Districts of India : Khordha

Some of the key developmental challenges of Bhubaneswar are
Bubaneshwar is the most populated city of Orissa.
Unsystematic and unscientific municipal garbage disposal is the main problem we are facing.
We lack of proper drainage system.
Many roads are unattended
There are very few trees in and around the city. Trees are felled for the construction of roads and buildings.

Khordha District
Area, Population & Sex Ratio
Geographical Area : 2813.0 Km2
Population in Khordha (Census 2011)
Total Population
Total : 2,246,341
Male : 1,166,949
Female : 1,079,392

Disabled population
Total disabled population : 62526
In seeing : 35550
In speech : 3274
In hearing : 3936
In movement : 12480
Mental : 7286

Rank ( VoiceOfBharat.org Analysis )
Backwardness : 230
Sex Ratio Rank : 164
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : B
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 - 2006)
Disability : 93 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 62 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCD

Brief About Khordha District

INTRODUCTION
The District KHURDA came into being on 1 st April, 1993 by dividing it off its erstwhile Puri District which after division became Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh. Later on in the year 2000 the District name is changed as KHORDHA.

GODABARISH MOHAPATRA

Godabarish Mohapatra took birth in Khordha district near Banapur in the Kumaranga Sasan. While he was still studying in Banapur Minor School he was awarded for his first poem “Banapur” in the year 1914. His poems were published since then. He was inspired by the teachings of Satyabadi School. He had chosen Banapur as his work field. He was associated in variety of works in that region.He was a teacher for sometime in the National School established by Pundit Godabarish Mishra. He went to Berhampur in 1928 and became the Editor of the magazine “Asha” that was being published by Shashi Bhusan Rath. He took part in the working committee of the magazine “Samaj” in 1930. He was an associate of various magazines like “Hiteishini”, “Mukur”, “Sahakar”, “Matrubhumi” etc. from 1936. On 12th March 1938 he published his own magazine “Niakhunta”. This was first published from Berhampur and later was also published from Cuttack. It was a very popular and highly circulated magazine. His purpose was to reveal corruption and to warn the corrupt professionals through his magazine. He has worked for the motherland and the people by means of this magazine. This magazine was full of cartoons, criticisms and analysis. As a result it was adored by all the Orissa people. He has published this magazine for nearly three decades(27years) till his last breath. In 1957 he published a monthly magazine named “Tuan Tuin”.

He had excellent command over Oriya literature. He was an excellent writer, poet, author and novelist. He was an fearless journalist and a patriotic leader. He has also shown her excellence in his critcal writings. At the age of 16 he has been awarded for his poem “Banapur”. There are more than 70 books of poetry, novels, stories, analysis and academic books to his credit. He has been awarded by the Orissa Sahitya Academy for his books “Mo Khelasaathi” and “Utha Kankala” & “Kanta O Phula” in the years 1960 and 1962 respectively. His book “Banka O Sidha” got the Kendriya Sahitya Academy award after his death. He was a revolutionary poet. His poetry reveals his sense of self-respect. He was an journalist, social reformer, revolutionary poet, author, novelist, critique and above all he has served the motherland with single minded devotion.

Pundit Godabarish Mishra had taken birth in Srinibaspur sasan a place nearby Banapur of Khordha district. His parents had decided after taking holy dip in the river Godavari during their “Godavari tirtha” that they would keep the name of their son Godabari.

