 h 5 min from town. Full Subai guide.
Maliguda
About 26 km from town, where the Kirandul railway line crosses the Eastern Ghats on bridges and through the 4 km Maliguda tunnel. You can watch trains from the road, or ask us about riding one section by train while the Traveller meets you at the other end.
Nandapur
The old capital before Jeypore, 44 km south. Small stone shrines and the Batrisa Singhasana, the 32-step throne of the old kings. Twenty minutes of history on the road to Rani Duduma.
Onukadelli
A weekly market near Duduma, on Thursdays, where Bonda and other communities come to trade. It is a working market, not a show. We visit quietly, buy something, and photograph people only when they agree.
Talamali
A flat-topped hill above Pendajam in the Semiliguda–Pottangi highlands, 45 km and about 1 hour 25 minutes from town, usually paired with the village of Putsil on the same morning. Grass instead of forest, and a rough last stretch we check the week you travel. Full Talamali and Putsil guide.
Kalyamali
Spelled Kaliamali as often as not. Another open, grass-topped hill in the same highlands, 50 km from town and 5.6 km from Talamali, with long views towards Pottangi and an honest walk at the end of the drive. Best October to February. Full Kalyamali guide.
Offbeat: Dudhari
Dudhari is a smaller waterfall whose access changes with the season, and the one place here we will not put on a first-visit plan without checking the road that week. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly whether the Traveller can get there.
