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Kandhamal district also known as Phulbani district is a district in the
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
of
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 ...
. The District headquarters is the city of Phulbani. It is a district full with natural beauties includes wild animals and birds. Kandhamal is famous for its local turmeric renowned as 'Kandhamal Haldi' which has earned the Geographical indication (GI) tag from Intellectual Property India, an organisation functioning under the auspices of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India).


History

The Kandhamal district was established on January 1, 1994, following the division of Phulbani District into Kandhamal and Boudh Districts in Odisha, India. The district derived its name from the prominent Kandha tribe, which inhabits the region.


Geography

The district lies between 83.30° E to 84-48° E longitude and 19-34° N to 20-54° latitude. The district headquarters is Phulbani, located in the central part of the district. The other popular locations are Baliguda, G. Udayagiri, Tikabali and Raikia.Daringabadi (
Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...
of Odisha) The territory is rural, with a number of waterfalls, springs, hill stations, and historical and archaeological places. * Area: 8,021 km² * Altitude: 300 to 1100 meter * Rainfall: * Climate: Minimum temperature (December) ; maximum temperature (May) A majority of the land area of the district (71%) is forests, and 12% of the land is cultivable. The road connectivity with other districts is poor. Kandhamal is one of the poorest districts in Orissa, ranking 29th out of 30 districts by the
Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...
.


Demographics

According to the 2011 census Kandhamal district has a
population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
of 733,110, roughly equal to the nation of
Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...
or the US state of
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
. This gives it a ranking of 497th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 12.92%. Kandhamal has a
sex ratio A sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. However, many species deviate from an even sex ratio, ei ...
of 1037 females for every 1000 males, and a
literacy rate Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...
of 65.12%. 9.86% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes collectively account for 69.34% (SC: 15.76% and ST: 53.58%) of the district's total population. Kandha and Pan are the two dominant communities of the district, comprising over half the population with 50% and 12% respectively. While other Scheduled communities like Gond, Kandha Gauda, Haddi, Ghasi, Savar ( Soura), Tanla, Keuta, Dom, and Dhoba also have a considerable presence. The district's general population makes up the remaining 30.66%. At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 53.15% of the population in the district spoke Odia and 45.65% Kui as their first language. A majority of the inhabitants belong to the Kondh tribe, following various religious faiths, who are said to be "proud and aggressive", in the words of a district official. The Kondhs hold 77% of the cultivable land. Khond Scheduled Tribes (including 21% Protestant Christian Khond tribals) make up the total of 53.6% of the population of the District. Panos (the main Dalit community) hold less than 9% of the cultivable land. Officially Hindu, the Scheduled Castes, most of whom belong to Pano (Scheduled Caste) community, make up 15.8% of the population. However it is estimated that more than 10. 3% of the aforementioned 15.8% Panos in Kandhamal, while claiming to be Hindu in documents, covertly practise Catholicism in reality, and hence they are not even legally eligible for Scheduled Caste Status. The majority of Panos are "covert" Catholics and there have been intercinine conflicts between the Catholic Panos and Protestant/ Hindu Khonds in Kandhamal over land resources.


Agriculture

Rice is the primary staple food and crop of Kandhamal district. In recent years residents have focused on
horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...
,
sericulture Sericulture, or silk farming, is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, the caterpillar of the Bombyx mori, domestic silkmoth is the most widely used and intensively studied silkwo ...
,
floriculture Floriculture (from ) is the study of the efficient production of the plants that produce showy, colorful flowers and foliage for human enjoyment in human environments. It is a commercially successful branch of horticulture and agriculture found ...
and other agricultural activities apart from rice. The district is full of flora and fauna. A wide variety of wildflowers like
orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Earth ...
are found in the dense forests of the district.
Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...
, mahula (mahua), Indian gooseberry (amla), kendu, meswak and
jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...
are also found in abundance in the wilderness. Bamboo and '' Thysanolaena'' (broom grass) are collected from the forests of Kandhamal and used or sold. A special pulse known as kandula is native to this district; the Kondh people mostly cultivate it in the hilly forests. The organic
turmeric Turmeric (), or ''Curcuma longa'' (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high ...
cultivated in this district is popularly known as 'Kandhamal Haladi' and is renowned for its purity. An organization called Kasam promotes turmeric cultivation in the district. In some areas ginger is also cultivated along with turmeric.


