rice to Goddess Samaleswari. During the festival, all the family members stay together and celebrate the festival by taking the blessings of elders. To promote art and culture, a festival named 'NUAKHAI BHETGHAT' is celebrated every year and has been continuously organized for 25 years. 'BURLA UTSAV' is celebrated with every 3–4 years. Cultural troupes from different parts of India take part in this Utsav. In 2013, "Aamar Utsav" celebrated a Cultural Dance Programme of Western Odisha in the Bharati Club field in the month of December. "Aamar Utsav" represent religious, cultural dance, music, tribal martial dance connected with western Odisha's people's traditions. Nature Burla is situated on the banks of the river Mahanadi and is surrounded by mountains and verdant forests. The large lake created by the Hirakud Dam attracts various bird species in the winter months and the surrounding forests also have wildlife such as hyenas, elephants, leopards and deers. In summer, temperatures reach 50 degrees Celsius and in winter they can go as low as 5 degrees Celsius. The jungles, river bed and dam itself attract thousands of tourists to the town every year. During winter, many of the Siberian birds come to the lake created by the Hirakud Dam. Places of interest Hirakud Dam is about 2 km from the main town. It is the world's longest earthen dam. The reservoir is Odisha's largest water resource for the purposes of irrigation. The attached hydro-electric power generation units are Odisha's largest source of electric power. A canal having its origin from Hirakud dam goes to Chipilima for electricity production. The dam is open to visitors. Only official vehicles are allowed to drive on the dam. During the monsoon, the dam opens its floodgates and one can witness the power of water. The Right Dyke stretches for more than 11 km along Mahanadi. Forests stretch all along the dyke and during the winter months, they provide good locations for picnics and nature lovers. Jawahar Minar, named after India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, stands near the dam's main site. The Minar has a plaque in memory to all the workers who lost their lives during its construction. Jawahar Minar provides scenic views of the dam, the forests and the huge lake. Sunrise and sunsets are a treat to the eyes from the Minar. The Ghanteswari Temple is another place of attraction which finds its place on the bank