Bellaguntha is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

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 ...

(N.A.C.) in

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 ...

which was the main market of South Odisha in the time of British India. Bellaguntha is also known as Brass Fish Town.

Demographics

As of the

2011 Census of India The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...

, 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 and

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 ...

. 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. 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. Other festivals include Dol 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 ...

Makara Sankranti Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sag ...

, 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 ...

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) ''For roads named A21 see ; List of A21 roads'' Route 21, or Highway 21, can refer to: International * European route E21 Australia * Chandler Highway * Toowoomba Connection Road (QLD) * - Kakadu Highway Austria * Wiener Außenring Autobahn ...

and State Highway 30 (Odisha) which connect to other cities and towns of Odisha. *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 othe ...

is the nearest railway station which is about 80 km from Bellaguntha. *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 160 km from the town.

Local sites

* Sri LaxmiNrusingh Temple - an old temple of Odisha * Sri Jagannath Temple - Dadhibaman temple * Sri Balunkeswara Temple - a temple made of red rocks 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