Geographical indication

Kandhamal Haladi was awarded the
Geographical Indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town or region). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, is inten ...
(GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry, under the
Union Government of India The Government of India (ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of 36 states and union territo ...
, on 1 April 2019 valid upto 10 January 2028. Kandhamal Apex Spices Association for Marketing (KASAM) from Kandhamal, proposed the GI registration of Kandhamal Haladi. After filing the application in January 2018, the turmeric was granted the GI tag in 2019 by the Geographical Indication Registry in
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
, making the name "Kandhamal Haladi" exclusive to the turmeric grown in the region. It thus became the first turmeric variety from Odisha and the 17th type of goods from Odisha to earn the GI tag. The prestigious GI tag, awarded by the GI registry, certifies that a product possesses distinct qualities, adheres to traditional production methods, and has earned a reputation rooted in its geographical origin.


Culture


Festivals

The people of Kandhamal celebrate many religious festivals from their tribal culture as well as many Odia festivals. The Danda Nach is celebrated in the district mainly by the Kondh tribals, following their traditional religion. They observe this for thirteen days in the Hindu month of Chaitra. People go fasting for all the thirteen days who viewed for the particular boon or for grace from the goddess Kaali. The festival starts on the first of April and closes on the thirteenth day. The closing ceremony is called ''Meru''. Kondhas consume the first mango of the season, only after it has been offered to the goddess Kaali on the evening of Meru. In the month of January, Kondhs perform worship rituals after harvesting in the villages as per their own convenience. This puja is called ''Sisaa Laka''. In the month of March they perform puja to get blessings from ''Darni Penu'' (the village deity) and ''Saru Penu'' (a mountain deity) to collect the mahula flower and green mangoes as well as the forest products. After offering to the deity, they collect the product to use as food, etc. In the month of April/May they offer the mohula flower in the form of cakes to the village deity; this is called ''Maranga Laka''. On special occasions ''Kedu Laka'' is done depending on the requirement of the mother earth, which is decided by the village priest, locally called ''Kuta Gatanju''. ''Kedu Laka'' is one of the main occasions among the Kandha tribes in Raikia block; they do ''Kedu Laka'' to eat mangoes of the village. After the sowing of the crops, to appease the mother earth, puja is performed for good crops at the village deity by the priest called ''Jakera''. This Puja is called ''Bora Laka''. This puja is done in the month of September/October. In the month of November/December new crops are collected; chuda and rice are prepared and made into khiri (rice pudding), which is offered to the village deity, and the villagers eat the new harvest. The major Hindu festivals like
Holi Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...
,
Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...
, Rakshabandhan, Shivratri, Ram Navami and Janmashtami are celebrated by Kondhs and other Hindus in the district with equal fervor. The Hindu month of Kartik is considered sacred by tribal and other Hindu residents of the district; people observe fasting and stay away from non-vegetarian food and alcohol. Nowadays people celebrate the Savan ( Shravan) month by offering their prayers to
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
and carrying water to Shiv temples walking barefoot. During Rakshabandhan, village children organize a game called Gamhadiyan, where a small earthen pedestal is created and a string containing toffes is hung over it. Children jump over the pedestal to pluck and win the goodies from the string. Many of the Khond tribal people converted to Protestant Christianity in the late 19th century, and they celebrate
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
and
Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...
as well. Some of the Kondhs follow Islam and Eid; Ramzan and
Muharram Al-Muharram () is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is banned. It precedes the month of Safar. The tenth of Muharram is known as Ashura, an important day of commemoration in ...
are also celebrated. The Catholic Panos celebrate Christmas and Easter while the Hindu Panos celebrate all Hindu festivals. There are several Panos who have converted from Catholicism and Hinduism to
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, especially in Raikia and Balliguda, and they celebrate Buddha Jayanti religious festivals. There are other small communities of
Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...
and Jains who also celebrate their religious festivals.


