alisa
New Member
A sanctuary in eastern highland region, covering it with lush green dazzling deciduous forest, was my destination for the day- the Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary. Googled, binged, searched rigorously to find out more about it, but got nothing. Hence the ultimate solution to know about a place is to explore it.
So I with my other 3 friends started our journey from Bhawanipatna (headquarter of Kalahandi district) to Karlapat sanctuary, one of the famous wild life sanctuary of western odisha. Before starting we had a good breakfast in bhawanipatna.
(Tips: Do have your food before entering the sanctuary and carry your drinking water before hand. You won’t get anything inside the sanctuary)
Karlapat check gate
After a good breakfast, we resumed our journey. Around 25 km , we were stopped by forest department check gate. It was the Karlapat sanctuary forest division check gate and the starting point of the sanctuary. After getting verified by the officers, we enter the sanctuary. As our car moved more and more , the forest got denser and denser . River sagada also joined our ride. With birds singing, winds giving us company and river playing us hide and seek with us into those dense deciduous trees, we were taken into their beautiful world.
With barely any technology invasion, with no vehicles, no pollution and sound, I could feel the calmness of Mother Nature.
INSIDE THE SANCTUARY
As we reached our destination, the karlapat village, I found some earthen tiled roofed house with thick mud walls and bamboo columns. Thick mud wall because of the hot climate ,which demand so to keep the house cooler . Those use of locally available material and techniques for their climate were very beautiful examples of vernacular architecture.
On one side where some people were taking their goat herds for grazing, the kids were playing with sand on the other side. Where the adults were taking advantages and revolving their activities along nature , the kids were just laughing, playing, smiling around nature.
We just walked around the small village for a while to know the place in a better way. My eyes got attention towards a big mansion of two floors standing its most charming way. Well, true it was a big mansion in comparison to its neighborhood. But even that building was constructed of mud bricks and timber, giving respect to nature and its surrounding. This was the palace of Bhawanipatna’s king.
Bhawanipatna’s king Haveli
Photographs by Prince Raj Singh Deo (Owner of the Haveli)
After getting some guidance from the localities, we started walking towards our first waterfall, the Dumurijharan waterfall. Within a few step ahead we could see the whole village at one side with step-farming land on the other and with mountains surrounding and protecting them.
STEP-FARMING
With hardly a kilometer walk along with beautiful birds, we reached the pump house. We were able to hear the gusty water sound but unable to find it initially. After searching a bit, we found the waterfall, near to pump house, well hidden by nature. The fall was not very big but the fall around the womb of nature was very pleasing to experience. After spending some time near the waterfall, we decided to climb up. Climbed for a while into the dense jungle and it was exciting but then had to return because well that was rough & slippery and we had no proper trekking shoe.
(Tips: come with a good pair of trekking shoe)
PUMP HOUSE
Dumurijharan waterfall
We returned to the village soon, as we had to see another waterfall nearby, but in a different direction. It was around 3–4 km away from the village.
The sun was already over our head. We started walking towards the Kamlajharan waterfall. Though the sun was scorching, it was fun to cross small small water stream while walking. In a while, we reached our destination.
Way to kamlajharan waterfall
If the last waterfall was hidden by the forest, this waterfall hides herself by running through the dense forest. The fall flow very beautifully and elegantly around the nature. Even the forest was also very gentle with her.
kamlajharan waterfall
We enjoyed the slumber beauty with mystic rythematic song of birds and waterfall for a while.
kamlajharan waterfall
And finally decided to end our karlapat trip by giving a short visit to one of the famous waterfalls of Odisha, Phurlijharan. The fall well justify its name, which literally mean “phurli”- flower and “jharan”- waterfall. It is one of the most visited tourist places in the area, unlike our previous waterfall, and hence found some crowd.
Phurlijharan
Unlike other waterfalls that we had visited on that day, this waterfall was well developed by Odisha Tourism. We decided to see its lower end too and it was completely worth it. We crossed some beautiful bamboo forest and reached a calm area away from the crowd to an isolation.
Phurlijharan
It was lunch time and we were very hungry. So we gave a farewell to Karlapat sanctuary and got back soon to Bhawanipatna for lunch. Hotel Bhagirathi served us well.
