Khariar (also called Khadial, Rajkhariar and Rajakhariar) is a city and a

Notified Area Council A nagar panchayat (town panchayat; ) or Notified Area Council (NAC) in India is a settlement in transition from rural to urban and therefore a form of an urban political unit comparable to a municipality. An urban centre with more than 12,000 ...

in Nuapada District of the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

History

The region of Khariar was under the rule of the

Chauhan Chauhan, historically ''Chahamana'', is a clan name historically associated with the various ruling Rajput families during the Medieval India in Rajasthan. Subclans Khichi, Hada, Songara, Bhadauria, Devda etc. are the branches or subcla ...

dynasty of

Patna State Patna State, was a princely state in the Eastern States Agency of India during the British Raj. It had its capital at Balangir (cg). Its area was . History The foundation of the Patna kingdom was laid by Ramai Deva of the Chauhan dynasty in 136 ...

which was established by

Ramai Deva Ramai Deva or Ramai Deo was a Rajput ruler who founded the Chauhan Dynasty rule in the erstwhile Patna state in today’s Bolangir district of Odisha in the year 1360 A.D. At the young age of twenty he staged a coup with the popular support of ...

of the Chauhan dynasty in the 14th cen CE who were vassals of the Eastern Ganga dynasty which was declining following invasions from the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Chauhan reign from Patnagarh continued over the region and later expanded through the establishment of their cadet branches extending their rule over areas of Western Odisha and eastern Chhattisgarh. In 1600 CE, Raja Gopal Rai who belonged to the Chauhan family of

Balangir Balangir also known as Bolangir, is a city and municipality, the headquarters of Balangir district in the state of Odisha, India. Balangir has one of the best cultural heritage in India. It is also known as one of the finest places for tourists ...

was crowned as the first king of Khariar. This led to the formation of the Khariar

zamindari A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as ...

that remained until Indian independence in 1947. Khariar History

Economy

Nuapada district is located in western part of

in India and Khariar is located in the heart of Nuapada district. Khariar is the one of the major towns in Nuapada district. It is the main business centre in the locality. It has a daily market and a weekly bazaar takes place every Friday.

Geography

Khariar town is located at . It has an average elevation of . It is located in the western part of Odisha, close to the border of Raipur District,

Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prad ...

. It comes under a

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is ca ...

belt. It belongs to the Mahanadi basin the

Eastern Ghats The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats pass through Odisha, Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka as well as Telangana. They are eroded and ...

where mountains are interspersed with wide valleys. The climate is tropical with the rainfall is due to the South West

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

Demographics

As of the 2011 Indian census, Khariar has a population of 15,087. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Khariar has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. The male literacy is 72%, and female literacy is 52%. In Khariar, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Odia Odia, also spelled Oriya or Odiya, may refer to: * Odia people in Odisha, India * Odia language, an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family * Odia alphabet, a writing system used for the Odia languag ...

is the official language of Khariar. Hindi is also spoken in Khariar. English is widely used for official purposes. Khariar mahotsav

Transportation

Khariar is a major transportation hub in Nuapada District as people from the three blocks, namely Boden, Sinapali and Khariar, depend on the mode of transportation available in Khariar. Though Khariar is not connected by rail, it is well connected by roads. The major roads passing through Khariar are NH 353 (Khariar-Raipur), NH 59 (Khariar-Gopalpur), SH 16 (Khariar-Sambalpur), and SH 44 (Khariar-Bhawanipatna). The nearest rail head is

Kantabanji Kantabanji (KBJ) is a town and a notified area committee in Balangir district in the Indian state of Odisha. History In 1937, the railway track from Kantabanji to Vishakhapatnam was laid and since then train started running through this rout ...

, which is situated 35 km from Khariar. Another nearest railway station is Titlagarh (which is also the hottest place in India). The nearest airport is

Raipur Airport Swami Vivekananda International Airport (referred as VARP until February 2018), formerly known as Mana Airport, is a major airport serving the state of Chhattisgarh, India. It is the busiest airport in Central India and the busiest in Chhatti ...

, situated from Khariar. Khariar is connected by bus via the NH 353 & NH 59. The new railway line survey has been completed for Kantabanji to Jeypur via Khariar.

