Tamdei Picnic Spot — Attraction in Odisha

We covered Tamdei, Patharseni and Dungri limestone quarry on same day on 9th Feb and it was a terrific experience. Below is a combined review for those three places as those are close by to each other.

Tamdei: It's a very scenic spot on the backwaters of Hirakud dam reservoir near Dungri. It's a flatland to which the Mahanadi water flows between two beautiful hills. The water is deep blue here from winter to spring, and hence the whole scenery is too beautiful. The water is shallow here and quite safe to walk into, but be careful of slush on the water floor. Local fishermen operate boats at very affordable costs, much less compared to places like Rampaluga (our friendly boatman charged Rs 600 for a memorable 45 minute boat-ride). They will either make a trip round the larger hill, or drop you to that hill for picnic and pick you up later (you won't get life jackets here, so enter at own risk if you can't swim). We saw picnickers having climbed to the top of that hill, though not sure how safe that is. Though I had experience of Ecotour Odisha speedboat ride from Debrigarh to Govindpur, and wooden boat ride in Rampaluga, the boat-ride at Tamdei was unique as at one point the boatman took us through narrow waterways inside grasslands that are present inside the backwaters (and those are nesting grounds for migratory birds). A memorable place for nature lovers (try to come in winter for the blue skies and blue waters; but please don't litter and pollute the shores of this serene place).

Patharseni temple: This small temple is situated at the edge of Barapahad (near Chhatisgarh border), and it offers a beautiful, expansive view of Mahanadi, different from what you see at places like Sambalpur, Sonepur or Cuttack. The water was deep blue when we visited and the view was simply mesmerizing. The path to this place is through the fringe area of Barapahad, hence lightly forested and appealing to nature lovers (especially when you descend down the last small hill and see the entire expanse of Mahanadi way down). There is not much to do here, except look at the grand Mahanadi river. Note that the water here is deep, so be careful while entering. Avoid the local wooden boats here as there was a major boat capsize in 2024 with many casualties.

Dungri limestone quarry: This place is prohibited to visitors and you need permit to enter (and it's sealed presently). Luckily a senior staff present was nice enough to phone the guard of the smallest quarry to permit us to have a look. The quarry was next to a hill and was filled with emerald blue water (similar to what you see in videos of Pangong Lake in Ladakh). The guard told us it was 4-5 storeys deep at least. It's a dangerous place and in hindsight, I won't recommend anyone coming here as if you get close for photo etc., the crushed rocks at quarry edges may slide straight into the deep cold waters (that's the reason it's prohibited). It was a unique experience. And we also saw tens of crores worth of heavy machinery rusting due to labour dispute with the new owners...

One of the Best Tourism Place in Western Odisha. It has five small islands and one big island in the middle of Hirakud Dam. There are some abandoned houses in the deep and alone island. Visit once in a life time to experience thriller...

One of the best picnic spot in Bargarh District And hiking to the sidhatank hill is a beautiful experience for me and the view from the top priceless

For more information about this place visit my YouTube channel...