Balangir District
Encyclopedia
Balangir District, also called Bolangir District, is a district
situated in the western orissa region of India
. The district has an area of 5,165 km², and a population of 1,335,760 (2001 census). The town of Balangir
is the district headquarters. The composition of the land is predominantly rural.Other important big & small towns in Balangir district are Titlagarh
, Patnagarh
, Kantabhanji
, Loisingha, Saintala
, Belpada, Tushra, Agalpur, Deogaon, Chudapali.
since the 1880s. The district of Balangir is flanked in the northwest by the Gandhamardan hill. Many hill streams traverse it. It is the land of Tantrik
culture. It is also notable for having experimented in the republic
an form of Government that was overthrown by Ramai Deo.
and scholars like Pargiter believe that Rama's long stay in that region gave rise to the name of South Kosala after his original homeland Kosala.According to Padmapurana, the kingdom of Kosala, after Rama, was divided between Lava & kusa, his two son.Later Kusa founded the city of Kusasthalipura and ruled over the southern half of Kosala (Included modern day Western Orissa & Chattisgarh State).
During the time of Grammarian Panini (5th Century B.C), a territory named Taitila Janapada flourished to the west of Kalinga and that territory has been associated by historians with the modern town of Titlagarh
in Balangir district.Taitala Janapada was famous for trade in some commodities described by the Grammarian as "Kadru" the meaning of which may be either horse or cotton fabrics
According to Chetiya Jataka, the capital of the Chedi
Country was Sothivatinagara which is the same as Suktimatipuri of Harivamsa
and Suktisahvaya of the Mahabharata
(Vana Parva). The epic (Adi Parva) also states that the capital of the Chedis was situated on the bank of river Suktimati, Modern Sukhtel river of Balangir district
Thus the ancestors of Famous King of Kalinga Kharavela
were from the Balangir district as they were ruling over the territory drained by the Suktel in Balangir, wherefrom they advanced towards the east and became master of Kalinga by the 1st Century B.C.In the Hathigumpha inscription
,Kharavela refers to one Rajashri Vasu as his ancestor, Who is probably the same as Vasu, the son of Abhichandra, the founder of Chedi Kingdom. This Vasu may also be identified with Uparichara Vasu of the Mahabharata (Adi Parva) where hs is described as the King of the Chedis who were ruling in the modern district of Balangir and Subarnapur.
Balangir region continued to be under the rule of Chedis during the 1st Century AD but in the 2nd century it came under the possession of the Satavahanas, whose king was Gautamiputra Satakarni.He is said to have built a magnificent vihara for his philashopher friend Nagarjuna on the 'Po lo mo lo ki li' or Parimalagir identified with the modern Gandharmardan hills.
, Mahavir started his earliest preaching of Dharma at Nalanda, Rajgriha, Paniya Bhumi, Siddharthagrama. According to some scholars, (D.C.Sircar) Punita Bhumi is a synonym of Paniya Bhumi as per Ardha Magadhi language. It is the same as Paniya Bhumi or Nagoloka, the present Nagpur, and it is further identified as Bhogapura, the modern Bastar, region of Chhattisgarh
, Koraput
, Kalahandi
and Balangir district of Orissa.
In Some of the insctiptions found in Balangir and Sonepur district, It has been mentioned that this part of the land was known as Attavika during Ashoka’s invasion of Kalinga
in 261 B.C .
The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang
visited 'Po lo mo lo ki li' monastery at modern Paikmal in the 7th Century AD.It was then having cloisters and lofty halls and those halls were arranged in five tiers each with four courts with temples containing life-size gold images of Buddha
Utkal University
Archaeology Prof Dr. Sadasiva Pradhan excavated the Gumagad site under Gudvela block near the Tel river valley in Balangir district, where he found that a strategic military hub existed in 1st century BC. It was set up by a king contemporary to king Kharavela.Four copper plates were also found at Terssingha village which speaks of the Tel valley civilisation.Those plates had information regarding the two capitals – Udayapur and Parbatadwaraka – which were under the rule of Rashtrakutas and local chieftains belonging to different clans.The Udayapur area, the capital of Rashtrakuta kings, who ruled in the valley, is still standing structures and ruins. These are mostly found at Amathgad. Ruins of a medieval fort is also found there.
According to eminent historian and pigraphist Sadananda Agrawal copper plates were recently found in Kapsila village near Balangir .The found materials were three copper plates tied together by a circular ring and issued by a king named Khadgasimha. It has been assigned to the 8th century AD and it informs about new rulers and history of the Tel valley civilization.
Ranipur-Jharial houses one among the five existing rare monuments of Hypaethral temples (temples without roofs) dedicated to 64 yoginis in India. The other three are at Hirapur nearBhubaneswar, Khajurao and Bheraghat near Jabalpur and Dudhai near Lalitpur.The images at Ranipur-Jharial are made of sandstone. The temple of 64 yoginis of Ranipur-Jharial is famous not only for its beautiful architecture but also for its religious significance. Three-faced Natraj Shiva idol stands at the centre of the temple encircled by 64 sculptures of the Yogini goddesses in various positions. Unfortunately with the curse of time, and also due to lack of care only 48 Yoginis are left by now.
Ramai Deo founded the kingdom of Patna in 1360AD, which within a short span of its aggressive career become the head of the cluster of eighteen Garhs.The Patna kingdom streched from Raigarh in Chattisgarh to Bamra in Sundergarh District.
List of Chouhan rulers of the Patna state
, founded a town called Balramgarh and shifted the capital of Patna state from Patnagarh
to Balramgarh in the early 16th century.Subsequently the town was renamed as Balangir from Balramgarh.After around 8 years of rule in Patna state, He was awarded the land from river Ang till the boundary of bamra kingdom by his mother.Subsequently he founded a kingdom named Sambalpur
, which went on to become a strong kingdom.
was one of the earliest states in India to have started industries as early as the end of the 17th Century.
Below is the list of industries existed during the pre-merger period.
rule ended with the merger of Patna and Sonepur into Orissa on the 1 January 1948. They together form the district of Balangir. Sonepur
was carved out as a separate district on 1 April 1993.
The last ruler of Patna, Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo successfully made the transition to democratic politics. He became the Chief Minister of Orissa from 1967 until 1971.
Overall this western district of Orissa needs quick improvement to catch up with the other parts of the state and country. The government needs to take care of special responsibility towards the development like construction of roads, buildings, education to the people development like railway and air connectivity. For instance the nearest airport from any part of the district is Bhubaneswar, Raipur or Visakhapatnam which are minimum 7 hours journey from Balangir. Also the standard of living of the people needs to be improved by providing minimum requirement of the people by providing jobs to them so that migration of the people from this part to other parts of the country could be avoided. At the same time social menaces like dowry killing, and unsocial activities like theft, burglary and murder could be kept in control.
On 13 May 2010, Annual Credit Plan for the year 2010-2011 was launched with a projected plan outlay of Rs 309.97 crs.
Special programmes are envisaged to arrest the flow of labour to other states in search of work, popularly known as "Dadan Shramik"italic.
, Kalahandi district and then turns to the east running parallel to the Gandhamardan range. This forest track is broken by occasional clearings and small settlements, but it mostly consists of thick vegetation in which bamboo of excellent quality grows and Sal,Sahaj,Piasal,Dhaura and Ebony form the principal timber. The crest of the range of Gandhamardan hills is fine platue, some ten miles long, with an average height of 3000 feet. For most part of this district lies on the north-west bank of river Tel, which form the boundary between his district and the district of Kalahandi
, Sonepur
, Boudh
and Kandhamal
.
named Balangir one of the country's 250 most backward districts
(out of a total of 640
). It is one of the 19 districts in Orissa currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
Sri. Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo - BJD
Balangir district has a population
of 1,648,574, roughly equal to the nation of Guinea-Bissau
or the US state of Idaho
. This gives it a ranking of 302nd in India (out of a total of 640
). The district has a literacy rate of 65.5%.
