Baleshwar (Balasore) is a coastal city of Orissa, also known as “the city of sand” as it comprises a large coastal area. Balasore district was part of the ancient Kalinga Kingdom which later became a territory of Utkal. A large area of the town is also covered by forests and mines. The city is the centre of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence program’s test range. It also has rocket launching site in the Chandipur area near Bay of Bengal. The city covers an area of 3076 km sqkm

Popular tourist places in Balasore include Emami Jagannath Temple, Chandipur Beach, Panchalingeswar temple, Bichitrapur Mangrove Reserve, Talasari Beach, Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Dagara Beach, Khirachora Gopinath Shrine, Nalagiri Jagannath Temple etc.

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