After completing his primary education from his village school he passed his entrance from Puri District School in 1906 and joined in Revenshaw College. He used to take tuition to meet the college fees so that he can read in the college, as he was poor. He passed his BA in 1910 in Philosophy. He went to Calcutta to read MA and passed his MA in 1912 in Economics (arthaniti). Then he was teacher in Satyabadi School from 1913 to 1919. Then from 1919 to 1921 he was the headmaster of Chakradharpur High School in Singhbhumi district. His aim was to preserve Oriya language in the district of Singhbhumi. He took part in the non-cooperation movement in 1921. In 1922 he returned to his village and was involved in establishing schools, small-scale industries(kutir shilpa), farm & cultivation and social welfare organisations. He was the Editor of “Samaj” for around two years in 1928 after the death of Gopabandhu. His political life began from 1924. He was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi & Gopabandhu and joined the congress. He was member of the ‘district board’ from 1924 to 1933. After Orissa got its independence he was the member of Orissa Vidhan Sabha from 1937 till his death excepting for five years break in the middle. Due to politics he was left alone in the Orissa congress and was not allowed to hold any proper post in the congress. When the congress ministry of Orissa was framed he was not included in the ministry. He became Vidhan Sabha member in 1952 as an independent candidate. He served in the Vidhan Sabha as an eminent administrator and member of the opposition party. He left ‘Congress’ in 1939 and joined the ‘Forward Block.’ He served as finance and education minister in the ministry of Maharaja of Parlakhemundi from 1941 to 1944. During his stay as minister in 1943 he played an important role in establishment of Utkal University, Cuttack Medical College, High court, Colleges at Puri, Balasore and Sambalpur.

He was associated with Utkal Samilani from 1919 to 1955. He was the President of Utkal Samilani special conference that was held at Berhampur in 1955. He was one of the “Pancahsakha (five friends)” of Gopabandhu. He came across Pundit Gopabandhu while he was in hostel and was involved in welfare of the country. Although he belonged to a conservative Brahmin family he was socialist. He did not accept caste and creed. He took of his sacred thread and also used to keep moustache that was against the Brahmin caste. He was a high standard politician, pundit, educator, historian, poet, writer, editor and orator. His works include many essays, stories, drama, novels, poems, biographies, travel stories, general knowledge, translation, workbooks, jokes etc. His poem ‘Kalijai’, ‘Kishalaya’ electrifies the life of Oriya. His poems have played an important role in creating awareness towards the nation and is heart touching. His drama ‘Purushottam Deb’, ‘Mukunda Deb’, ‘Ardha Shatabdi Ra Orissa O Tahin Re Mo Sthana’ is a immortal gift for the Oriya literature. The “Kendriya Sahitya Academy” has awarded his autobiography. He was a master of all trades. He was also an efficient editor. He published a magazine “Lokamukha” from Banapur in 1924. He was also the editor of ‘Samaj’. He also used to write for the “Eastcoast” published by Shashibhusan Rath. He was awarded Doctorate from the Utkal University. He had three sons and daughters who were left alone after his death.

Khordha is the headquarter of the district of the same name and is situated in 85 degree 37'30"E and 20 degree 11'N. on the National Highway No.5. The town is 11 km. from Khurda Road railway station, with which it is connected by a metalled road. The local name of the place is Jajarsingh, which originally was a small village. Probabaly the place was also formerly known as Kurada, which means 'foul mouthed'. The old mile stones of the area had the word 'KURADA' dug into them which have now been whitewashed and the word 'KHURDA' written on them. The present Khurda area was once heavily populated by the Savaras who are still to be found in the subdivision in some pockets. In this connection it may be noted that a village and ex-Zamindari in Ganjam distrct is named 'Surada' which probably means 'fair mouthed' as opposed to 'Kurada'. Khurda came into prominence when the first RAJAS OF KHORDHA dynasty,Ramachandra Deva, made it the capital of his kingdom during the last part of the 16th century A.D. The Bhoi kings lived in a part of the foot of the BARUNAI Hill, about 1.6 km. to the south of the town.
This site was apparently selected because it was protected on one side by the Barunai Hill, which was easily defended, and
on the other by dense jungle. The fort is now completely ruins, only a few traces remaining here and there which reminds one for its former glory. Khurda suffered repeated onslaughts from Muslim and Maratha cavalry but its royal house retained much of its independence till 1804 when the then Raja, Mukunda Deva under the guidance of Jayakrushna Raiguru, rebelled against the British domination and was dispossessed of his territory. Khurda is also memorable as the centre of activity of the "PAIKA REBELLION" of 1817-18 under the leadership of Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar.

Khurda is an important centre of handloom industry. The lungi, napkin and sarees produced here have an all Orissa market. There are a few Hindu mathas in Garh Khurda i.e. the old fort area of the town. The civic affairs of the town are managed by a Notified Area Council.