A large chunk of the population of Balangir district consists of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes.
List of SC present in the district other than the list above :-
Adi Andhra, Amant or Amat, Badaik, Bagheti, Bajikar, Bauri, Beldar, Bhata, Bhoi, Chakali, Chandala, Dandasi, Dewar, Dhanwar, Ghantarghada or Ghantra, Ghogia, Godra, Hadi, Jaggali, Kandra, Karua, Khadala, Kurunga, Laban, Laheri, Mala, mang, Mangan, Mundapotta, Paidi, Pano, Panika, Pantanti, Pap, Relli, Samasi, Sanei, Sidhria, Sindhuria, Siyal, Tamadia, Tanla, Tior .
Some of the castes above are now extinct (i.e. Bhata, Dandasi, Godra, Mala, Relli, Mundapotta, Paidi)
List of ST present in the district other than the list above :-
Bagata, Banjara or Banjari, Bhuyan, Bhumij, Binjhia or Binjhoa, Dal, Dharua, Gandia, Gond, Ho, Holva, Kawar, Kharia or Kharian, Kisan, Kolha, Kondadora, Kora, Korua, Kutia, Kulis, Mahali, Mankidi, Oraon, Santhal, Tharua.
Out of the above list the Bagata cast is now extinct.
Below is the list of OBC's in Balangir district
The chief communicative language of Balangir District is Kosli
or Sambalpuri
. Hindi is treated as the second language for communication. English and Oriya are used for official purpose only. Being a part of Orissa, Oriya is used as medium of education in school. English is used for higher education. People of this district speak Hindi more fluently and correctly than Oriya.
It is the Marriage Ceremony of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati. The festival is observed in the month of June with pomp and ceremony at Balangir and is extended for a week. Pilgrims from the neighboring districts and States of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar also participate in the festival. Lakhs of people congregate in this week long festival, mostly in the month of June every year.
Nuakhai:
This is the most important social festival of Balangir as well as of whole western Orissa. Generally it takes place during the month of August and September. Preliminary preparation of the festival starts 15 days before the occasion. The first grains of the paddy crop, cooked into various dishes are offered to the deities. There after the eldest member of the family distributes new rice to the junior members of the family. All the household articles are cleaned. People greet each other. It is a community festival celebrated by every Hindu family low and high. Moreover, Nuakhai is the mass festival of the entire West Orissa (Pasayat 2008: 253-262).during this festival all the member of family they come to home & celebrate the festival of Nuakhai together.
Bhaijuntia:
It is mostly known only in the region of Western Orissa. Bhaijiutia festival is celebrated on the Mahastami Day of Durga Puja. It is a total fasting undertaken by women for the whole day and night to seek Goddess Durga’s blessing for the long life of their bhais (brothers).
Puajiuntia:
It is another fasting Puja of similar austerity for women of the area. The Puajiuntia festival is observed by mothers to invoke the grace of Lord Dutibahana for the long life and prosperity of their sons.
Besides the above listed festivals, other religious festivals are observed. These include Shiva Ratri, Dola Jatra, Durga Puja, Janmastami, Dipavali, Ganesh Puja and Saraswati Puja.
Shiva Ratri Mela at Huma and Titilagarh attracts a large numbers of devotees. Ratha Jatra is held at almost all central places of Balangir. There are other jatras like the Sulia Jatra
and Patakhanda Jatra in Jarasingha etc. are held with great flavour.
Shrabana Purnima - during this time devotees of Lord Shiva travel long distance by walk to places like Harishankar, Belkhandi near Titilagarh to pray and offer the holy water to the god. People from other parts outside state like Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh also takes part in such event.
The most popular festivals celebrated by Muslims are Id-Ul-Fitre, Id-Ul-Juha and Muharram. The Sikhs also celebrate the Birth Day of Guru Nanak.
RANIPUR-JHARIAL: Ranipur Jharial is known as "Soma Tirtha" in scriptures. It combines a section of religious faiths like Saivism, Buddhism, Vaisnavism and Tantrism. The circular open vault enclosure of sixty-four yoginis, the major attraction of the place, is one of the four such shrines in India. The temple of Someswar Siva is the noted one among a plethora of about 50 temples here. The majestic brick temple of Indralath is said to be the highest brick temple of Orissa. Distance 100 km from Dist. HQ Communication Road Rail - Nearest station- Kantabanji Lodging and Boarding Kantabanji.
SAINTALA: Saintala is noted for its Chandi temple which is now in ruins. Goddess Chandi in Mahisamardini form is presently installed in a small mound. The Dasavatara (Ten incarnations) image of Lord Vishnu and Broken door jamb with figures of Ganga and Yamuna are among the remarkable places of sculpture un-earthen here. Distance 40 km from Dist. HQ Communication Road Rail - Nearest station- Saintala Lodging and Boarding Balangir.
JOGISARDA: 25 km from Balangir and 7 km from Loisingha, Jogisarda is noted for the Jogeswar Shiva Temple.
TUREKELA: (98 km): A place suitable for group camping, Turekela is important for viewing colorful wild life, like Tigers, Dear, Bears, Monkeys etc. The chirping birds perched on trees are a thrill to the searching eyes. Distance 98 km from Dist. HQ Communication Road Rail - Nearest station- Titilagarh Lodging and Boarding Titilagarh/Balangir.
BELPARA: (62KM from Balangir) Belpara is one of the main town of Bolangir Dist. It is a beautiful town among Balangir. Belpara is famous for "RATHA YATRA", "DURGA PUJA", "LAXMI PUJA", "GIRIGOBARDHAN PUJA" and "BISWAKARMAPUJA". There are some beautiful temples in Belpara & also in near to it.
CHUDAPALI: this is a small and beautiful place between Balangir and Patnagarh. It is famous for its local haat's or market.
HARISHANKAR: Full of natural beauty. Hari-Shankar Tample where Lord Shiva and Lord Bishnu are worshiped togeather. A natural spring of water appends to the beauty of Harishankar. A Trecking trip can be realised there. Also taking bath in the Khasada Pathar (Sloppy Stone) is really exciting. A perfect picnic spot.
MADHIAPALI: It is the most famous of 'NAG BACHHA (MANDIR) TEMPLE'. The temple is famous because any type of snake bite to any body, so if the immediately go and worship then his / her life is free of poison. It is the famous of Madhiapali village temple.
The spread of education was not very remarkable in Balangir district during the 18th and 19th century. Wandering teachers called Abadhanas were holding primary classes in towns and villages where they were teaching only reading, writing and arithmetic.The village Pathsalas were maintained by villagers where the Abadhanas were bing engaged for teaching. Western education came to the dist towards the end of the 19th century AD. It was in 1894 that an English School was started in Balangir Town by the then Maharaja Ramachandra and English education was introduced.
During India's independence Balangir district had 39 High Schools for boys and 4 for girls and 119 Middle English Schools including 11 for girls .The total number of boys and girls in Secondary schools was 11,906 and 1,550 respectively.
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
situated in the western orissa region of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The district has an area of 5,165 km², and a population of 1,335,760 (2001 census). The town of Balangir
Balangir
For Balangir District See : Balangir DistrictBalangir', is a city and municipality in Balangir district in the state of Orissa, India. It is also the headquarter of Balangir district.-Overview:...
is the district headquarters. The composition of the land is predominantly rural.Other important big & small towns in Balangir district are Titlagarh
Titlagarh
Titilagarh is a town and a notified area committee in Bolangir district in the Indian state of Orissa.Titilagarh is located at...
, Patnagarh
Patnagarh
Patnagarh is a town and a notified area committee in Bolangir district in the Indian state of Orissa. Its original name is Patnāgarh and verbally as Patnāgad. The official language is Oriya , but the mother toungue is Sambalpuri....
