Sambalpur

Sambalpur is in the Eastern state of Odisha in India, and is one of the largest and oldest cities in Odisha. It is the headquarters of Northern Revenue Division and of Mahanadi Coalfield Limited (MCL). It is situated about 300 km west of the state capital Bhubaneswar, 550 km west of Kolkata in West Bengal and 278 km east of Raipur in Chhattisgarh. It is on the bank of the Mahanadi River.In 1883, Sambalpur was established as a municipality. In 2013, it received municipal corporation status. Sambalpur Municipal Corporation includes Burla, Hirakud and the neighbouring 12 Gram panchayats. The total population of the Sambalpur Metropolitan Area is 3,35,761.OverviewSambalpur is the Western Odisha region's administrative, commercial and educational hub. The city contains many famous temples, historic buildings and parks. Sambalpur is famous for premier educational institutes like Sambalpur University, Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Gangadhar Meher University, Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur and Odisha State Open University (OSOU). Hirakud Dam, the longest earthen dam in the world and the largest artificial lake of Asia, is at Hirakud.