Nearby towns

* Boden, 28 km *

Komna Komna is a mountain karst plateau in the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia. It has an elevation from to . It has a triangular shape and rises above the Bohinj Basin. To the east, it continues into the Triglav Lakes Valley The Triglav Lakes V ...

, 25 km *

Sinapali Sinapali is the main town in Sinapali Tehsil in the south of Nuapada District in Odisha, India. It is located on the bank of Udanti River, south of the district headquarters of Nuapada (via road NH59) and from Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar. ...

, 30 km *

Gandabahali Gandabahali (''ଗଣ୍ଡାବାହାଲି'', also spelled Ganabeheli) is a village in Sinapali Block in the south of Nuapada District in Odisha, India. Gandabahali is a village surrounded by Chahara forest in the east, Patalganga in th ...

, 21 km *

Kantabanjhi Kantabanji (KBJ) is a town and a notified area committee in Balangir district in the Indian state of Odisha. History In 1937, the railway track from Kantabanji to Vishakhapatnam was laid and since then train started running through this route ...

, 35 km *

Titlagarh Titilagarh is a town and Municipality in Balangir district in the Indian state of Odisha. Geography and Climate Titilagarh is located at . It has an average elevation of 215 metres (705 feet). Demographics India census, Titilagarh ...

, 50 km *

Nuapada Nuapada is a town in western region of Odisha state of eastern India. It is the headquarter of Nuapada district. Nuapada district was carved out of the undivided Kalahandi district on 27 March 1993. It is on the western border of Odisha with Ch ...

, 70 km *

, 112 km *

Bhawanipatna Bhawanipatna is a city and headquarters of the Kalahandi district, in the Indian state of Odisha. Bhawanipatna has numerous temples dedicated to different deities of the Hindu pantheon. It is named after the presiding deity, Bhawani-Shankar an ...

, 70 km *

Raipur Raipur ( ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Raipur is also the administrative headquarters of Raipur district and Raipur division, and the largest city of the state. It was a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Ch ...

, 190 km *

New Raipur Naya Raipur, officially known as Atal Nagar-Nava Raipur, is a planned city and fully Greenfield city in Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It is planned to replace Raipur as the capital city of Chhattisgarh. The Government of Chhattisgarh, the stat ...

, 140 km *

Khariar Road Khariar Road is a city in India. It is located at Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. It is from Raipur, capital of Chhattisgarh and is one of the fastest growing economic centers of India. It is also one of the key railway stations of the East Coast ...

, 78 km *

Sambalpur Sambalpur () is the fifth largest city in the Indian State of Odisha. It is located on the banks of river Mahanadi, with a population of 335,761 (as per 2011 census). Prehistoric settlements have been recorded there. It is the home of the Sam ...

, 240 km *

Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango trees (''ekamra'')). Bhubaneswar i ...

, 430 km *

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

, 838 km *

Brahampur Brahmpur is a large village and corresponding community development block in Buxar district of Bihar. It is known for its temple of Shiva, its religious practices, and its cattle fair. People visit Brahmapur to perform religious rituals in t ...

, 338 km

Religious places

There are several religious places of different religions in Khariar; this indicates a diversity in religion, culture in Khariar. Some of the temples located in Khariar are: * Maa Samaleswari Temple, near Azad Chowk * Raktambari Mandir, near Azad Chowk * Hanuman Mandir, near Azad Chowk * Hanuman Mandir, Puruna Bustand * Dadhibamana Mandir, Badgudipada * Jagannath Temple * Ram Mandir * Hanuman Mandir, irrigation colony * Koshaleswar Temple, irrigation colony * Ganesh Mandir, irrigation colony * Bhubaneswari Mandir, irrigation colony * Shiva Temple, Duajhar * Maa Santoshi Mandir, Junen *Radha Krishna Mandir, Junen * Siva Mandir, Tirbandh * Siva Mandir, Muktasagar * Gayatri Mandir, Chalanpada * Radhakrushna Madir, Damapala * Shri Rameswara Siva Mandir, Bhaludungari * Shiv Temple, Dalpada Some of the other religious places of other communities are: * Mukti Marg Church, Khariar * Sunni Hanfi Jama Masjid, Khariar * Sunni Jamat Eidgah, Khariar