Places of interest

Balaskumpa is a village in this south-east of Kandhmal (Phulbani) Sub-Division situated 20-25’N and 84-21’ at the confluence of two hilly streams, which combine to form the Pilla Salki river. It is from the Phulbani district headquarters, connected by a good road. Belghar is situated at a height of more than 2,000 feet (609.6 metres) above the sea level in Balliguda sub-division. It is from Balliguda and 155 km from Phulbani. The area has a number of mountains, forest and wild animals, especially elephants. It has an Inspection Bungalow of Forest Department, which is built with wooden planks. It is lighted by solar power. Ushabali valley is near the village. Sometimes flocks of peacocks or wild elephants are seen by the roadside. Chakapad is situated about 800 ft (243.84 m) from sea level in G. Udayagiri Tahasil. The historical Bhrutanga River originates here. Another temple dedicated to Lord Anandeswar and Jogeswar (Siva) is located nearby; one big fair is held here on the Sivaratri day. The place is situated in the midst of thick forest. Daringbadi is situated at a height of about 3,000 ft (914.4 m) above sea level in Balliguda sub-division. It is from Phulbani. It can be approached directly from Berhampur. The place is attractive in the summer season due to its low temperatures. Hill View point has been developed at Daringbadi, where visitors can view the valley. A tourist complex has been built at Daringibadi for accommodation of tourists. Coffee plantations attract visitors to Daringibadi all through the year.
Dungi Shulgi ( Dingir, dšul-gi,(died c. 2046 BC) formerly read as Dungi) of Ur was the second king of the Third Dynasty of Ur. He reigned for 48 years, from (Middle Chronology). His accomplishments include the completion of construction of the ...
is about 45 km from Phulbani, situated on Phulbani-Berhampur road in G. Udayagiri Tehsil. This is the only archaeological site in Kandhamal district. There was one Buddha Vihar of the 11th century; since it was ruined, Siva temples have come up on the site, excavated during construction of new temples, and are kept in the temple premises. One Buddha statue has been shifted from the nearby area to the Odisha State Museum,
Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra ...
. Jalespeta is a valley about 127 km from Phulbani, situated near Tumudibandh. It is the site of a Shiva temple located right between the hilly river rock bed. The banks of the tiny river surprisingly have white sand, which is very rare for this place. This part of the state usually doesn't have such clear white sand, which is common in coastal region river banks and sea shores. Kalinga Valley (Kalinga Ghaats) is located 48 km away from Phulbani, the district headquarters on the Phulbani – Berhampur National Highway. The valley is famous for
silviculture Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth, composition/structure, as well as quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production. The name comes from the Latin ('forest') and ('growing'). The study of forests ...
garden and medicinal plant cultivation. The silviculture garden has rubber trees and human-thick bamboo plants. Ludu is located about from Balliguda in Kotagarh Block and 185 km from Phulbani. It is situated in dense forest inhabited by wild elephants. One fair-weather road leads to the side via Subarngiri. There is a 100-foot (30.5 m) high waterfall. Mandasaru Kuti is located about 100 km from Phulbani in the Raikia Block. There is an old church on the outskirts of the village, surrounded by mountains. There is a mountain gorge nearby. Lodging options available. Pakadajhar is about 30 km from Phulbani town near the village Sudrukumpa, situated on Phulbani-Boudh road in Phulbani Tahasil. The Pakdajhar waterfall is 60 feet high, and is nestled in the natural forest. There is a single road leading to the site from Sudrukumpa. With recent development of the destinations, a lot of tourists visit the place for picnics from early November to the end of February. Putudi is 18 km from Phulbani town with a waterfall of height, situated in the dense forest. One good road leads to the site. The waterfall is on the river Salunki. Rushimal is situated about 50 km from Daringibadi, near the village Tamangi in Hattimunda G. P. A group of hills known as Rushimal hills are the origin of the river Rushikulya. At the source there is a small reservoir known as “Rushikunda”, and above the hilltop a cave known as Rushigumpha.The river Rushikulya is originated from Rushimal hills. Urmagada is 17 km from Phulbani town on Phulbani-Gochhapada road in Phulbani Tahasil. The waterfall is 50 feet high, situated in a dense forest. One fair-weather road leads to the site. Kotagarh is located in Kandhamal district about 120 km from Phulabani and 54 km from Baliguda. In the Kotagarh block there is a 375 m waterfall. Maa Bhabani Temple is in Keshragu, 2 km from Kotagarh (Bighna). Kotagarh also has a wildlife sanctuary with elephants, tigers,
nilgai The nilgai (''Boselaphus tragocamelus'') (, literally meaning "blue cow") is the largest antelope of Asia, and is ubiquitous across the northern Indian subcontinent. It is the sole member of the genus (biology), genus ''Boselaphus'', which was ...
, wild boar, chital and antelopes. Along with a variety of reptiles and mammals, the sanctuary has an aviary as well. The aviary has red jungle fowl, peafowl, peacocks and a wide variety of wild birds. Kuruduawaterfall is situated at the village of Ladimaha in Kotagada block about 160 km from the district headquarter Phulbani. It is surrounded with dense bamboo forest.