NOTE:
Time to visit: September- January
Hotels: Hotel Bhagirathi, hotel central park
Local railway station: Bhawanipatna
Mode to reach to Karlapat sanctuary: private vehicle ( no local public transportation is available from Bbhawanipatna)
Note: Do take big fourwheelersr to reach the destination. Especially in rainy season or in either case)
So I with my other 3 friends started our journey from Bhawanipatna (headquarter of Kalahandi district) to Karlapat sanctuary, one of the famous wild life sanctuary of western odisha. Before starting we had a good breakfast in bhawanipatna.
(Tips: Do have your food before entering the sanctuary and carry your drinking water before hand. You won’t get anything inside the sanctuary)
Karlapat check gate
After a good breakfast, we resumed our journey. Around 25 km , we were stopped by forest department check gate. It was the Karlapat sanctuary forest division check gate and the starting point of the sanctuary. After getting verified by the officers, we enter the sanctuary. As our car moved more and more , the forest got denser and denser . River sagada also joined our ride. With birds singing, winds giving us company and river playing us hide and seek with us into those dense deciduous trees, we were taken into their beautiful world.
With barely any technology invasion, with no vehicles, no pollution and sound, I could feel the calmness of Mother Nature.
INSIDE THE SANCTUARY
As we reached our destination, the karlapat village, I found some earthen tiled roofed house with thick mud walls and bamboo columns. Thick mud wall because of the hot climate ,which demand so to keep the house cooler . Those use of locally available material and techniques for their climate were very beautiful examples of vernacular architecture.
On one side where some people were taking their goat herds for grazing, the kids were playing with sand on the other side. Where the adults were taking advantages and revolving their activities along nature , the kids were just laughing, playing, smiling around nature.
We just walked around the small village for a while to know the place in a better way. My eyes got attention towards a big mansion of two floors standing its most charming way. Well, true it was a big mansion in comparison to its neighborhood. But even that building was constructed of mud bricks and timber, giving respect to nature and its surrounding. This was the palace of Bhawanipatna’s king.
Bhawanipatna’s king Haveli
Photographs by Prince Raj Singh Deo (Owner of the Haveli)
After getting some guidance from the localities, we started walking towards our first waterfall, the Dumurijharan waterfall. Within a few step ahead we could see the whole village at one side with step-farming land on the other and with mountains surrounding and protecting them.
STEP-FARMING
With hardly a kilometer walk along with beautiful birds, we reached the pump house. We were able to hear the gusty water sound but unable to find it initially. After searching a bit, we found the waterfall, near to pump house, well hidden by nature. The fall was not very big but the fall around the womb of nature was very pleasing to experience. After spending some time near the waterfall, we decided to climb up. Climbed for a while into the dense jungle and it was exciting but then had to return because well that was rough & slippery and we had no proper trekking shoe.
(Tips: come with a good pair of trekking shoe)
PUMP HOUSE
Dumurijharan waterfall
We returned to the village soon, as we had to see another waterfall nearby, but in a different direction. It was around 3–4 km away from the village.
The sun was already over our head. We started walking towards the Kamlajharan waterfall. Though the sun was scorching, it was fun to cross small small water stream while walking. In a while, we reached our destination.
Way to kamlajharan waterfall
If the last waterfall was hidden by the forest, this waterfall hides herself by running through the dense forest. The fall flow very beautifully and elegantly around the nature. Even the forest was also very gentle with her.
kamlajharan waterfall
We enjoyed the slumber beauty with mystic rythematic song of birds and waterfall for a while.
kamlajharan waterfall
And finally decided to end our karlapat trip by giving a short visit to one of the famous waterfalls of Odisha, Phurlijharan. The fall well justify its name, which literally mean “phurli”- flower and “jharan”- waterfall. It is one of the most visited tourist places in the area, unlike our previous waterfall, and hence found some crowd.
Phurlijharan
Unlike other waterfalls that we had visited on that day, this waterfall was well developed by Odisha Tourism. We decided to see its lower end too and it was completely worth it. We crossed some beautiful bamboo forest and reached a calm area away from the crowd to an isolation.
Phurlijharan
It was lunch time and we were very hungry. So we gave a farewell to Karlapat sanctuary and got back soon to Bhawanipatna for lunch. Hotel Bhagirathi served us well.
NOTE:
Time to visit: September- January
Hotels: Hotel Bhagirathi, hotel central park
Local railway station: Bhawanipatna
Mode to reach to Karlapat sanctuary: private vehicle ( no local public transportation is available from Bbhawanipatna)
Note: Do take big fourwheelersr to reach the destination. Especially in rainy season or in either case)
I could experience the calmness and beauty of the place through your captures. I'm born and brought up in Cuttack but never heard of this place. Lovely..
