town in Odisha, India
Balasore (also commonly referred to as Baleswar or Baleshwar) is a city in Odisha (formerly Orissa) in Eastern India.
The town is located on the coast in the north-east corner of Odisha. It is full of mixed cultures, and is greatly influenced by Oriya, Bengali and Marwari cultures. It's also an industrial hub with some major and numerous small scale industries.
Balasore is connected by road and rail. it can be reached from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata both by the NH-5 road and by direct trains on the Howrah-Chennai main line. Buses from Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Kolkata and Baripada are readily available. The nearest airport is in Bhubaneswar about 200 km away.
The town is famous for its tasty Rasgullas. Some of the better known sweet shops in the city are Mahi Rasagolla and Jagadathri Sweets. Mahi Rassagolla is famous for its rassagollas while Jagadhatri Sweets is known for Pantuas (a version of Gulab Jamun that is fried a little more deeply).
Be sure to also ask for Chhena Poda when you visit a sweet shop (literal translation: fried/burnt cheese in sugar). Chhena Poda is a little more expensive than a regular sweet dish and is generally sold by weight.