, Kantabhanji
Kantabanji
Kantabanji is a town and a notified area committee in Balangir district in the Indian state of Orissa.-Geography:Kantabanji is located at . It has an average elevation of 298 metres .-Demographics:...
, Loisingha, Saintala
Saintala
Saintala, a taluk located at about 35 km south of Balangir-Titlagarh road in Titlagarh sub-division of Bolangir district, Orissa, India, has immense historical and archeological importance. Saintala is the new name of 'Sainyatala' which means Military Camp. The temple of Chandeswari Thakurani is...
, Belpada, Tushra, Agalpur, Deogaon, Chudapali.
History
The district of Balangir is named after the headquarters towns of Balangir. This town was also the headquarters of the feudatory state of PatnaPatna (princely state)
Patna, or Patnagarh, was a princely state in India, with its capital at Balangir . Its area was . Until 1947, it was not part of British India but was subject to the suzerainty of the British crown, under the Orissa States Agency....
since the 1880s. The district of Balangir is flanked in the northwest by the Gandhamardan hill. Many hill streams traverse it. It is the land of Tantrik
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
culture. It is also notable for having experimented in the republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
an form of Government that was overthrown by Ramai Deo.
Ancient History
The territory comprising the present district of Balangir was in ancient times a part of the South Kosala. According to tradition, the Origin of South Kosala dates back to the time of RamaRama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
and scholars like Pargiter believe that Rama's long stay in that region gave rise to the name of South Kosala after his original homeland Kosala.According to Padmapurana, the kingdom of Kosala, after Rama, was divided between Lava & kusa, his two son.Later Kusa founded the city of Kusasthalipura and ruled over the southern half of Kosala (Included modern day Western Orissa & Chattisgarh State).
During the time of Grammarian Panini (5th Century B.C), a territory named Taitila Janapada flourished to the west of Kalinga and that territory has been associated by historians with the modern town of Titlagarh
Titlagarh
Titilagarh is a town and a notified area committee in Bolangir district in the Indian state of Orissa.Titilagarh is located at...
in Balangir district.Taitala Janapada was famous for trade in some commodities described by the Grammarian as "Kadru" the meaning of which may be either horse or cotton fabrics
According to Chetiya Jataka, the capital of the Chedi
Chedi Kingdom
Chedi kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled during early periods by Paurava kings and later by Yaduvanshi Rajput kings in the central and western India. It falls roughly in the Bundelkhand division of Madhya Pradesh regions to the south of river Yamuna and along river Betwa or Vetravati...
Country was Sothivatinagara which is the same as Suktimatipuri of Harivamsa
Harivamsa
The Harivamsha is an important work of Sanskrit literature, containing 16,374 verses, mostly in metre. The text is also known as . This text is believed as a khila to the Mahabharata and is traditionally ascribed to Krishna Dvaipayana Veda Vyasa...
and Suktisahvaya of the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
(Vana Parva). The epic (Adi Parva) also states that the capital of the Chedis was situated on the bank of river Suktimati, Modern Sukhtel river of Balangir district
Thus the ancestors of Famous King of Kalinga Kharavela
Kharavela
Khārabēḷa was the third and greatest emperor of the Mahāmēghabāhana Dynasty of Kaḷinga . The main source of information about Khārabeḷa is his famous seventeen line rock-cut Hātigumphā inscription in a cave in the Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneswar, Orissa.During the reign of Khārabēḷa, the Chedi...
were from the Balangir district as they were ruling over the territory drained by the Suktel in Balangir, wherefrom they advanced towards the east and became master of Kalinga by the 1st Century B.C.In the Hathigumpha inscription
Hathigumpha inscription
The Hathigumpha inscription , from Udayagiri, near Bhubaneshwar in Orissa, was written by Kharavela, the king of Kalinga in India, during the 2nd century BCE...
,Kharavela refers to one Rajashri Vasu as his ancestor, Who is probably the same as Vasu, the son of Abhichandra, the founder of Chedi Kingdom. This Vasu may also be identified with Uparichara Vasu of the Mahabharata (Adi Parva) where hs is described as the King of the Chedis who were ruling in the modern district of Balangir and Subarnapur.
Balangir region continued to be under the rule of Chedis during the 1st Century AD but in the 2nd century it came under the possession of the Satavahanas, whose king was Gautamiputra Satakarni.He is said to have built a magnificent vihara for his philashopher friend Nagarjuna on the 'Po lo mo lo ki li' or Parimalagir identified with the modern Gandharmardan hills.
Early History
The earliest noted history of Balangir district dates back to the third century BC.The earliest introduction and spread of Aryan religious practice in Dakhin Kosala came with the initial incursion of the Jain religion.According to Bhagavati Sutra and Harivamsha PuranaHarivamsha Purana
Harivamsha Purana may be*the Vaishnava text Harivamsha*an 8th century Jain text the Harivamshapurana by Jinasena of Punnata lineage....
, Mahavir started his earliest preaching of Dharma at Nalanda, Rajgriha, Paniya Bhumi, Siddharthagrama. According to some scholars, (D.C.Sircar) Punita Bhumi is a synonym of Paniya Bhumi as per Ardha Magadhi language. It is the same as Paniya Bhumi or Nagoloka, the present Nagpur, and it is further identified as Bhogapura, the modern Bastar, region of Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
, Koraput
Koraput
Koraput is a town and a Notified Area Council in Koraput district in the Indian state of Orissa.-History:The district of Koraput derives its name from its headquarters the present town of Koraput. In ancient times when the Nalas were ruling over this tract, Pushkari near modern Umarkot was the...
, Kalahandi
Kalahandi
Kalahandi, , is a district of Orissa in India. The region had a glorious past and great civilization in ancient time. Archaeological evidence of stone age and Iron Age human settlement has been recovered from the region. Asurgarh offered an advanced, well civilized, cultured and urban human...
and Balangir district of Orissa.
In Some of the insctiptions found in Balangir and Sonepur district, It has been mentioned that this part of the land was known as Attavika during Ashoka’s invasion of Kalinga
Kalinga
Kalinga is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Tabuk and borders Mountain Province to the south, Abra to the west, Isabela to the east, Cagayan to the northeast, and Apayao to the north...
in 261 B.C .
The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang
Xuanzang
Xuanzang was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who described the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period...
visited 'Po lo mo lo ki li' monastery at modern Paikmal in the 7th Century AD.It was then having cloisters and lofty halls and those halls were arranged in five tiers each with four courts with temples containing life-size gold images of Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
Utkal University
Utkal University
Utkal University, Bhubaneswar is the oldest university in Orissa and the 17th oldest university in India. It is a teaching-cum-affiliating university that has produced some of the best brains in Orissa. There are at 26 post-graduate departments at the university campus for studies and research in...
Archaeology Prof Dr. Sadasiva Pradhan excavated the Gumagad site under Gudvela block near the Tel river valley in Balangir district, where he found that a strategic military hub existed in 1st century BC. It was set up by a king contemporary to king Kharavela.Four copper plates were also found at Terssingha village which speaks of the Tel valley civilisation.Those plates had information regarding the two capitals – Udayapur and Parbatadwaraka – which were under the rule of Rashtrakutas and local chieftains belonging to different clans.The Udayapur area, the capital of Rashtrakuta kings, who ruled in the valley, is still standing structures and ruins. These are mostly found at Amathgad. Ruins of a medieval fort is also found there.
According to eminent historian and pigraphist Sadananda Agrawal copper plates were recently found in Kapsila village near Balangir .The found materials were three copper plates tied together by a circular ring and issued by a king named Khadgasimha. It has been assigned to the 8th century AD and it informs about new rulers and history of the Tel valley civilization.
Rulers of Ancient Balangir
The chronology of various dynasty who ruled Balangir over the time.- KusaKusha (Ramayana)Kusha , in Hindu mythology, was one of the twin sons of Lord Rama and Sita . Born in the Forest after Sita had been banished from Ayodhya, they were educated and trained in military skills and were under the care of Sage Valmiki....
