Bhanjanagar is a town and a semi-urban region. It is 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 the Ganjam District in the state of

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 ...

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 so ...

. The town, earlier named as Russellkonda (Russell's Hill) after George Russell, President of then board of Revenue, was renamed later after Kavi Samrat (Poet King)

Upendra Bhanja ''Kabi Samrata'' Upendra Bhanja () was a 17th-century Odia poet-composer of classical Odissi music.Mansingha, Mayadhar: ''History of Oriya Literature'': Publisher, Sahitya Akademi, Delhi He is most known for his Odissi songs and kabyas written i ...

. Bhanjanagar is a

planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

situated in the confluence of rivers Loharakhandi and Badanadi.

Geography

Bhanjanagar is located at with an average elevation of 69 metres (226 feet). It is located on the lake created by the Bhanjanagar Dam. Bhanjanagar is a Tehsil/Block in the Ganjam District of

. There are 139 villages in Bhanjanagar Block.

Nearby villages

* Agajhola * Kaindi * Jilundi * Baruda * Kullada * Turumu * Gallery * Sardula * Daha

Demographics

According to the 2011 India census, Bhanjanagar had a population of 20,482.

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.

Educational Institutions

Colleges

* Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja College * Savitri Women's College * Bhanja College of Computer & Management (B.C.C.M) * Academy of Rational Philosophy for Unanimously Agreeable and Constitutional Governance

Schools

* Kendriya Vidyalaya * PT.SR DAV Public School * Ghumusar Residential Higher Secondary School * Upendra Bhanja High School * Dina Bandhu Government Girls' High School * Sribatsa High School * P.S.B. School, RC Road * Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandira (Dihapadhala) * Swami Vivekananda Public School * Government Middle English Medium School (Bari School) * St. Xavier's English Medium High School * St. Anne's English Medium School * Sri Satya Sai Vidya Vihar * Kanhu Rauta High School (Lalsing) * Dibya Shakti English Medium School (Niladri Bihar) * Govt. Somanath Practicing High School

Training Institutes

* K.S.U.B Teacher's Training College (B.Ed. College) * Govt. Elementary Teacher Education Institute (G.E.T.E.I) - C.T. Training School * Kalam Institute of Computer Studies (Autonomous body) * BDPS Software Training (Estd. 1997), High School Square * ITCT Computer Institute (Khalasi Sahi) * Bhanjanagar Computer Academy * MCC Academy * OEIT Computer Institute, Landei sahi * Adyaa Classes, Landei Sahi

Industries

Bhanjanagar has fertile lands, and a number of rice paddy processing units, or rice mills.

Culture

The Thakurani Yatra,

Ratha Yatra Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...

and Danda Jatra festivals draw crowds to Bhanjanagar. Apart from this, Dola Purnima,

Durga Puja Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...

(Dussehra), Kumar Purnima,

Pana Sankranti Pana Sankranti, ( or, ପଣା ସଙ୍କ୍ରାନ୍ତି) also known as Maha Bishuba Sankranti ( or, ମହା ବିଷୁବ ସଙ୍କ୍ରାନ୍ତି), is the traditional new year day festival of Odia people in Odisha, India. ...

, Nurshingha Chaturthi,

Ram Navami Rama Navami () is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of Rama, the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu. people from different parts of Jharkhand attended the world famous international Hazaribagh procession organized in the city every ...

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. According to the Hindu lunisolar calendar, it is observed ...

, Danda Yatra, Ganesh Puja and

Saraswati Puja Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...

are also celebrated. People with brotherhood celebrating all the festivals.

Attractions and sites

A reservoir is located north of Bhanjanagar with a catchment area of . The water of this reservoir irrigates many acres of land in Ghumusar (Bhanjanagar),

Berhampur Brahmapur (; also known as Berhampur) is a city on the eastern coastline of Ganjam district of the Indian state of Odisha. Bramhapur is most famous for its street food, silk sarees or pato sarees, temples and many historical places. Bramhapur al ...

and Chhatrapur sub-divisions, and also supplies drinking water to Bhanjanagar and

city. Construction was completed in the year 1894. The panoramic view of the reservoir is a popular tourist attraction. To increase further tourism, a huge park, named "Biju Patnaik Children's Park", in a natural surrounding with many Playing Instruments, a toy train, Science Park, Model Zoo, Road Train and swings for kids, boating facility, Family Train, 3D-Hall, Video Games, Aquarium, "Bhanja Doli", "Kalinga Boita" and last but not the least, an extraordinary and unique musical fountain were constructed for amusement. In April 2013, the tallest Shiva statue of

(7th/8th-tallest Shiva statue in the world) was built at Beleswar Hill Top, located close to the water reservoir. *Maa Soradevi Temple, College Road *Shirdi Sai Temple, Bypass Road *Kulada Vagdevi Temple, Kulada *Jagannath Swami Temple, Kulada *Vancheshwar Temple, Dhudhua *The Divine Life Society, Bhanjangar Branch, Main Road, Bhanjanagar *Gandhi Kailash Hill *Vana Vihara *Daha *Deer Park *Bhanja Sahitya Parishada

Transport

* By Road: Bhanjanagar is connected with NH-157,

SH-37 The Shpitalny Sh-37 (russian: Шпитальный - Ш-37) was the first indigenous Soviet aircraft cannon, designed by Boris Shpitalniy at OKB-15.Широкорад А.Б. (2001) ''История авиационного вооружения'' ...

and SH-21 which connect Bhanjanagar to other cities and towns of Odisha. It is from

Brahmapur Brahmapur may refer to the following places: * Brahmapur, Bihar * Brahmapur, Nepal * Brahmapur, Odisha ** Brahmapur railway station * Brahmapur, West Bengal See also * Brahampur, Phagwara Brahampur is a village in Tehsil Phagwara, Kapurtha ...

and 85 km from

Phulbani Phulbani is a municipality and administrative headquarters of Kandhamal district in the state of Odisha in India. History It is named after the lady 'Phulardei' who was sacrificed by the local inhabitants as an act of religious ritual to Mother ...

. * By Rail:

Brahmapur railway station Brahmapur is a major and one of the oldest railway stations in the Indian state of Odisha. It is administered under Khurda Road railway division of East Coast Railway zone. It serves Brahmapur Silk city of India, Ganjam district and two other ...

is the nearest railway halt. * By Air:

Biju Patnaik International Airport Biju Patnaik International Airport is an international airport serving Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha. It is situated around south-west from Bhubaneswar Railway Station and from the city center. Named after the former chief minist ...

is about 170 km from the town.

References

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Ganjam district