Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary

Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary is a coastal wildlife sanctuary stretching along the Bay of Bengal between Puri and Konark in Puri District, Odisha. Covering about 71.72 sq km, it was notified in 1984 and consists largely of planted casuarina and cashew forests on sandy coastal dunes. It is known for spotted deer, blackbuck, jackals and diverse birds, and its beach is part of the Olive Ridley sea turtle nesting habitat near the Konark Sun Temple.

Visitors can expect a narrow coastal strip of sandy dunes planted with casuarina and cashew forests along the Puri-Konark Marine Drive. The sanctuary offers open forest trails, beachfront stretches, and watch points for viewing spotted deer, blackbuck, jackals and numerous resident and migratory birds. The landscape is flat and coastal, with sea views, plantation forests and quiet beaches. Access is through forest department entry points and exploration is mainly by nature walks and drives along the marine drive.

Notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 1984 covering 71.72 sq km, the area was afforested with casuarina and cashew plantations from the 1970s onwards to stabilize coastal sand dunes and protect the hinterland from cyclones and erosion, later protected for conservation of spotted deer, blackbuck and coastal fauna.

Forms part of the coastal landscape adjoining the 13th-century Konark Sun Temple UNESCO World Heritage Site, contributing to the natural setting of the temple region and representing Odisha's coastal conservation efforts along the pilgrimage corridor between Puri and Konark.