( Son of Lord Rama) - Mauryan dynasty (Who claimed descent from Kush)
- Sunga dynasty (Pushyamitra Sunga)
- ChediChedi KingdomChedi kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled during early periods by Paurava kings and later by Yaduvanshi Rajput kings in the central and western India. It falls roughly in the Bundelkhand division of Madhya Pradesh regions to the south of river Yamuna and along river Betwa or Vetravati...
dynasty (Abhi Chandra) - The Panduvamsis
- The Bhanjas
- The Somavamsis
- The Telugu Chodas
- The Kaluchuris
- The Gangas
- The Chouhans
Center of Tantrik Vidya
Ranipur-Jharial in Balangir dist is another place of historical importance.Acc. to historians this area was known for its Tantra vidya throughout India. Somavanshi kings of Dakhin Kosal had built many temples here that can be dated back to the 8th/9th century AD. It is said that there were at least 200 temples covering an area of about half a mile in length and a quarter of a mile in width. The largest stone temple is ‘Someswar Siva’, which was constructed by a famous Mattamayura Shaivacharya Gagana Siva whose inscription can be found on the lintel of the temple.Ranipur-Jharial houses one among the five existing rare monuments of Hypaethral temples (temples without roofs) dedicated to 64 yoginis in India. The other three are at Hirapur nearBhubaneswar, Khajurao and Bheraghat near Jabalpur and Dudhai near Lalitpur.The images at Ranipur-Jharial are made of sandstone. The temple of 64 yoginis of Ranipur-Jharial is famous not only for its beautiful architecture but also for its religious significance. Three-faced Natraj Shiva idol stands at the centre of the temple encircled by 64 sculptures of the Yogini goddesses in various positions. Unfortunately with the curse of time, and also due to lack of care only 48 Yoginis are left by now.
Chouhan Rule
List of Chouhan rulers of the Patna state
- Raja RAMAI DEO, (1360-1385 AD)
- Raja MAHALING SINGH DEO, (1385-1390 AD)
- Raja VATSARAJA DE0, (1390-1410 AD)
- Raja VAIJAL DEO I, (1410-1430 AD)
- Raja BHOJARAJ DEO, (1430-1455 AD)
- Raja PRATAP RUDRA DEO I, (1455-1480 AD)
- Raja BHUPAL DEO I, (1480-1500 AD)
- Raja VIKRAMADITYA DEO I, (1500-1520 AD)
- Raja VAIJAL DEO II, (1520-1540 AD)
- Raja BAJRA HIRADHARA DEO, (1540-1570 AD) (Has two sons Narsingh deo and Balaram Deo who later founded Sambalpur Kingdom)
- Raja NARSINGH DEO, (1570-1577 AD)
- Raja HAMIR DEO, (1577-1581 AD)
- Raja PRATAP DEO II, (1581-1587 & 1600-1620 AD) (Between 1587-1600 it was look after by Hrudaya Narayan Deo, Son of Sambalpur Raja Balram Deo)
- Raja VIKRAMADITYA DEO II, (1620-1640 AD) (His younger brother Gopal Rai was made the Raja of Khariar)
- Raja MUKUNDA DEO, (1640-1670 AD)
- Raja BALARAM DEO, (1670-1678 AD)
- Raja HRUDESHA DEO, (1678-1685 AD)
- Raja RAI SING DEO, (1685-1762 AD)
- Raja CHANDRA SEKHARA DEO
- Raja PRUTHUVIRAJ DEO, (1762-1765 AD)
- Raja RAMACHANDRA DEO I, (1765 - 1820 AD)
- Raja BHUPAL DEO, (1820-1848 AD) (His brother Maharaj Yuvraj Singh Deo,was granted the estate of Jarasingha in 1765)
- Maharaja HIRAVAJRA SINGH DEO, (1848-1866 AD)
- Maharaja SUR PRATAP SINGH DEO, (1866-1878 AD)
- Maharaja RAMCHANDRA SINGH DEO II, (1878-1895 AD)
- Maharaja DALAGANJAN SINGH DEO, (1895-1910 AD)
- Maharaja PRITHVIRAJ SINGH DEO, (1910-1924 AD)
- Maharaja Sir RAJENDRA NARAYAN SINGH DEO, (1924-1975 AD)
- Maharaja RAJ RAJ SINGH DEO
- Maharaja KANAK VARDHAN SINGH DEO
The Eighteen Garhs
Below is the list of eighteen Garhs (with their Old names) which were part of the ex-Patna State (Balangir) and Sambalpur State during the Chouhan rule. Also famously known as the Garhjat States.- Patna (Include most part of the modern Balangir district)
- Sumbulpore (SambalpurSambalpurSambalpur is a city in Sambalpur district in the Indian state of Orissa.It lies at a distance of 321 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar. In the year 1876, Sambalpur was established as a municipality. It is currently the headquarters and the largest city of Sambalpur district. It is also...
) - Sonepoor (SubarnapurSubarnapurSubarnapur may refer to:*Subarnapur district in the state of Orissa, India**Sonepur, headquarters of Subarnapur district*Subarnapur, Nepal...
) - Bamra
- Rehracole (RairakholRairakholRairakhol is a town in Sambalpur district, Orissa, India.Ideally situated beside NH 42 in a tranquil secluded and sylvan surrounding having atmosphere of idyllic charms aesthetic and spiritual appeal.-Location:National Highway 42 passes through Rairakhol...
) - Gangpoor (RajgangpurRajgangpurRajgangpur is an industrial town situated in the Sundargarh District of Orissa. It is located 400 km to the north-west of the capital city, Bhubaneswar. Places of tourist interest in the vicinity include Mandira Dam, Chhatri Hill, Darjeeng, Vedvyas and Khandahar. Rourkela is 40 km east of...
) - BoudhBoudhBoudh is a town and a notified area committee in Boudh district in the state of Orissa, India. It is the district headquarters of Boudh district...
- Atmullick
- Phooljur
- Bunnaee (Bonai)
- RaigarhRaigarhRaigarh is a city and a Municipal Corporation in Raigarh district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It is the administrative headquarter of Raigarh district.-History:...
- Buragarh (BargarhBargarhBargarh, is a town and a municipality in Bargarh district in the state of Orissa, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bargarh District.- Geography :...
) - Suktee
- Chandarpur
- SarangarhSarangarhSarangarh is a town and a nagar panchayat in Raigarh district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.-Demographics: India census, Sarangarh had a population of 14,458. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Sarangarh has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national...
- Bindanawagarh
- Khariar
- Borasambar (PadampurPadampurFor the Padampur tehsil see Padampur tehsil :for the village in Nepal see Padampur, NepalPadampur is a city and a municipality in Ganganagar district in the Indian state of Rajasthan.Most of the people staying in Padampur are refugees who had come from Pakistan in and after 1947 as it is very near...
)
Origin of the name Balangir
Balaram Deo, the 19th Raja of Patna (princely state)Patna (princely state)
Patna, or Patnagarh, was a princely state in India, with its capital at Balangir . Its area was . Until 1947, it was not part of British India but was subject to the suzerainty of the British crown, under the Orissa States Agency....
, founded a town called Balramgarh and shifted the capital of Patna state from Patnagarh
Patnagarh
Patnagarh is a town and a notified area committee in Bolangir district in the Indian state of Orissa. Its original name is Patnāgarh and verbally as Patnāgad. The official language is Oriya , but the mother toungue is Sambalpuri....
to Balramgarh in the early 16th century.Subsequently the town was renamed as Balangir from Balramgarh.After around 8 years of rule in Patna state, He was awarded the land from river Ang till the boundary of bamra kingdom by his mother.Subsequently he founded a kingdom named Sambalpur
Sambalpur
Sambalpur is a city in Sambalpur district in the Indian state of Orissa.It lies at a distance of 321 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar. In the year 1876, Sambalpur was established as a municipality. It is currently the headquarters and the largest city of Sambalpur district. It is also...