Places of interest

Tourist destinations

There are several tourist spots around Khariar, including: * Patalganga: A tourist spot located approximately 30 km from Khariar which attracts pilgrims from different parts of Nuapada district as well as from neighbouring districts. * Tikhali Dam: Officially known as the Lower Indra Irrigation Project, this dam is situated 17 km from Khariar. * Rusi Pitha: Rusipitha (Risipiti) is located near Tukla. * Jogimatha-Tukla * Ramgarh Hill:- It is located in

Village. The Ramgarh Hill is a popular tourist destination and it is also called worship place of Maa Gadiaan (Goddess of

village). The largest elephant stone is located at this place and it is considered to be the oldest elephant stone in the undivided

kalahandi district Kalahandi (locally pronounced ''Kalahani'') is a district of Odisha in India. Archaeological evidence of Stone Age and Iron Age human settlement has been recovered from the region. Asurgarh offered an advanced, well civilised, cultured and ur ...

. According to an ancient belief, Lord

Ram Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to: Animals * A male sheep * Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish People * Ram (given name) * Ram (surname) * Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director * RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch * ...

brother

Lakshman Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja (). ...

and wife

sita Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, ''Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She ...

had resided in the exile period.

Markets

* Daily Market (Fresh Market) * Goru/Sukrabar Bazar (Weekly) * New Daily Market (Near Old Bus Stand) * Machh Bazaar (Old Daily Market) * New Machh/Mansh Bazaar (Boden Chowk-Gadramunda Area)

Culture

Khariar's culture is a blend of traditional festivals, food, dance etc. Khariar has a proud cultural heritage that arose due to intermingling of different religions. The major language used is Odia, which is widely used in each and every part of Khariar region. Nuakhai is the major festival celebrated in this region. The other festivals like Rathayatra,

Dusshera Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu ...

Holi Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...

, Diwali, Eid, Christmas, Chindaguda ( Dhanujatra, Anchalika Sanskrutik Utsav) are also celebrated in Khariar. Khariar organises Khariar Mahotsav every year, which attracts a large number of people from different places. The activities of this town include running of schools, shops or very small industries and bus communications. Other than these activities, political activities across the town are also common. In evenings, it is a common sight to see youth playing at various fields (mostly at Raja A.T. High School field, Vidya Mandir field, Bhojpur Field, College Field, and Shanti Nagar Field). Veterans also participate in several fitness activities during evenings, like jogging near Canal Road, Padampur Road, Tukla Road, Nehena Road, College Road, or Junen NH Road.

Notable persons

* Jitamitra Singh Deo, present Raja Saheb of Khariar. He is also a poet and historian * Manish Bansal, founder of news portal Newstrend.news. In 2018, it was among the top 10 most popular websites of India with a position of number 10. *

Prayag Dutta Joshi Prayag Dutta Joshi was an Indian writer and Sambalpuri language (allegedly also known as ''Kosli'') activist. He was born on 25 February 1913 to Shri Chandrasekhar Patjoshi and Smt. Brundabati Devi in Khariar, Nuapada Nuapada is a town in we ...

, writer and activist * Adhiraj Mohan Panigrahi, member of the

Odisha Legislative Assembly The Odisha Legislative Assembly is the unicameral state legislature of Odisha state in India. The seat of the Legislative Assembly is at Bhubaneswar, the capital of the state. The Legislative Assembly comprises 147 Members of Legislative ...

Khariar (Odisha Vidhan Sabha constituency) Khariar (Sl. No.: 72) is a Odisha Legislative Assembly, Vidhan Sabha List of constituencies of Odisha Legislative Assembly, constituency of Nuapada district, Odisha. This constituency includes Khariar NAC, Khariar block, Boden block and Sinap ...

. *

Kapil Narayan Tiwari Kapil Narayan Tiwari (4 June 1929 – 21 September 2022) was an Indian activist and politician who served in the Orissa Legislative Assembly from 1977 to 1980, representing the Khariar Assembly constituency. Initially elected as an independent ...

(1929–2022), member of the

* Ujjwal Gupta Chairperson Notified Area Council - Khariar

References

* {{cite book , author=Dr Tara Dutt, title= Odisha District Gazetteers: Nabarangapur, url=http://www.gopabandhuacademy.gov.in/sites/default/files/gazetter/Nabarangapur_Gazetteer.pdf, year=2015 , publisher=Government of Odisha , isbn=978-81-86772-17-1 Odisha Nuapada district