River Kuakhai originating as a branch of Mahanadi enters Bhubaneswar block area from the north near Jhinkardiha and Marichia villages of Dadha G.P. and flow touching the eastern boundaries of Kalyanpur, Barimund, Basuaghai and Sisupal G.P. and passes amidst Mancheswar. During flood the excess water from kuakhai river submerge Jhinkardiha, Marichia and some parts of Gandarpur village. It even affects Mancheswar Bhoisahi if the flood is very severe. Excess water over flowing Mancheswar escape over river Kuakhai completely submerges the paddy field of Mancheswar and Baramunda G.P.s and maroons Singada, Rokata and Krushnaranapur Villages.

The river Bhargavi starts from river kuakhai at Balakati & flows to east.The river Bhargavi passes through some villages of Balianta block. The river affects a part of Balianta and balipatna blocks during floods.

It originates from the forest and hilly tracks of chandaka and flows through Daruthenga G.P. near Alasua, Raghunathpur, Kalarahanga and Barimunda G.P.s anf finally merges into river Kuakhai near Jaripatna. Excess water flowing through Budunai flows over Nandankanan - Jaripada road. Communication is cut off during heavy rains and flood.

The river Daya takes off from river Kuakhai at Saradeipur (near Badahati) and runs towards a few miles and then makes a sharp turn West ward for four miles and after that continues its course outwards the rest of the length emptying itself into the north eastern corner of the chilika lake 37 miles from its take off place.

Kusabhadra starts from the river Kuakhai at Balianta and flows in the South - Western direction for 46 miles till it enters the Bay of Bengal near Ramachandi temple, 15 miles East of Puri. The mouth of Kusabhadra below Ramachandi is free from lid. The river bed is shallow resulting in low discharge at the time of heavy flow. The river Dhanua with its tributory brings a large volume of water to Kusabhadra.

It runs through Khurda Tahasil. This is more or less a hill stream and badly affects some portions of Khurda, Chilika and Tangi blocks during flood.There is a Minor Irrigation project constructed on it near Rameswar village.

The river Rana rises in Khurda Sub-division and eventually join the river Mahanadi after flowing through Banki Tahasil in the district of Cuttack. An area of 27 Sq.Kms (some portions of Begunia and Khurda blocks) is innundated by the back water of this river when Mahanadi is flooded.

STONE CARVING
Romancing The Stone
Stone carving is a major handicraft of Orissa. As is evident from the innumerable archaeological monuments, rock-cut sculptures, caves and temples built for centuries and embellished with most beautiful and intricately carved statue and other adornments, the art of carving in stone had reached, in Orissa, dizzy heights of excellence perfected through centuries of disciplined efforts of generations of artisans.

The progeny of these artisans who built the magnificent temples of "Parsurameswar", "Mukteswar", "Lingaraja", "Jagannatha" (also spelt as Jagannath) and that wonder in stone, the temple chariot of the Sun God at Konark. Besides the beautiful Stupas and monasteries of Lalitagiri Ratnagiri and Udayagiri have kept alive the sculptural traditions of their forefathers and their deft hands can and do chisel and carve exact replicas of the original temple sculptures besides producing a variety of other items.

Unlike sculptors of other places, the artisans of Orissa are at home with a variety of materials. They handle with equal facility the ultra soft white soapstone, or "Khadipathara", as the slightly harder greenish chlorite or "Kochilapathara" and the still harder pinkish Khandolite or "Sahanapathara" or "Baulapathara" and the hardest of all black granite or "Mugunipathara".

The tools they use are few and simple and consist mainly of hammers and chisels of various shapes and sizes with such local names as 'Muna', 'Patili', 'Martual', 'Thuk-Thuki' and 'Nihana'. Whether the stone is hard or soft a sort of outline is first drawn on the stone which is already cut to the appropriate size.

Once the outline is incised indicating the shape, the final figure is brought out by removing the unwanted portions. While for the harder stones this is done by chiseling out the extra material, with softer stones this is done by scraping out the same with a sharp flat-edged iron tool. As for the motifs, the endless variety of sculptures adorning the temples provides the models although other motifs are also not uncommon.