, which went on to become a strong kingdom.
List of industries before independence
Though now Balangir is one of the most under-developed districts in Orissa, it was not the same before its merger with Orissa. Ex-Patna StatePatna (princely state)
Patna, or Patnagarh, was a princely state in India, with its capital at Balangir . Its area was . Until 1947, it was not part of British India but was subject to the suzerainty of the British crown, under the Orissa States Agency....
was one of the earliest states in India to have started industries as early as the end of the 17th Century.
Below is the list of industries existed during the pre-merger period.
- Koshal Transport and Trading Co. Ltd., Balangir
- Koshal Industrial Development Co. Ltd., Balangir
- Balangir Trading Co. Ltd., Titlagarh
- Patna Village Industries Association Ltd, Lathor
- Rajendra Tile Works Ltd, Titlagarh
- Koshal Industries Development Syndicate, Balangir
- Patna State Graphite Mining Co., Titlagarh
- Patna State Weaving Factory, Balangir
- Mahavir Jain Weaving Factory, Belgaon
- Weaving Factory, Manihira, Loisingha
- Central Jail Weaving Factory, Balangir
- Hand made Paper Factory, Balangir
Merger with Orissa state
The ChauhanChauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
rule ended with the merger of Patna and Sonepur into Orissa on the 1 January 1948. They together form the district of Balangir. Sonepur
Sonepur District
Sonepur District, also called Sonapur District or Subarnapur District, is an administrative district of Orissa state in eastern India. The town of Sonepur is the district headquarters...
was carved out as a separate district on 1 April 1993.
The last ruler of Patna, Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo successfully made the transition to democratic politics. He became the Chief Minister of Orissa from 1967 until 1971.
Recent developments
Currently people of this district along with the nine other dists of western Orissa are demanding for a separate state called KOSHAL. According to unofficial sources around 20,000 people are migrating from Balangir every year to other states in search of work. More than 90% population in this district is staying below poverty line.Overall this western district of Orissa needs quick improvement to catch up with the other parts of the state and country. The government needs to take care of special responsibility towards the development like construction of roads, buildings, education to the people development like railway and air connectivity. For instance the nearest airport from any part of the district is Bhubaneswar, Raipur or Visakhapatnam which are minimum 7 hours journey from Balangir. Also the standard of living of the people needs to be improved by providing minimum requirement of the people by providing jobs to them so that migration of the people from this part to other parts of the country could be avoided. At the same time social menaces like dowry killing, and unsocial activities like theft, burglary and murder could be kept in control.
On 13 May 2010, Annual Credit Plan for the year 2010-2011 was launched with a projected plan outlay of Rs 309.97 crs.
Special programmes are envisaged to arrest the flow of labour to other states in search of work, popularly known as "Dadan Shramik"italic.
Geography
The district of Balangir is flanked in the north-west by the Gandhamardan hills, a name of the Ramayana Fame, and in the north-east by the rock-infested Mahanadi.It is traversed by many hill streams and is interspersed with the evergreen woodlands, the shelter of Bison and Sambar.The main forest area stretches along the western boundary bordering the NuapadaNuapada
Nuapada,is a city in Koshal region of Orissa state of eastern India. It is the headquarters of Nuapada district. It is part of Orissa, liguistically & culturally.-Politics:...
, Kalahandi district and then turns to the east running parallel to the Gandhamardan range. This forest track is broken by occasional clearings and small settlements, but it mostly consists of thick vegetation in which bamboo of excellent quality grows and Sal,Sahaj,Piasal,Dhaura and Ebony form the principal timber. The crest of the range of Gandhamardan hills is fine platue, some ten miles long, with an average height of 3000 feet. For most part of this district lies on the north-west bank of river Tel, which form the boundary between his district and the district of Kalahandi
Kalahandi
Kalahandi, , is a district of Orissa in India. The region had a glorious past and great civilization in ancient time. Archaeological evidence of stone age and Iron Age human settlement has been recovered from the region. Asurgarh offered an advanced, well civilized, cultured and urban human...
, Sonepur
Sonepur
Sonepur, also known as Subarnapur, is a town and district headquarters of Subarnapur district of Orissa. Sonepur was formerly the capital of a princely state of British India. The district spreads over an area of 2284.89 km2. It is also known as Second Varanasi of India for its cluster of...
, Boudh
Boudh
Boudh is a town and a notified area committee in Boudh district in the state of Orissa, India. It is the district headquarters of Boudh district...
and Kandhamal
Kandhamal
Kandhamal is a district of the state of Orissa, India. The district headquarters of the district is Phulbani.-History:The Kandhmal district was created on 1 April 1993 from the former Boudh-Kandhmal district as a result of district reorganization in the state of Orissa.-Communal unrest and...
.
Main rivers and tributaries
- Mahanadi
- Tel
- Undar,Lanth,Sungadh and Sukhtel (Tributaries of the Tel)
- Ang
- Jira
- Saleshing
Hill System
- Gandhamardan (3,296 ft)
- Butel (2,670 ft)
- Chahdli (2,630 ft)
- Thuta (2,056 ft)
- Bender (1,920 ft)
- Patpani
- Chhatardandi
- Matkhai (2,591)
Economy
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati RajMinistry of Panchayati Raj
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a branch of the Government of India looking after the ongoing process of decentralization and local governance in the States....
named Balangir one of the country's 250 most backward districts
Poverty in India
Poverty is widespread in India, with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 41.6% of the total Indian population falls below the international poverty line of 1.25 a day...
(out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). It is one of the 19 districts in Orissa currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
Divisions
| Geographical area in Sq. Kms | No. Sub- Divisions | No. of Tahasils | No. of Municipalities & Corporation | No.of NACs | No.of CD Blocks | No.of Assembly Constituencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6575 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 5 |
Political Representatives of Balangir
- Member of Parliament
Sri. Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo - BJD
- Member of Legislative Assembly from Balangir District
- Balangir => Ananga Udaya Singh Deo(BJD)
- Kantabanji => Santosh Singh Saluja (Congress)
- Loisingha => Ramakanta Seth(BJD)
- Nuapada => Rajendra Dholakia
- Patnagarh => Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo(BJP)
- Titlagarh => Surendra Singh Bhoi (Congress)
Demographics
According to the 2011 census2011 census of India
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...
Balangir district has a population
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
of 1,648,574, roughly equal to the nation of Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
or the US state of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. This gives it a ranking of 302nd in India (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). The district has a literacy rate of 65.5%.
A large chunk of the population of Balangir district consists of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes.
SC
The following seven of these castes are numerically important, as they constitute 96.6 per cent of the total scheduled caste population in the district.- Barik
- Chamar,Mochi or satnami
- Dhuba or Dhobi
- Dom or Duria Dom
- Ganda
- Betra
- Ghasi
- Mehra or Mahar
List of SC present in the district other than the list above :-
Adi Andhra, Amant or Amat, Badaik, Bagheti, Bajikar, Bauri, Beldar, Bhata, Bhoi, Chakali, Chandala, Dandasi, Dewar, Dhanwar, Ghantarghada or Ghantra, Ghogia, Godra, Hadi, Jaggali, Kandra, Karua, Khadala, Kurunga, Laban, Laheri, Mala, mang, Mangan, Mundapotta, Paidi, Pano, Panika, Pantanti, Pap, Relli, Samasi, Sanei, Sidhria, Sindhuria, Siyal, Tamadia, Tanla, Tior .
