Belaguntha or Bellaguntha is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and a Notified Area Council (N.A.C.) in

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, 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 by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It's famously known as ''The Brass Fish Town''.

Demographics

As of the 2011 Census of India, Bellaguntha had a population of 11297. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Bellaguntha has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

History

Nrusinghanatha temple attracts thousands of pilgrims to get a darshan of Lakshmi Nrusingh. The temple was established in the 18th century under the Bhanja Dynasty. Bellaguntha was a local market town for

Boudh Boudh, also known as Boudhgarh, is a town and a Municipality in Boudh district in the state of Odisha, India. It is the district headquarters of Boudh district. It is located on the bank of Mahanadi, the largest river of the state of Odisha ...

and Phulbani. Local crafts include brass, silver, copper, and woodwork. There are more than twenty temples in the town.

Geography

Bellaguntha is located at .Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Belaguntha
/ref> It has an average elevation of .

Culture

Major local festivals include Thakurani Yatra,

Ratha Yatra Ratha Yatra (), or chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. They are held annually during festivals in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The term also refers to the popular annual Ratha Yatra of Puri that involves a public process ...

and Danda Jatra. Other festivals include

Dol Purnima Dol Purnima, also popularly known as Dol Jatra, Dola Jatra, Doul Utsav or Deul, is a Hindu swing festival celebrated during the Holi festival of Assam, Bengal, Braj region, Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Tripura. This festival is dedicated to ...

Durga Puja Durga Puja (ISO 15919, ISO: , ), also known as Durgotsava or Shaaradotsava, is an annual festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which pays homage to the Hinduism, Hindu goddess Durga, and is also celebrated because of Durga's victo ...

(Dussehra), Kumar Purnima, Pana Sankranti, Nurshingha Chaturthi,

Ram Navami Rama Navami () is a Hindus, Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ram, Rama, one of the most popularly revered deities in Hinduism, also known as the seventh avatar of Vishnu. He is often held as an emblem within Hinduism for being a ...

Janmashtami Krishna Janmashtami (), also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. In certain Hindu texts, such as the ''Gita Govinda' ...

, Makara Sankranti, Ganesh Puja and Saraswati Puja.

Food

Some sweets are prepared for special festivals, such as Halua and Drakhya for Ratha Yatra and Satapuri for Satapuri Amabasya.

Transport

*By Road: Bellaguntha is connected with State Highway 21 (Odisha) and State Highway 30 (Odisha) which connect to other cities and towns of Odisha. *By Rail: Brahmapur railway station is the nearest railway station which is about 80 km from Bellaguntha. *By Air: Biju Patnaik International Airport is about 160 km from the town.

Local sites

* Sri LaxmiNrusingh Temple - an old temple * Sri Jagannath Temple - Dadhibaman temple * Sri Balunkeswara Temple - a temple made of red rock on the bank of a large pond * Maa Bramhanadevi Temple - temple in a bamboo forest * Sri Baidyanath Temple - a temple at Nayakpada a few kilometres away from the town * Anikata is near Jirol Village. There is a dam at the confluence of the Loharakhandi and Bada rivers. Its main purpose was irrigation and flood protection. * Sagar - ten fishery ponds excavated by Bhanja kings * Kumarsuni Hills * Sri Chandra Kalpeswar temple at Sasan Street. * Lachhaman Balaji temple - an old math of monks * Sri Bhagabat Temple Chasa Sahi * Biju Pattnaik children's park

Climate and regional setting

Maximum summer temperature is 37 °C; minimum winter temperature is 14 °C. The mean daily temperature varies from 33 °C to 38 °C. May is the hottest month; December is the coldest. The average annual rainfall is 1250 mm and the region receives monsoon and torrential rainfall from July to October.

Education

Educational institutions include: * Bellaguntha Junior Science College * Bellaguntha Women's College * Sai Industrial Training Institute (ITI) * G.T. High School, Estd: 1948 * Girls' High School * Saraswati Sishu Bidya Bhawan * Swami Vivekananda Sisu Bidya Mandir * Swami Vivekananda Play School * Smile Play School * Saraswati Sisu Bidya Manadir * Sri Arabinda Purnanga Sikhya Kendra * Balidi U.P School * Mala sahi Prathamika Bidyalaya * Patel Road U.P School * Bhagabata Patana UP School * Rangani Patana Prathamika Bidyalaya * M.E School * Takshila English Medium School * Odisha Public School * Kautilya Smart Learning School (English Medium Smart School)

References

{{Municipalities of Odisha Cities and towns in Ganjam district