Transport

The nearest airport is at
Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra ...
. There is an airstrip at Gudari 5 km from Phulbani town for landing small planes and helicopters. The nearest railway station is Rairakhol, on the Sambalpur – Bhubaneshwar line, which is 99 km from Phulbani. However, Berhampur ( from Phulbani) is another convenient rail link. By road, Kandhamal can be approached from Sambalpur via Boudh (170 km, 106 miles) and Berhampur (165 km) as well as from Bhubaneshwar via Nayagarh (210 km, 130 miles). It is away from Bolangir. While there are no dedicated tourist buses to the places of interest in the district, taxis may be hired at Phulbani or Balliguda. There is no railway route in the district.


Health facilities

There are fourteen hospitals: * District Headquarters Hospital, Phulbani * Sub Divisional Hospital, Balliguda * Community Health Centre, Subarnagiri * Community Health Centre, Tumudibandha * Community Health Centre, Barakhama * Community Health Centre, Daringbadi * Community Health Centre, K.Nuagaon * Community Health Centre, Raikia * Community Health Centre, G.Udayagiri * Community Health Centre, Brahamanpad * Community Health Centre, Tikabali * Community Health Centre, Gumagarh * Community Health Centre, Phiringia * Community Health Centre, Khajuripada


Politics


Lok Sabha constituencies


Vidhan sabha constituencies

The following are the 3
Vidhan sabha The State Legislative Assembly, also known as the Vidhan Sabha or the Saasana Sabha, is a legislative body in each of the states and certain union territories of India. Members of the legislative assembly are often directly elected to serve fiv ...
constituencies of Kandhamal district and the elected members of that area.


Communal unrest and insurgency

On 25 December 2007, ethnic conflict broke out between Khond tribals and Pano Scheduled Caste people in Kandhamals. In April 2010, a special "fast track" court in Phulbani convicted 105 people. Ten people were acquitted due to lack of evidence. It is currently a part of the Red Corridor of India, an area with significant Maoist insurgency activity. Suspected
Maoist Maoism, officially Mao Zedong Thought, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed while trying to realize a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic o ...
rebels detonated a roadside
land mine A land mine, or landmine, is an explosive weapon often concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets as they pass over or near it. Land mines are divided into two types: anti-tank mines, wh ...
on 27 November 2010, blowing up an ambulance. A patient, a paramedic, and the vehicle's driver were killed.


References

; Sources * *


External links

*
Preliminary Findings & Recommendations - The National People’s Tribunal on Kandhamal
available at South Asia Citizens Web, 29 August 2010.
From Kandhamal to Karavali: The Ugly Face of the Sangh Parivar
, available at South Asia Citizen's Web, March 2009. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kandhamal District States and territories established in 1993 1993 establishments in Orissa Districts of Odisha