Some of the castes above are now extinct (i.e. Bhata, Dandasi, Godra, Mala, Relli, Mundapotta, Paidi)
ST
There are around 31 scheduled tribes in the district. The following 8 tribes which are numerically important consists 97 per cent of the total tribal population- Binjhal
- Dal
- Gond
- Kond or Kondha or
- Mirdhas
- Munda
- Sabar or suara or sahara
- Shabar or Lodha
List of ST present in the district other than the list above :-
Bagata, Banjara or Banjari, Bhuyan, Bhumij, Binjhia or Binjhoa, Dal, Dharua, Gandia, Gond, Ho, Holva, Kawar, Kharia or Kharian, Kisan, Kolha, Kondadora, Kora, Korua, Kutia, Kulis, Mahali, Mankidi, Oraon, Santhal, Tharua.
Out of the above list the Bagata cast is now extinct.
OBC
Besides the SC/ST there are a few castes which are regarded as belonging to other backward classes.Below is the list of OBC's in Balangir district
- AgariaAgariaAgaria is one of little Steel industry in India. The Agarias declined rapidly after the import of English steel in India was promoted during the 19th century and the weapons and utensils were made using English steel....
- Bania
- Bairagi
- Bhani
- Bhulia
- Gudia
- Kalhara
- Khadura
- Kostha
- Malli
- Teli
- Thanapati
- Chasa
- Kuilta
- Gauda
General
Besides the SC/ST and OBC, General Castes are the other castes who constitute around 25% of the total population of the district- Brahmin or Brahaman
- Karan
- Khandayat
- Kshetriya
Language
Main Article : Kosli LanguageThe chief communicative language of Balangir District is Kosli
Kosli
Kosli is a Tehsil in District Rewari of state Haryana in India. It is situated 80 km from Delhi in National Capital Region .According to Mahabharat, Tomar Clan was once a part of Yadav Clan...
or Sambalpuri
Sambalpuri language
Sambalpuri or Kosli is an Indo-Aryan language. It is mainly spoken in Western Orissa and north central part of Orissa. It was considered to be a dialect of Oriya language, but owing to its distinct grammar, pronunciations and vocabulary, it has achieved the status of a distinct language...
. Hindi is treated as the second language for communication. English and Oriya are used for official purpose only. Being a part of Orissa, Oriya is used as medium of education in school. English is used for higher education. People of this district speak Hindi more fluently and correctly than Oriya.
Folk dances
The playful child of this area composes verses of “Chhiollai”, “Humobauli” and “Dauligit”, the fleeting adolescence composes “Sajani”, “Chhata”, “Daika”, “Bhekani” : the eternal youth composes “Rasarkeli”, “Jaiphul”, “Maila Jada”, “Bayamana”, “Gunchikuta” and “Dalkhai”. The man who worship work, composes “Karma” and “Jhumer” invigorating Lord Vishwakarma and the “Karamashani” goddess. In every type of situation, in work or at rest; while ploughing, transplanting, husking, thresing, beating, driving bullock cart or boat, grazing cattle, worshipping deities and gods, performing marriages and social functions-there are songs and dances for everybody. The professional entertainers perform Dand, Danggada, Mudgada, Ghumra, Sadhana, Sabar – Sabaren, Disdigo, Nachina – Bajnia, Samparda and Sanchar. They are for all occasions, for all time with varieties of rhythm and rhyme. Most of these folk dances are accompanied by music and songs (Pasayat, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2008).Festivals
Sital Sasthi:It is the Marriage Ceremony of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati. The festival is observed in the month of June with pomp and ceremony at Balangir and is extended for a week. Pilgrims from the neighboring districts and States of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar also participate in the festival. Lakhs of people congregate in this week long festival, mostly in the month of June every year.
Nuakhai:
This is the most important social festival of Balangir as well as of whole western Orissa. Generally it takes place during the month of August and September. Preliminary preparation of the festival starts 15 days before the occasion. The first grains of the paddy crop, cooked into various dishes are offered to the deities. There after the eldest member of the family distributes new rice to the junior members of the family. All the household articles are cleaned. People greet each other. It is a community festival celebrated by every Hindu family low and high. Moreover, Nuakhai is the mass festival of the entire West Orissa (Pasayat 2008: 253-262).during this festival all the member of family they come to home & celebrate the festival of Nuakhai together.
Bhaijuntia:
It is mostly known only in the region of Western Orissa. Bhaijiutia festival is celebrated on the Mahastami Day of Durga Puja. It is a total fasting undertaken by women for the whole day and night to seek Goddess Durga’s blessing for the long life of their bhais (brothers).
Puajiuntia:
It is another fasting Puja of similar austerity for women of the area. The Puajiuntia festival is observed by mothers to invoke the grace of Lord Dutibahana for the long life and prosperity of their sons.
Besides the above listed festivals, other religious festivals are observed. These include Shiva Ratri, Dola Jatra, Durga Puja, Janmastami, Dipavali, Ganesh Puja and Saraswati Puja.
Shiva Ratri Mela at Huma and Titilagarh attracts a large numbers of devotees. Ratha Jatra is held at almost all central places of Balangir. There are other jatras like the Sulia Jatra
Sulia Jatra
Sulia Jatra is celebrated in the village of Khairguda, situated in Balangir district, western Orissa. It is widely reported that thousands of animals and birds are sacrificed during this festival which takes place on the second Tuesday of the month of Pausha....
and Patakhanda Jatra in Jarasingha etc. are held with great flavour.
Shrabana Purnima - during this time devotees of Lord Shiva travel long distance by walk to places like Harishankar, Belkhandi near Titilagarh to pray and offer the holy water to the god. People from other parts outside state like Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh also takes part in such event.
The most popular festivals celebrated by Muslims are Id-Ul-Fitre, Id-Ul-Juha and Muharram. The Sikhs also celebrate the Birth Day of Guru Nanak.
Places of interest
PATNAGARH: The ancient capital of the kingdom of Patna, Patnagarh combines in happy synthesis its mythic past with the modern present. The temples of Patneswari in Chalukyan style and that of Someswar Siva belonging to the 12 th Century are the monuments of prominence. One can find here the reminiscence of the earliest group of temples build during the Chauhan rule in Western part of Orissa. Distance 40 km from District HQ Communication Road Nearest Railway station Balangir Lodging and Boarding Patnagarh/Balangir.RANIPUR-JHARIAL: Ranipur Jharial is known as "Soma Tirtha" in scriptures. It combines a section of religious faiths like Saivism, Buddhism, Vaisnavism and Tantrism. The circular open vault enclosure of sixty-four yoginis, the major attraction of the place, is one of the four such shrines in India. The temple of Someswar Siva is the noted one among a plethora of about 50 temples here. The majestic brick temple of Indralath is said to be the highest brick temple of Orissa. Distance 100 km from Dist. HQ Communication Road Rail - Nearest station- Kantabanji Lodging and Boarding Kantabanji.
SAINTALA: Saintala is noted for its Chandi temple which is now in ruins. Goddess Chandi in Mahisamardini form is presently installed in a small mound. The Dasavatara (Ten incarnations) image of Lord Vishnu and Broken door jamb with figures of Ganga and Yamuna are among the remarkable places of sculpture un-earthen here. Distance 40 km from Dist. HQ Communication Road Rail - Nearest station- Saintala Lodging and Boarding Balangir.
JOGISARDA: 25 km from Balangir and 7 km from Loisingha, Jogisarda is noted for the Jogeswar Shiva Temple.
TUREKELA: (98 km): A place suitable for group camping, Turekela is important for viewing colorful wild life, like Tigers, Dear, Bears, Monkeys etc. The chirping birds perched on trees are a thrill to the searching eyes. Distance 98 km from Dist. HQ Communication Road Rail - Nearest station- Titilagarh Lodging and Boarding Titilagarh/Balangir.
BELPARA: (62KM from Balangir) Belpara is one of the main town of Bolangir Dist. It is a beautiful town among Balangir. Belpara is famous for "RATHA YATRA", "DURGA PUJA", "LAXMI PUJA", "GIRIGOBARDHAN PUJA" and "BISWAKARMAPUJA". There are some beautiful temples in Belpara & also in near to it.