The Exquisite Embellishments
Among the former the ubiquitous "Alasa Kanyas" or indolent damsels and "Salabhanjikas", lady with the bough of a sal tree, "Surasundaris" heavenly beauties playing on different musical instruments adorning the topmost tier of the Konark temple, the "Nava Grahas" or nine deities representing the nine planets, Konark wheel, Konark horse, elephant, lion composite mythical figures like 'Gajabidala', 'Gajasimha' are quite popular.

Other motifs include representation of deities of the Hindu pantheon like Krishna and Radha, Laxmi, Vishnu, Durga, Buddha, Ganesa, 'Haraparvati', Nrusingha etc. In recent times may decorative and utilitarian articles like ashtrays, paperweights, candle stands book rests are also being made. These carvers also make images for installation in temples as presiding deities and Parswa-Devatas as well as large pieces for decoration of public places.

One may find samples of these in the Handicrafts museum, Bhubaneswar, in the Parliament House annexe in Delhi, Konark horse in the Barabati Stadium at Cuttack and Konark wheel almost the same size as the original adorning the face of a modern Hotel at Bhubaneswar. Another giant Konark horse will adorn the traffic island at a busy intersection in Bhubaneswar and will soon be a landmark.

The four colossal Buddha images and the friezes depicting the life of the Buddha and Ashoka in the modern "Shanti Stupa" at Dhauli are also the handiwork of Orissa's craftsmen. Artisans mainly at Puri, Bhubaneswar, and Lalitgiri in Cuttack district practice the handicraft though some are also found in Khiching in Mayurbhanj District. The traditions are carried on from generation to generation and a few ancient texts on the art, which have survived, are followed closely.

Utensils & Kitchenware
Apart from the decorative, votive articles and modern utilitarian items, the craft also covers another group of products in shape of stoneware utensils and kitchenwares.

Following the simple process of turning and polishing by using a local wooden lathe called "Kunda", the craftsmen produce beautiful polished plates ('Thali'), containers ('Gina, Pathuri'), cups and glasses. These are used for pujas, ritual worships as well for regular eating 'Pathuris', stone ware deep containers are particularly good for storing curd as they do not react to acid and these are also filled with water and used for placing the legs of wooden 'Almirahs' to prevent ants from getting in. The craftsmen making these articles are concentrated at Baulagadia and Nilgiri.

ATRI
Atri is a small village in Begunia police station situated in 20 degree 15'N and 85 degree 30'E. It is by road about 13 km. from Khurda and 2 km. from Baghamari which is motorable throughout the year. Amidst paddy fields a hot spring bubbles up from the ground and a strong odour of sulphur pervades the locality. The temperature of the spring water is about 55 degree celsius. The soil at the spring and for a considerable distance round it, is composed of alluvium, of marl and laterite. The water of the hot spring is collected in a reservoir which is provided with outlets to prevent stagnation. The circumference of the reservoir is 10 feet
and the depth is 15 feet. The water is clear and stones lying at the bottom of the reservoir are visible when the sun's rays fall on the water. It has been calculated that per hour 375 cubic feet of water is flowing out of the reservoir. The temple of Hatakeswara (Siva) is situated near-by where Sivaratri and Makar Sankranti festivals are held and are attended by a large number of people. The Makar Sankranti festivals lasts for about a fortnight. On the Sankranti day nearly twenty thousand people congregrate at
the mela. The festival is managed by a local committee. There is a belief that the spring has the miraculous power of removing the curse of barrenness from women.People throw into the reservoir coconuts, betel nuts, and other fruits and flowers as offering. Barren women come to the reservoir before dawn, at about 3.00 a.m., and search in the reservoir bed for fruits, nuts, etc. Whatever thing their hands could catch they eat with the belief that they would be blessed with child within a year. A bathing complex has been constructed by the Tourism Department. Population of the village in 1981 was 1038 persons. BALIPATNA

Balipatna is a village in the police station the same name and is 21 km. from Bhubaneswar by road. The place is connected by Uttara-Balakati-Nimapara road which is a branch road of the State Highway No.8. The place is famous for being the birth place of poet Ananta popularly known as Sisu Ananta, one of the Pancha Sakha poets of the 16th century A.D. At a little distance from Balipatna, there is a small village called Amankuda, a little away of which flows the Prachi river. An old image of tweleve-armed Durga, called Barabhuji is worshiped here.

