[6] Sambalpur derives its name from the Hindu Goddess Samalei (Odia: ସମଲେଇ ମାଁ), who is regarded as the reigning deity of the region.

[11] In the fourth century CE, the Gupta emperor conquered the territory of "Dakshina Koshala", comprising roughly present day Sambalpur, Bilaspur, and Raipur.

Somavamshi King Janamajaya-I Mahabhavagupta (Circa 882–922 CE) consolidated the eastern part of Kosala comprising the modern undivided Sambalpur and Bolangir districts and established matrimonial relationship with the Bhauma-Kara dynasty ruling over the coastal modern Odisha.

[15][16] The kalachuris had an intermittent conflict with the Ganga Dynasty of Utkala (present-day coastal Odisha).

Ultimately Kalachuris lost the Sambalpur Sonepur region to Gangas during reign of Anangabhima Deva-III (1211–1238 C.E.).

[17] The Ganga kingdom ruled the Sambalpur region for two more centuries, but faced aggression of the Bengal sultanate from the north and Vijayanagara and Bahmani empires of the south.

After the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1817, the British Government returned Sambalpur to the Chauhan king, Jayant Singh, but his authority over the other princely states was taken out.

Several paintings made during his stay at Sambalpur by an unknown artist are currently in the British Library and Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Tantric Buddhist sects made efforts to raise the dignity of the lowest of the low of the society to a higher plane.

It revived primitive beliefs and practices a simpler and less formal approach to the personal god, a liberal and respectful attitude towards women and denial of caste system.

Tantric Buddhism first developed in Uddiyana, a country which was divided into two kingdoms, Sambhala and Lankapuri.

Sambalpur experiences an extreme type of climate with hot and dry summers followed by humid monsoons and cold winters.

The most pleasant months in Sambalpur are from October to February, during which time the humidity and heat are at their lowest.

[38] Hirakud, in the vicinity of Sambalpur, was conceptualized as an industrial town by the erstwhile Chief Minister of Odisha, Biju Patnaik.

On completion of the Hirakud Dam, power intensive industries such as aluminium smelters, cable manufacturing, steel re-rolling mills etc.

[5] It was the first in India to adopt clean coal combustion technology that uses a circulating fluidised bed, which is considered environmentally friendly.

[43] A cultural manifestation of the hidden age-old traditional performing art of a vast geographical area is possible through this annual celebration of the festival called Lok Mahotsav.

Lok Mahotsav shows the integrity and unison of the heritage, culture, music and lifestyle of Western Odisha.

Live performances of folk music and dance from all parts of India are shown under one splendid stage.

Sitalsasthi is a carnival of folk dance and music along with decorated stands of gods and goddesses.

[46] It is widely believed that the next Hindu avatar known as Kalki will be born at Sambalpur or Shambhala, as this place was known in olden times.

There are several mentions of the place Shambhala in different Hindu and Buddhist religious texts as the birthplace of Kalki.

[47][better source needed] The world-famous Hirakud Dam, built in 1956 across the Mahanadi River, about 15 km (9.3 mi) from Sambalpur, is a major tourist attraction.

It is an ideal picnic spot and famous for Ghanteswari Temple, the presiding deity of the place.

These hidden treasures have finally caught the attention of historians and steps are being taken to understand the historical significance of these temples which periodically go under water, only to resurface again.

[53] The temples located inside the reservoir area were part of the then Padmapur, one of the oldest and most populous villages in the region prior to the dam construction.

These lost temples present excellent opportunities for scuba diving enthusiasts to explore under the Hirakud Dam.

[54] Sitting MP from Sambalpur is Mr Dharmendra Pradhan of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

The current MLA of Sambalpur (Odisha Vidhan Sabha constituency) is Jayanarayan Mishra of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sriballav Panigrahi of Indian National Congress represented Sambalpur in the Odisha Lesgislative Assembly in 1971 and 1973.