CHUDAPALI: this is a small and beautiful place between Balangir and Patnagarh. It is famous for its local haat's or market.
HARISHANKAR: Full of natural beauty. Hari-Shankar Tample where Lord Shiva and Lord Bishnu are worshiped togeather. A natural spring of water appends to the beauty of Harishankar. A Trecking trip can be realised there. Also taking bath in the Khasada Pathar (Sloppy Stone) is really exciting. A perfect picnic spot.
MADHIAPALI: It is the most famous of 'NAG BACHHA (MANDIR) TEMPLE'. The temple is famous because any type of snake bite to any body, so if the immediately go and worship then his / her life is free of poison. It is the famous of Madhiapali village temple.
Education
During medieval period some Brahmin settlements developed under the patronage of the Somavamsi Kings. Important among these centres are Vineetapura (Modern Binka), Suvarnapura (Modern Sonepur), Royara (Modern Rohila), Ranipur, Jharial etc. These places as known from copper plate records and other archeological finds, were important center of culture during the medievel period.During the rule of the Chauhan Kings, Sanskrit education was greatly encouraged. King Vaijal Deo, one of the early Chauhan rulers of Patna state has compiled an admirable lexicon, known as Vaijal Chandrika ( also known as Prabodh Chandrika)The spread of education was not very remarkable in Balangir district during the 18th and 19th century. Wandering teachers called Abadhanas were holding primary classes in towns and villages where they were teaching only reading, writing and arithmetic.The village Pathsalas were maintained by villagers where the Abadhanas were bing engaged for teaching. Western education came to the dist towards the end of the 19th century AD. It was in 1894 that an English School was started in Balangir Town by the then Maharaja Ramachandra and English education was introduced.
During India's independence Balangir district had 39 High Schools for boys and 4 for girls and 119 Middle English Schools including 11 for girls .The total number of boys and girls in Secondary schools was 11,906 and 1,550 respectively.
Balangir medical college controversy
One R V S Educational Trust of Coimbatore is going to establish the Bolangir Medical College as per the Government Notification dated 07-11-2009. After a long time of controversy, this is a great achievement.See also
| Nuakhai Nuakhai Nuakhai or Nuankhai is an agricultural festival mainly observed by people of western Orissa in India. Nuakhai is observed to welcome the new rice of the season... | Kosal | Western Orissa | Maa Samaleswari | Sambalpuri Language Sambalpuri language Sambalpuri or Kosli is an Indo-Aryan language. It is mainly spoken in Western Orissa and north central part of Orissa. It was considered to be a dialect of Oriya language, but owing to its distinct grammar, pronunciations and vocabulary, it has achieved the status of a distinct language... | Sambalpuri Saree Sambalpuri Saree Sambalpuri Saree , is a traditional handwoven Ikkat sari or saree wherein the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. It is produced in the Bargarh, Sonepur, Sambalpur and nearby districts of Orissa... | Veer Surendra Sai | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sitalsasthi Carnival Sitalsasthi Carnival The marriage of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated as Sitalsasthi for several years from now. No one is sure about the actual dates of its origin. However, from the records it is known that for the last 300 odd years it has been celebrated on the same day. This Hindu festival is in the form of a... |
Balangir District Balangir District Balangir District, also called Bolangir District, is a district situated in the western orissa region of India. The district has an area of 5,165 km², and a population of 1,335,760 . The town of Balangir is the district headquarters... |
Khariar Khariar Khariar is a town and a notified area committee in Nuapada district in the Indian state of Orissa.-Economy:... |
Khariar Road Khariar Road Khariar Road is a town and a notified area committee in Nuapada district in the Indian state of Orissa.-Demographics:As of the 2001 Indian census, Khariar Road had a population of 16,627. Males constituted 51% of the population and females 49%. Khariar Road had an average literacy rate of 61%,... |
Sambalpur University Sambalpur University Sambalpur University is located at Sambalpur, India in the Indian state of Orissa. Popularly known as Jyoti Vihar. It offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Governor of Orissa is the Chancellor of the university... |
Veer Surendra Sai | Ranipur-Jharial | |
| Sambalpuri Cinema Sambalpuri Cinema -Introduction:The first ever Sambalpuri movie released was Bhukha or Bhuka. It was released in the year 1989 and was directed by Sabyasachi Mohapatra. It was also the first film from Orissa to get an International Jury Award at the Gijon International Film Festival. The second film in Sambalpuri... |
Bargarh Bargarh Bargarh, is a town and a municipality in Bargarh district in the state of Orissa, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bargarh District.- Geography :... |
Brajarajnagar Brajarajnagar Brajarajnagar is a city and a municipality in Jharsuguda district in the state of Orissa, India.Most of the population of this city were working for Orient Paper Mills, which belonged to Birla group of industries... |
Kantabanji Kantabanji Kantabanji is a town and a notified area committee in Balangir district in the Indian state of Orissa.-Geography:Kantabanji is located at . It has an average elevation of 298 metres .-Demographics:... |
Sambalpur District Sambalpur District Sambalpur District is a district in the western part of state of Orissa, India. The historic city of Sambalpur is the district headquarters.The district is located in the Mahanadi River basin. It has a total area of 6,702 square kilometers, of which almost 60% of the district is covered in dense... |
Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, Burla | Rajendra College Balangir Rajendra College Balangir Rajendra College is situated in Balangir town in the state of Orissa, India. This institution was upgraded to a degree college on July, 1946 by offering B.A. class. It became a full fledged degree college after the affiliation of Commerce Faculty in 1964-65 and Science faculty in 1965-66... |
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| Bhukha Bhukha Bhukha or Bhookha is a 1989 Kosli language film directed by Sabyasachi Mohapatra. The movie was produced by Sabyasachi Mohapatra under the banner of Kumar Productions and had music by Ramesh Kumar Mahananda.This movie is based on the Sambalpuri play Bhukha written by Manglu charan Biswal... |
Boudh Boudh Boudh is a town and a notified area committee in Boudh district in the state of Orissa, India. It is the district headquarters of Boudh district... |
Sundergarh Sundergarh Sundergarh , also spelled as Sundargarh, is a city in Orissa state of eastern India. It is the headquarters of Sundergarh District.-Geography:Sundargarh is located at . It has an average elevation of 243 metres .-History:... |
Boudh Boudh Boudh is a town and a notified area committee in Boudh district in the state of Orissa, India. It is the district headquarters of Boudh district... |
Bhima Bhoi Bhima Bhoi Bhima Bhoi was a poet and Satya Mahima Dharma activist from Orissa, India.The most permanent contribution of Orissa toour cultural heritage is Bhima Bhoi, Poet-prophet of Mahima dharma, who wielded his pen against the prevailing social injustice, religious bigotry, and caste discrimination... |
Ghess Ghess Ghess is a village in the Kosal region of Orissa, India which is known for its culture and role in India's First War of Independence. It is situated 43 kilometers from the district headquarters, Bargarh and 18 Km from Sohela... |
Kochinda Kochinda Kochinda is a town and a notified area committee in Sambalpur district in the Indian state of Orissa.-Geography:Kochinda is located at . It has an average elevation of 220 metres .-Demographics:... |
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| Samaleswari Temple Samaleswari Temple Samaleswari Temple is a Hindu temple in Sambalpur, Western Orissa, India dedicated to the goddess known as Maa, also known among the natives as samalei maa, meaning Mother Samaleswari. Shree Shree Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur, is a strong religious force in western part of Orissa... |
Deogarh Debagarh Debagarh, also known as Deogarh, is a city in Orissa state of eastern India. It is the headquarters of Debagarh District.- Deogarh :Deogarh is one of the 30 administrative districts of Orissa situated in the Western region of the state having its Head Quarter at Deogarh town.- Introduction... |
Deogarh Debagarh Debagarh, also known as Deogarh, is a city in Orissa state of eastern India. It is the headquarters of Debagarh District.- Deogarh :Deogarh is one of the 30 administrative districts of Orissa situated in the Western region of the state having its Head Quarter at Deogarh town.- Introduction... |