BALUGAON : Balugaon situated in 85 degree 13'E and 19 degree 45'N, is a small town bordering the Chilka lake. It lies on the
National Highway No.5 and is served by a railway station of the South Eastern Railway. The town is gradually prospering because of its export trade in fish supplied by the Chilka lake. It is also a commercial centre with Banpur area as its
hinderland. Ferry service is available from here to cross the Chilka and reach places like Garh Krushnaprasad in Parikud, Malud, etc. Close to the ferry route is Kalijai. It is situated on a small hill, half merged under the water. A temple was constructed on the top of the hill by the ex-Raja of Parikud, where goddess Kalijai is being worshipped. The goddess is highly revered by the local
people, particularly by the fishing community, and big fairs on the occasion of the Makar Sankranti and the Raja Sankranti
are held evry year. About 5 km. from Balugaon is Barakul from where the scenic beauty of the Chilka can be better enjoyed. At Barakul there is an Inspection Bungalow of the Public Works Department on the bank of the lake.

Banamalipur, a village in Balipatna police station is situated on the bank of river Kushabhadra. It is an important trading centre in the area. A market sits here for two days a week, i.e., on Tuesday and Saturday. The main commodity for sale being pan or betel leaf. Pan is exported from here to different parts of Orissa as well as to some adjoining States. The village is not directly approachable by bus service as the river Kushabhadra is not bridged. Buses plying from Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri and other places stop on the other side of the river. At a distance of about one and half kilometres from Banamalipur the Siva temples of Beleswar and Tribeniswar are situated in the village Bhapur. Every year on the Magha Amabasya day a big fair called 'Tribeni Mela' is held here. On this day in the early morning thousands of people take their holy dip in the river 'Prachi' to wash off sins.
The village Bhanragarh is situated on the Kushabhadra at a distance of about 3 km. from Banamalipur. Here, on the wall of the temple of Madhukeswar Siva there is an inscription written in old Oriya script.

BANPUR : Banpur is a town situated in 85 degree 10'E and 19 degree 47'N in the south-west of Khurda. It is 5 km. to the north-west of the Balugaon railway station with which it is connected by an all weather road. Buses and rickshaws ply from Balugaon to this place. The town consists of the revenue mauzas of Banpur, Bhagabatipur, Bispatna, Jagannathpur, Dasarathipur and Bodhapur. The town has derived its name from Banasura, a demon-king of legendry fame, who is said to have ruled over this place. A line of
feudal lords, the ancestors of the Rajas of Parikud, were reigning from here till the 18th century when the Raja of Khurda drove them away to Parikud. The old fort of Banpur was destroyed under orders of the East India Company during its early years of occupation. The place is famous for the temple dedicated to goddess Bhagabati, the presiding deity of Banpur. It is one of the famous Shakti Pithas of Orissa. The temple stands on the edge of a deep pool within a high enclosure wall. The temple is managed by a committee appointed by the Commissioner of Endowments, Orissa. The Sebayats of the temple have been given landed property to perpetuate their service in the temple. There is a Siva temple at Banpur known as Daksheswar or Dakshya Prajapati temple situated at the entrance of the town. It is an old temple and contains fine specimens of Orissan architecture
and sculpture. At a distance of about 14 km. to the west of Banpur the Salia Dam has been constructed amidst a picturesque site. The dam has been constructed at the catchment area connecting two hills on both the sides and serves as a minor irrigation project

