SAMBALPUR: A RIVER, A FOREST AND A FESTIVAL

As forests reopen across India, western Odisha's Sambalpur invites travellers with its wildlife trails, folk music and handlooms

- Navya Sharma

There's a certain magic in the first chill of the season... that moment when India's forests stir back to life. The sanctuary gates creak open, migratory birds return and the air carries that unmistakable scent of damp leaves and wild earth. In western Odisha, the Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary near Sambalpur is at the heart of this quiet awakening. Now on the cusp of being declared India's newest tiger reserve, it's drawing attention not just for its wildlife, but for the people who've helped it thrive.