Khurda District :: Introduction

Khurda occupies a distinct place in the historical map of Orissa. Khurda was the capital of Orissa Kingdom from 1568. British government took Orissa under its rule in 1803. But it could not include Khurda in its territory till 1827. The strong protest from Paikas of Khurda shook the backbone of British rule in Orissa. Khurdagada is known as known as the "Last Independent Fort" of India. Now the remains of this historic fort lies as an evidence of our glorious past. Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa belongs to this district. Daya and Kuakhai rivers flow through Khurda.It is also renowned for its Brass utensils cottage industries, cable factory, spinning mill, watch repairing factory, railway coach repairing factory and oil Industry.

Important Places :

Atri : It is situated at the distance of 42 k.m from Bhubaneswar .It is famous for sulfur Spring and a temple dedicated to Lord Hatakeswara.

Bhubaneswar : It is the Capital city of Orissa and the ancient Kingdom of Kalinga.Bhubaneswar popularly known as the temple city of India. The main attractions are Lingaraj temple,kedar Gouri, State museum,Bindusagar tank ,Rabindra Mandap , Ram Mandir, Raj Bhawan , Legislative Assembly , Nandankanan , parks , gardens and is the shopping center of Orissa.

Barunei : This temple is situated on the Barunei Mountain.It is at a distance of 32kms from Bhubaneswar. Goddess Barunei is the famous deity of Khurda. A beautiful stream flowing from the mountain known as Swarna Ganga doubles the beauty of this place..

Chilka : It is situated at a distance of 100kms from Bhubaneswar . It is the largest lake of the country.The lake is surrounded with scenic beauty of nature .Several types of migratory birds visit Chilka with advent of different season.It is declared as a bird sanctuary by the state govt. There are a number of rocked islands inside the , and one such picturesque island is called "KALIJAI" ,The naval training center is also situated nearby.

Dhauli : It is situated at a distance of 15kms from Bhubaneswar. The rock edict of Dhauli bears the early history of Kalinga and this rock edict was engraved by Emperor Ashok.

Khandagiri and Udayagiri : These twin hills are situated in Bhubaneswar. There are 117 caves in these twin hills. The Rani Gumpha is the largest cave in the Udaygiri hill. Another famous cave called the Hati Gumpha is also there where the rock is engraved by King Kharavela. These caves contain a beautiful Barabhuja temple and a Jain temple.

Lingaraj Temple : Lingaraj temple is the largest and most famous Lord Shiva temple in Orissa. A couple of other temples exist there around it.

NandanKanan : This is a famous Zoo of Orissa situated at a distance of 20 kms from Bhubaneswar. It is famous for the Botanical garden, zoo and the natural lake. The recently opened Natural lion safari is the largest of its kind in India. The white tigers present here makes it unique across the world.

Kaipadar : Kaipadar is situated at a distance of 15km from Khurda. A beautiful mosque is present here.This place is the meeting place of Hindus and Muslims.

Deras & Jhumka : Two beautiful picnic spots situated at a distance of 15 kms from Bhubaneswar. Deras and Jhumka are two dams surrounded by dense forest.

Shishupalgarh : Situated at a distanc eof 13kms from Bhubaneswar. The ruined fort Shishupalgarh and ancient capital of Kalinga named Toshali is being discovered by the archeological survey of India.

Shikharchandi : It is situated at a distance of 15kms from Bhubaneswar towards Nandankanan. A temple dedicated to Goddess Chandi on the hill top and the scenic beauty is the main attraction fo this place.

General Information About Khurda District

Area :2,889 Sq.Km. Forest :618.67Sq.Km. Population 18,74,405 Literacy Rate 80.19% Head quarter Khurda Vidhansabha seats 6 Sub division 2 Villages 1,567 Blocks 10 Grama panchayat 154 Municipality 1 Towns 5 N.A.C 4 Temperature 41.4(Max), 9.5(Min) Tahasils 3 Rainfall 1664.4mm(Avg)