BARUNAI HILL : Barunai is a small hill (304.8 metres high) situated in 85 degree 39'E and 20 degree 9'30" N, and is about one and half kilometres to the south of Khurda town. It is a saddle-backed hill, rising into bare and often inaccessible precipices. A large portion of the hill is covered by reserve forest where teak grows luxuriantly. The Bhoi Kings of Orissa made Khurda their capital during Muslim occupation. They lived in a fort that stood at the foot of the hill. The site was apparently selected because
of its strategic position. It was protected on one side by the hill, which was easily defended and on the other side by dense, almost impenetrable jungle. In the time of Virakishore Deva(1736-1780) the fort was taken by the Maratha and in 1804, during the Khurda rebellion, it was carried by storm by the East India Company troops after a siege of three weeks. The fort is now in ruins, some traces of its walls and the ramparts still remaining. Some mounds mark the site of the Raja's palace. On the northern slope of the hill, at a height of about 45.72 metres (a hundred and fifty feet) above the plain, is the temple of Barunai, where a large fair is held for three or four days on the occasion of the Raja Sankranti festival in the month of June. Inside the small
temple are placed two rude images of black stone, called goddesses Varunai and Karuani, sitting together. They are now worshiped as forms of goddess Durga, the Pujari being a Brahmin, but their origin might possibly be from the Vajrayana cult. A perennial spring flows down the hill by the side of the shrine. Thick mango groves on both the sides of the stone-steps leading up to the temple have added to the beauty of the place. The hill contains several caves of which the largest one is known as Pandavaguha, capable of accommodating one hundred persons. Rows of low rocky pallets line the floor, and it has obviously been the residence of Hindu ascetics. There are a few inscriptions of considerable age, e.g., that of Makaradhwaja Yogi, dated 900 of an unspecified era, another dated Samabt 780, and three others inscribed in old Kutila characters. There is a Rest house
near the temple of Barunai with an accommodation for seven persons.

BHUBANESWAR : Bhubaneswar (20 degree 15'N latitude and 85 degree 50'E longitude) is the name which has been given to a area covering 91.9414 square kilometres. It covers 28 villages or rather mouzas which are revenue units. These mauzas are
Purba Badagada, Paschima Badagada, Bhubaneswar, Kapileswar, Haripur Patna, Lakshmisagar, Lakshmisagarpatna, Bhimpur,
Siripur, Rampur, Bomikhal, Govindaprasad, Kalaraput, Sudarpada, Kapilprasad, Pokhariput, Berna, Nayapalli, Barmunda, Jagamara, Jharapada, Charbatia, Nuagaon, Gada Gopinathprasad, Pandara, Garkan, Chandrasekharpur and Damana. The mauza Bhubaneswar (now commonly called Old town) has been known as such for many centuries and the place has evidently
derived its name from its principal deity Tri-Bhubaneswar or Bhubaneswar.

Bhubaneswar has two distinct divisions, viz., the Old Town and the New Capital. The Old Town is characterised by mixed land-use which is a usual phenomenon with all ancient towns and cities of India. It contains splendid specimens of Kalinga architecture spanning some twenty-five centuries of history, depicting the grace, the joy and the rhytm of life in all its wondrous variety. The New Capital, the foundation of which was laid in 1948, was started with a portion of a reserved forest as nucleus. It has now become a city which has been built expending crores of rupees. This part is a planned administrative town with broad avenues, self-contained residential units, modern buildings and institutions. Thus Bhubaneswar offers an opportunity to behold centuries-old art and architecture, side by side modern massive buildings and institutions.

The Bhubaneswar is bounded on the north by the villages Patia, Rokat and Mancheswar; on the east by the villages Koradakanta, Keshura, Bankual, Basuaghai, Mahabhoi Sasan, and Raghunathpur; on the south by the villages Kukudaghai, Orakala, Ebaranga, and Bahadalpur; and on the west by the villages Jadupur, Begunia, Dumuduma, Jokalandi, Andharua and Jagannathprasad. Bhubaneswar is situated at an altitude of 45 metres (146 feet) above the sea-level. It has a bracing climate with a maximum and minimum temperature of 31.0 degree celcius and 16.0 degree celcius during winter, and 38.0 degree celcius and 27.0 degree celcius during summer respectively. The average rainfall in a year is 152.4 centimetres (60 inches). The period from October to April is considered to be the best season of the place. It enjoys the healthy climate of the forest country, the cooling sea breeze coming across the verdant delta area which is agriculturally rich. The city is
connected by rail, road and airways. It is on the mail line of the South-Eastern Railway. The National Highway No. 5 runs through the city. An excellent air port with concrete runway has been constructed in the Bhimpur mauza on an area of 725 acres.

