Rourkela is located in the northwestern tip of the Indian state of Orissa at the heart of a rich mineral belt. It is surrounded by a range of hills and encircled by rivers. One of the largest steel plants of the Steel Authority of India Limited is situated here. It also has one of the National Institutes of Technology of the country.

Tourism

Rourkela also acts as a hub for tourism to Orissa.

Hanuman Vatika: The city houses the Hanuman Vatika, which is a major attraction for the locals and visitors to the town. A 75 feet (23 m) tall full-fledged Hanuman statue welcomes the visitors to the steel city. Sri Laxmana Swami was the architect behind the statue. The Hanuman Vatika Trust Board has made a temple complex on 13 acres (53,000 m²) of land. The Bata Mangala Mandira, Binayaka Mandira and Manas Parayana Sharala have been established to the entrance of the Hanuman Vatika. The Koili Baikuntha, the kitchen, the Kalyan Mandap and the Bhajan Mandap lie close to the Jagannath temple.

Vedavyas: A place of natural beauty also considered a 'Tirtha', is situated 9 km away on the confluence of the rivers Shankha, Koel and Saraswati. There is also a Vedic Ashram and a Gurukula system school here. It is at this site that the epic Mahabharata was purported to have been put down on paper by Maharishi Vyas.

Mandira Dam: Mandira Dam is situated about 25 km from the city. The reservoir is almost as old as the Steel Plant in Rourkela. It was built to support the irrigation requirements of about 50 surrounding villages. But as of today, it is the source of water to nearly 250 villages around Rourkela. There is so much water that it is said that at the lowest level, if the dam were breached, the water would drown almost 100 villages.

Khandadhar: The 244 m High Khandadhar is 114 km from Rourkela via Bonaigarh. It is formed by the perennial Korapani Nala which flows here throughout the year. It is the highest waterfall in Orissa and the 4th highest in India.

Darjeeng: Darjeeng is a picnic spot on the river Brahmani. Nearby is Deodhar, a gorge on the river. It is 51 km from Rourkela on National Highway No. 23. About 180 km from Rourkela, Junagarh has a fort of historical and archaeological importance with ancient caves. Another haunt of the tourists is the Mirig Khog Waterfall, a picnic spot, 111 km from Rourkela.

Maa Vaishno Devi Temple: It is situated on the top of the small hill with a beautiful environment of green tree and fresh air through the day. It is also visible from the Railway Station. The images of Maa Kali, Maa Lakshmi and Maa Saraswati were found on the hill in the year 2000. then Maa Vaishnu Devi Temple Trust was formed in the year 2000. The Temple was constructed and completed in the year 2003. Proper stairs were made and water tanks were arranged for drinking water. Maa Durga Temple is another attraction near the cave to be worthy seen.

Laxmi Narayan Mandir: Situated in Sector-14 on a small hillock this is a place to attend complete peace of mind, away from the hustle and bustle of city. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi Mata.