Subarnapur District, also called Sonepur District or Sonapur District, is an administrative district in western

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 Sc ...

state in eastern

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. The town of Sonepur is the district headquarters. Sonepur has a rich cultural heritage and is known as the Mandiramalini town (city of temples) of Odisha with more than hundred temples. The people of the Sonepur region are referred to as

Sonepuri Sonepuri is a term refers to the various things from Sonepur region of Odisha. Sonepuri handloom, Sonepuri saree and Sonepuri Ganga Jamuna Gamuchha (cloth) are popular among people of Odisha and India. Loosely, the people of Sonepur district ...

History

In the 8th century CE, the region was known as Swarnapur and was rules by

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. ...

lords of the Bhaumkaras of

Tosali Tosali or Toshali was an ancient city in the present day Odisha state in eastern India. It was the capital of the eastern province of the Kalinga Kingdom. While some scholars tried to identify this ancient city with Dhauli, 7 km away from B ...

. The region was then ruled by the Somavamsis and eventually became one of two capitals of the Somavamsis. Around the 10th and 11th centuries, the region was called Pashima Lanka or Western Lanka. The evidence for these names comes from a Somavamsi prince of the region called Kumara Someswaradeva who issued a copper plate charter in the late 10th century which identified him as the ruler of Paschima Lanka. Historically, the presiding deity of the region was the goddess

Lankeswari Lankeswari temple is located inside the river Mahanadi at Sonepur town, Subarnapur district, Odisha, India. Once upon a time Sonepur region was known as Paschima Lanka. Goddess Lankeswari or Nikumbhilaa was the presiding deity of Paschima Lanka ...

. At some point during Somavamsi rule, the region was given its current name, Subarnapur. It was formally established as a district in 1993.

Economy

In 2006 the

Ministry of Panchayati Raj The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a branch of the Government of India. Ministry of Panchayati Raj looks into all matters relating to the Panchayati Raj and Panchayati Raj Institutions. It was created in May 2004. The ministry is headed by a m ...

named Subarnapur one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of

640 Year 640 (Roman numerals, DCXL) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 640 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar er ...

). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the

Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme Backward or Backwards is a relative direction. Backwards or Sdrawkcab (the word "backwards" with its letters reversed) may also refer to: * "Backwards" (''Red Dwarf''), episode of sci-fi TV sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' ** ''Backwards'' (novel), a nov ...

(BRGF).

Divisions

* Sub-divisions: Sonepur and

Birmaharajpur Birmaharajpur is a subdivision town of Subarnapur district in the state of Odisha, India. Birmaharajpur Subdivisional Headquarter is the Birmaharajpur town. It is located 22 km towards east from district headquarter Sonepur. It is a disper ...

* Tehsils: Sonepur,

Binika Binika (also known as Binka) is a town and a notified area council in Subarnapur district in the state of Odisha, India. Geography Binika is located at . It has an average elevation of 122 metres (400 feet). The city is situated in th ...

, Rampur,

Tarbha Tarbha (also known as Tarabha, sometimes called "Ulta Bharat" or Opposite India) is a Notified Area Council in Subarnapur district in the Indian state of Odisha. History The name ''Tarbha'' apparently came from ''Tera Bhaya'' (तेर� ...

, and Ullunda * Blocks: Sonepur,

, Dunguripali,

and Ullunda * Municipality: Sonepur * N.A.C.:

and

Demographics

According to the

2011 census Eleven or 11 may refer to: * 11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12 * one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *'' ...

, Subarnapur district has a

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using ...

of 610,183, roughly equal to the nation of

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = ...

or the US state of

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the ...

. The district is the 512th most populous in India out of a total of

. The district has a population density of . Its

population growth rate Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 83 million annually, or 1.1% per year. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to ...

over the decade of 2001–2011 was 20.35%. Subarnapur has a

sex ratio The sex ratio (or gender ratio) is usually defined as 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. Many species de ...

of 959

females Female (symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females a ...

for every 1000 males, and a

literacy rate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, hum ...

of 74.42%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 25.60% and 9.37% of the population respectively.

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

are the predominant religion, with 99.19% of the population. At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 59.67% of the population in the district spoke Sambalpuri and 39.30%

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 ...

as their first language.

Culture

Subarnapur is home to a wide variety of cultural heritage, arts, and crafts. The Sonepur area specializes in

textiles Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not th ...

and

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta i ...

and Binka produce

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

metal works, Ullunda is home to a tradition of stone carving, and Dunguripali produces Paddy crafts. Subarnapur is home to the poet and prophet

Mahima Dharma Mahima Dharma, also known as Mahima Panth, is a Hindu sect practiced primarily in Odisha and nearby states. The religious movement was based on the worship of God, known as Alekh Niranjan, as attributeless. as condemnation of all religious cus ...

. The district is also known for "Danda-nata", a religious folk tradition which is native to the area.

Temple town, Sonepur

Paschima Lanka Subarnapur District, also called Sonepur District or Sonapur District, is an administrative district in western Odisha state in eastern India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seve ...

* Lanka Podi *

Sasisena Kavya Sasisena Kavya is a literary book written by Pratap Rai in the 17th century. It is considered as one of the landmark books in the Odia literature. Synopsis of the book The book is mainly based on the love between Ahimanikya the son of a Dewan an ...

Sasisena Temple Sasisena Temple or Nimunhi Temple (Temple with no entrance and exit) is found in Sonepur city of Subarnapur district, Odisha, India. The Sasisena Kavya Sasisena Kavya is a literary book written by Pratap Rai in the 17th century. It is considered as ...

Sureswari Temple Sureswari temple or Sursuri temple is located at the left bank of Tel River towards the south-west of the confluence of Mahanadi and Tel River. This temple is located in the temple town of Sonepur, Subarnapur district, Odisha, India. The presidin ...