History :It is not known when and how human efforts were first at work to give a start to this centre of civilisation. Extensive
ruins representing an ancient city are, however, found at Sisupalgarh about 2.5 km. to the south-east of Bhubaneswar and about 5 km. from the famous rock edicts of Asoka at Dhauli hill which take the origin of the city back to the fourth century B.C. The famous Kalinga War that changed the mind of Asoka took place on the bank of the river Daya, six kilometres from Bhubaneswar. The next landmark in the history of Bhubaneswar is provided by monuments of the Udayagiri and the Khandagiri hills, situated on the western side of the place, particularly by the famous Hatigumpha inscription of Kharavela engraved in one of the caves there.
The date of Kharavela is fixed in the middle of the first century B.C. he conquered many countries, gave them a good administration and played a prominent part in religious and cultural activities. It is understood from the Hathigumpha Inscription that the Kumari hill was a centre of Jaina activities where honoured and reputed recluses, Yatis, hermits and sages hailed from different directions.

Location : In Chandaka Forest, 25-km from Bhubaneswar, Orissa
Houses : A Botanical Garden
Major Variety Of Animals Found Here : White Tiger, Black Panthers & Gharial Crocodiles
Famous As : Picnic Spot

The Garden of Gods
A short distance from the capital city, Bhubaneswar, the Nandankanan Zoo lies in the splendid environs of the Chandaka forest, along the rippling waters of the Kanjia Lake. It also contains a Botanical Garden and part of it has been declared a sanctuary.

Famed for its white tiger population, Nandankanan, or the 'Garden of Gods', has become a hot family favourite, with visitors getting an excellent opportunity to enjoy seeing these regal animals in their natural glory - in an environment conducive to their growth. Over 67 kinds of mammals, 18 varieties of reptiles and 81 species of birds co-exist in the deeply forested boundaries.

The zoo enjoys an excellent reputation internationally, for successfully breeding black panthers, gharial crocodiles and white tigers in captivity.

Gharial Breeding
For the first time ever, a captive breeding centre was created for gharial crocodiles. This important task was also facilitated by the gift of an adult male from the Frankfurt Zoo.

White Tiger Breeding
One of the rarest creatures in the world, the regal white tiger, received a new lease of life with the important research and concerted efforts initiated to try and breed them in the natural environs of Nandankanan.

In 1980, on a day full of excitement and jubilation, the first litter of white tigers were born to Deepak and Ganga, two normal, tawny tigers. Subsequent litters of white tigers have been distributed to Zoos both at home and abroad. Currently, Nandankanan is home to over 34 white tigers.

Endangered species such as the Asiatic Lion, three Indian crocodilians, sangai lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, India pangolin, mouse deer and countless birds, reptiles and fish have been breeding successfully at Nandankanan.

Some of the other attractions of Nandankanan are the 34 aquaria, which are home to a large variety of fresh water fishes. The Reptile Park's cave like entrance is guarded by a life-size tyrannosaurus. Inside, numerous species of crocodiles, lizards, turtles nd snakes share the park with natural ease.

The ropeway connecting the Zoo with Botanical Garden over the lake, the boating facilities and the toy-train for children have added new feathers. The facilities at Nandakanan include day accommodations, elephant rides and boating.

Safaris
The White Tiger Safari, established in 1991, offers visitors the heady excitement of viewing the rare white tigers from specially designed protected buses.

Picnics and the Lakes
Nandankanan's beautifully versatile environs offer the tourists a great opportunity to be adventurous or laid back. If one doesn't feel like tearing around sighting animals and watching the birds, then settle down to a leisurely picnic and mid-afternoon nap Under the trees. Visitors feeling little more energetic can meander along one of their nature trails.

Air:
The nearest airport is situated at Bhubaneswar.
Rail:
Bhubaneswar is the nearest railhead.
Road:
Bhubaneswar is 25-kms from the zoo, on the way to Cuttack.