G. Udayagiri G. Udayagiri G. Udayagiri or simply Udayagiri is a town and a notified area committee in Kandhamal district in the state of Orissa, India.-Geography:G. Udayagiri is located at . It has an average elevation of .-Demographics:... |
Kosal State Movement Kosal state movement A movement is continuing in the “Kosal region” of India for creation of a separate state from the existing state of Orissa. People of this region are demanding a politically separate Kosal state from Orissa. The demand for ‘Kosal state’ in Orissa is becoming intense day by day. Political parties,... |
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| Satya Mahima Dharma Satya Mahima Dharma Satya Mahima Dharma is a religious tradition in Hinduism, from Orissa. It goes back to a historic person called Mahima Svama .He is said to have appeared in Puri in 1826... |
Jharsuguda Jharsuguda Jharsuguda is the district headquarters of Jharsuguda district of Orissa, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Jharsuguda district. It is an upcoming industrial hub, basically in the metal and cement sectors. Jharsuguda is well connected to all major cities of India through rail network... |
Bhawanipatna Bhawanipatna Bhawanipatnais the headquarters of Kalahandi District.Bhawanipatna is a town of numerous temples dedicated to different deities of Hindu pantheon. Named after its presiding deity "Bhawani-Shankar", it is the most convenient base for touring various places of interest in the district and the nearby... |
Jaipatna Jaipatna Jaipatna,is one of the Town in Jayapatna Tehsil in Kalahandi District in Orissa State.This town is maintaining 78 km distance from its District main city Bhawanipatna and 500 km far from its State capital Bhubaneswar.The town is surrounded by the Eastern Ghatsrange.- History :It is one of... |
Tebhapadar Tebhapadar Tebhapadar is a village of Birmaharajpur subdivision of Subarnapur district of Orissa, India. It is located on the bank of Surubalijora and Mahanadi River. Total population of this village is 1,326 out of which 697 are male and 629 are female. This village is spread over of land.It has three... |
Burla, India Burla, India Burla is a town and a notified area committee in Sambalpur District in the state of Orissa, India. It is a small town on the banks of Mahanadi, and is 15 kilometers from Sambalpur.- Geography :... |
Saintala Saintala Saintala, a taluk located at about 35 km south of Balangir-Titlagarh road in Titlagarh sub-division of Bolangir district, Orissa, India, has immense historical and archeological importance. Saintala is the new name of 'Sainyatala' which means Military Camp. The temple of Chandeswari Thakurani is... |
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| Hirakud Dam Hirakud Dam Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River, about 15 km from Sambalpur in the state of Orissa in India. Built in 1957, the dam is one of the world's longest earthen dam.... |
Kalahandi Kalahandi Kalahandi, , is a district of Orissa in India. The region had a glorious past and great civilization in ancient time. Archaeological evidence of stone age and Iron Age human settlement has been recovered from the region. Asurgarh offered an advanced, well civilized, cultured and urban human... |
Rairakhol Rairakhol Rairakhol is a town in Sambalpur district, Orissa, India.Ideally situated beside NH 42 in a tranquil secluded and sylvan surrounding having atmosphere of idyllic charms aesthetic and spiritual appeal.-Location:National Highway 42 passes through Rairakhol... |
Subalaya Subalaya Subalaya is a town in the Birmaharajpur subdivision of Subarnapur district, Orissa, India. It is an island located at the meeting place of the Mahanadi river and Surubalijora.This town is home to Subalaya High School and Subalaya College... |
Western Orissa Development Council | |||
| Mahima | Nuapada Nuapada Nuapada,is a city in Koshal region of Orissa state of eastern India. It is the headquarters of Nuapada district. It is part of Orissa, liguistically & culturally.-Politics:... |
Junagarh Junagarh, Kalahandi Junagarh is a town and a notified area committee in Kalahandi district in the Indian state of Orissa. It was the capital of the former state of Kalahandi. Junagarh is 26 km from Bhawanipatna, connecting National Highway 201.This highway recently has been termed as National Highway 26.Junagarh... |
Kesinga Kesinga Kesinga is a town and a notified area committee in Kalahandi district in the Indian state of Orissa.-Geography:Kesinga is located at . It has an average elevation of 187 metres . River Tel and Uteh meet not very far from Kesinga, providing appreciable ground for summer sand crops... |
Hirakud Hirakud Hirakud, a notified area, a small township, is located in Sambalpur District in Orissa, situated just 15 km from Sambalpur. This village came to the industrial limelight in 1956 when Hirakud dam was built and thereby clearing the path for industrial growth in this earlier known rustic small... |
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| Hatibandha Hatibandha Hatibandha is a census town in Sundargarh district in the Indian state of Orissa.-Demographics: India census, Hatibandha had a population of 9296. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Hatibandha has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male... |
Sambalpur Sambalpur Sambalpur is a city in Sambalpur district in the Indian state of Orissa.It lies at a distance of 321 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar. In the year 1876, Sambalpur was established as a municipality. It is currently the headquarters and the largest city of Sambalpur district. It is also... |
Birmaharajpur Birmaharajpur Birmaharajpur is a subdivision of Subarnapur district in the state of Orissa, India.-Geography:Birmaharajpur sub-division is located at a distance of 22 k.m from the Dist... |
Luisinga Luisinga Luisinga is a town in Bolangir district, Orissa, India. Represented by Narasingha Mishra in the state legislative assembly.-External links:*... |
Sarat Pujari Sarat Pujari Sarat Pujari is one of the noted actors of Oriya film industry. He pioneered the Oriya cinema in the early sixties.He born on 8.8.1934 at Nayagarh.His early education completed in many schools all over Orissa .After that he has completed his post graduation in Economics and Diploma in Paintings in... |
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| Bargarh Bargarh Bargarh, is a town and a municipality in Bargarh district in the state of Orissa, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bargarh District.- Geography :... |
Sundergarh Sundergarh Sundergarh , also spelled as Sundargarh, is a city in Orissa state of eastern India. It is the headquarters of Sundergarh District.-Geography:Sundargarh is located at . It has an average elevation of 243 metres .-History:... |
Khaliapali Khaliapali Khaliapali is a census town in Bargarh district in the Indian state of Orissa.-Demographics: India census, Khaliapali had a population of 5257. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Khaliapali has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male... |
Biramitrapur Biramitrapur Biramitrapur is a town and a municipality in Sundargarh district in the state of Orissa, India.- Geography :Biramitrapur lies at the border of Orissa and Jharkhand, Simdega being the nearest district of Jharkhand... |
Veer Surendra Sai Medical College Veer Surendra Sai Medical College Veer Surendra Sai Medical College is a premier Government run Medical College & Hospital in the Indian state of Orissa. Established in 1959, it is one of the oldest institutes of Orissa for imparting highly specialized medical education in both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels... |
Farmers' suicide in Western Orissa | ||
| Raurkela Industrial Township | OCL Industrial Township | Kansbahal Kansbahal Kansbahal is a modern industrial town situated in the state of Orissa India. It lies on the State Highway #10 between the cities of Rourkela and Rajgangpur, about 25 km from Rourkela; and on the main railway route between Howrah and CST/Kurla... |
Balangir Town | Jharsuguda Jharsuguda Jharsuguda is the district headquarters of Jharsuguda district of Orissa, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Jharsuguda district. It is an upcoming industrial hub, basically in the metal and cement sectors. Jharsuguda is well connected to all major cities of India through rail network... |
National Institute of Technology, Rourkela National Institute of Technology, Rourkela National Institute of Technology – Rourkela , formerly known as the Regional Engineering College Rourkela , is a publicly funded institute of higher learning for engineering and technology located in the steel city of Rourkela, Orissa, India. It was established in the year 1961 by a joint... |