Subarnameru Temple Subarnameru Temple is situated in Sonepur town in Subarnapur district of Odisha, India. It is a shrine for the worshipping of Shiva and commonly known as Second Varanasi of India. Legend Popular story of Gold coin Rain is associated with this P ...

Lankeswari Temple Lankeswari temple is located inside the river Mahanadi at Sonepur town, Subarnapur district, Odisha, India. Once upon a time Sonepur region was known as Paschima Lanka. Goddess Lankeswari or Nikumbhilaa was the presiding deity of Paschima Lanka ...

Tourist attractions

* Mahima pitha, Khaliapali * Gyaneswar Baba Shiv temple and museum at Kenjhiriapali village *

Metakani Temple Maa Metakani temple is located in a forest near to Ulunda, of Subarnapur district, Odisha, India. People of this region say that this goddess is originated from a lady called "META". See also * Subarnameru Temple * Lankeswari Temple * Patali Srik ...

, Ullunda *

Patali Srikhetra Patali Srikhetra is a famous place with significant historical importance for Subarnapur district and Odisha, India. This religious place is associated with Shaktism, Buddhism and Vaishnavism. It is located in the foot of Trikut Hill at Kotsamala ...

, Kotsamlai * Rushyashrunga hill at Goudgad jungle * Papakshya Ghat, Binka * Kapileswar temple, Charda * Nabagrahakunda * Rameswar Shiva Temple * Lord Sri Sri Swapneshwar Temple, Goudgad of BirmaharajPur Block. * Thengo Irrigation Project of Birmaharajpur Block * Maa Umadevi Temple and Siddheswar Temple * Maa Ramachandi & Baba Raneswar Temple, Telanda * Gupteswar Baba Temple, Gailmura * Bhimtangar, Gailmura *Baunsa Bana, Dunguripali

Saree

* Sambalpuri Pata Saree * Sonepuri Saree

Notable people

Kailash Chandra Meher Kailash Chandra Meher (born 22 January 1954) is an Indian artist, inventor, and social activist. He is a painter of contemporary modern art paintings and traditional Tussar Pattachitra paintings of Odisha. He was a recipient of the Padma Shri ...

, painter awarded the

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is confe ...

. *

Nila Madhab Panda Nila Madhab Panda (born 18 October 1973) is an Indian film producer and director. Panda has produced and directed over 70 films, documentaries and shorts based on social issues such as climate change, child labor, education, water issues, sa ...

, film maker and director of

I Am Kalam ''I Am Kalam'' is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language drama film produced by the non-governmental charity Smile Foundation and directed by Nila Madhab Panda, cinematography by Mohana Krishna. The character of Chhotu has been performed by Harsh Mayar. T ...

. *

Sabyasachi Mohapatra Sabyasachi Mohapatra (born 27 August 1950 in Lehedi, India) is an Indian film director, writer, and producer in Odia cinema. He owns a production house named ''Mohapatra Movie Magic''. Career Mohapatra made his directorial debut in film Bhukh ...

film director and producer. *

Jitamitra Prasad Singh Deo Jitamitra Prasad Singh Deo (born 29 August 1946) is an Indian historian and archaeologist. He is from Khariar, Nuapada, Odisha, India. He is the president of Khariar Sahitya Samiti. He is a famous archaeologist and authors of several books on Odis ...

Education in Subarnapur district

Schools

*Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Tarbha * Sri Aurobindo Shikshyakendra, Goudgad * Ganapati Adarsha Shikshya Niketan, Biramaharaj Pur *Swami Vivekananda Adarsha Vidyalaya, Khandahata *Anchalik Uchha Vidya Pitha, Kenjhiriapali *Centurion Public School, Dunguripali *Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Dunguripali *Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Rampur *Sahara Trust High School, Sonepur *Vishwabharti Chintan Shikshya Niketan, Sonepur

Colleges

Sonepur College Sonepur College is located in Sonepur town, district headquarters of Subarnapur district, Odisha, India.http://sonepurcollege.org.in/ History This college was started in 1964 with pre-university arts class under Utkal University. On 01.05.2 ...

, Sonepur-Raj *Model Degree College, Subarnapur *Shree Ram College, Rampur *Maharaja High School, Sonepur *Dunguripali College, Dunguripali *Gram Panchayat College, Lachhipur *Buddhiram College, Menda *Birmaharajpur College Birmaharajpur

Politics

This district is a part of Balangir Lok Sabha constituency. The MP of Balangir is

Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo ( or, ସଙ୍ଗୀତା କୁମାରୀ ସିଂହଦେଓ) (born 3 December 1961) is an Indian politician and the wife of the titular Maharaja of Bolangir, an erstwhile princely state located in Odisha. She ...

from the

BJP The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...

Vidhan Sabha Constituencies

The following are the two

Vidhan sabha The State Legislative Assembly, or Vidhan Sabha, or also Saasana Sabha, is a legislative body in the states and union territories of India. In the 28 states and 3 union territories with a unicameral state legislature, it is the sole legislativ ...

constituencies of Subarnapur district and the elected members of each area.

References

External links

*
Iconography of the Buddhist Sculpture of Orissa

Cultural Profile of South Kosal
* Pasayat, C. (1994), "Myth and Reality in Little Tradition: A Study of Dandanata in Odisha" in ''Man in India'', Vol.74, No.4, December 1994, pp. 413–427. * Pasayat, C. (1998), ''Tribe, Caste and Folkculture'', Jaipur/New Delhi: Rawat Publications. * Pasayat, C. (2003), ''Glimpses of Tribal and Folkculture'', New Delhi: Anmol Pub. Pvt. Ltd. {{DEFAULTSORT:Subarnapur District 1993 establishments in Orissa Districts of Odisha