Burla is a locality in Sambalpur city in the state of Odisha, India. It earlier had a Notified Area Council (NAC) until 2014 after which it was included in Sambalpur city under Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC). It was earlier a small town on the banks of Mahanadi. One can reach this place by road with National Highway 6 which is one of the busiest trunk routes in India as it connects Hazira to Kolkata. Hirakud Railway Station is at one end of the town and a walking distance from the Mahanadi Coal Limited (MCL).
Geography
Burla is located at . It has an average elevation of 173 metres (567 feet). The locality lies at one end of Hirakud Dam which is located around 2 km west of the town. The Jawahar Minar overlooks the Hirakud Dam, the lake and the surrounding forests of Barapahad (Twelve Hills). At the other side of the dam is the township of Hirakud.
Overview
Burla is situated in a half an hour distance from Central Sambalpur and one hour distance from Bargarh, which are connected by National Highway 6. Burla houses three leading institutions of Odisha: Sambalpur University and the Institute of Information Technology (SUIIT), Veer Surendra Sai Medical College and Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) (formerly called University College of Engineering-UCE). The town is horse-shoe shaped with an artificial lake in the middle and NH6 traversing through one end.
The town centre is small and is divided into 'Kaccha Market' and 'Pukka Market' and hosts numerous small stores and stalls, which are mostly family-based small business enterprises.
'Sambalpuri' is a dialect of the Odia language, and this Sambalpuri dialect is traditionally spoken in the town of Burla, however people here are also fluent in proper Odia and Hindi.
The author Ravinder Singh is a native of Burla.
Demographics
India census, Burla had a population of 39,188. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Burla has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 81% and female literacy of 66%. 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Economy
The area's economy is driven by education, medicine, civil engineering, and electrical engineering. Veer Surendra Sai Medical College is the largest hospital in Western Odisha. Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology is the oldest engineering college in Odisha. Sambalpur University is one of the three oldest Universities in Odisha, the other two beings Utkal University and Berhampur University. All these institutes of higher learning make Burla a top-tier destination for thousands of students every academic year.
The Hirakud Dam, which is the longest earthen dam in the world, caters to the hydro-electric power generation needs of the State. Numerous civil and electrical engineers reside in Burla. The headquarters of the Mahanadi Coal Fields Ltd. (a subsidiary of Coal India Limited) area located in Burla.
Education
Burla is a university town which is home to the Sambalpur University, the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research and the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, Burla, besides numerous schools and colleges, thus the student population at the height of academic year is sizable. All three centres for higher learning have their own auditorium which are well equipped.
Sambalpur University is one of the older universities in the State and has numerous colleges under its jurisdiction. The 'University' as it is popularly known in the region has a magnificent campus within the rolling hills and is a community in itself. The university is popularly known as Jyoti Vihar the main tag line of the university is "SA Vidya Ja Vimuktaye" the meaning of the sentence is "That is education which liberates".