Chandragiri is a hill settlement in Gajapati district, in the Mohana block of southern Odisha. It is best known as Phuntsokling, a Tibetan refugee settlement established in 1963 in five camps, and for the Padmasambhava Mahavihara at nearby Jirang, a five-storey monastery that the Dalai Lama inaugurated in January 2010. The village itself is little more than a main street of shops, a school, a clinic and a forest office on the state highway.
The pleasures are specific and small. You come for morning prayers in the monastery, a walk through the Tibetan camps, a momo at a roadside eatery and a drive through farming country known for maize, ragi and fruit. Behind the village lies the Lakhari Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, a quiet stretch of Eastern Ghats forest that suits birdwatchers more than safari seekers. Taptapani's hot spring lies about 26 km away on the way from Berhampur, and Mahendragiri, the district's highest hill, is a separate day out via Paralakhemundi.
It is not an easy destination. Chandragiri is roughly 80 to 88 km from Berhampur on narrow hill roads, there are no hotels in the village, and facilities are basic. With a car and driver, a night at Taptapani or Berhampur, and an early start, it makes a rewarding one or two days. Go between November and February, ask before photographing anyone, and treat the monastery and settlement as places where people live and pray.
Before you plan
Chandragiri at a glance
- Best months
- November to February is the most…November to February is the most comfortable; October to April is workable. Avoid June to September, when heavy rain makes the hill roads difficult.
- Ideal trip length
- 1 day from Taptapani or Berhampur1 day from Taptapani or Berhampur; 2 days if you add the sanctuary and a night nearby
- Airport
- Biju Patnaik International Airport,…Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar (BBI), about 250 km away; Berhampur's Rangeilunda airport has limited services
- Railway station
- BrahmapurBrahmapur (Berhampur, BAM) on the East Coast Railway, about 85 km by road
- Getting around
- A hired car with driver is the…A hired car with driver is the practical option; local buses and autos are limited and the roads are narrow and winding
- Daily budget
- ModestModest. Roadside meals and guest-house rooms are inexpensive, but car hire from Berhampur is the main cost; prices are not published, so confirm locally
- Senior comfort
- Moderate: the monastery courtyard is…Moderate: the monastery courtyard is level, but roads are long and winding, facilities are basic and medical help is far away
- Language
- Odia, Telugu and tribal languages in…Odia, Telugu and tribal languages in the district; Tibetan in the settlement; Hindi and English are understood by some
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Chandragiri: January, February, November, December. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Chandragiri itinerary
One good day
1 day in Chandragiri
Leave Taptapani or Berhampur early so you reach Jirang for the morning prayers, then spend an hour in the Padmasambhava Mahavihara. Walk through the Tibetan camps with a local guide, have tea and momos in the bazaar and look at the handicrafts. Return before dark; hill roads are poorly lit.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Chandragiri
Stop at Taptapani's hot spring, spend the night at the Odisha Tourism lodge and rest. This avoids a long single-day drive from the coast.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Chandragiri
Drive up from Berhampur, bathe in the hot spring and rest at the lodge.
Day-by-day plan →
