Balangir district, also called Bolangir district, is a district situated in Odisha state of India. The district has an area of , and a population of 1,648,997 (2011 census). The town of Balangir is the district headquarters. The composition of the land is predominantly rural. Other important towns in Balangir district are Titlagarh, Patnagarh, Kantabanji, Loisingha, Saintala, Belpada, Tushra, Agalpur, Deogaon, Chudapali, Biripali, Bhalumunda, Bangomunda, Sindhekela, Kansil, Turekela and Muribahal.
History The district of Balangir is named after the headquarters town of Balangir. This town was also the headquarters of the feudatory state of Patna since the 1880s. The district of Balangir is flanked in the northwest by the Gandhamardhan hills. Many hill streams traverse it. It is also notable for having experimented in the republican form of Government that was overthrown by Ramai Deo.
Etymology Ancient history Historically It's a region of Kalinga, which is ruled by various dynasties like Mahameghavahana dynasty, Bhauma-Kara dynasty, Somavamshi dynasty, Kalachuri Dynasty (during this time its become a part of Dakshina Kosala for short period),Eastern Ganga dynasty, Gajapati Empire & Chauhan over centuries.
The territory comprising the present district of Balangir was in ancient times a part of the South Kosala . According to tradition, the origin of South Kosala dates back to the time of Rama and scholars like Pargiter believe that Rama's long stay in that region gave rise to the name of South Kosala after his original homeland Kosala. According to Padmapurana, the kingdom of Kosala, after Rama, was divided between Lava and Kusa, his two son. Later Kusa founded the city of Kusasthalipura and ruled over the southern half of Kosala (that included modern day Western Odisha and Chhattisgarh State).
During the time of Grammarian Panini (5th Century B.C), a territory named Taitila Janapada flourished to the west of Kalinga and that territory has been associated by historians with the modern town of Titlagarh in Balangir district. Taitala Janapada was famous for trade in some commodities described by the Grammarian as "Kadru" the meaning of which may be either horse or cotton fabrics.Panini's Ashtadyayi VI. 2. 42
According to Chetiya Jataka, the capital of the Chedi country was Sothivatinagara which is the same as Suktimatipuri of Harivamsa and Suktisahvaya of the Mahabharata (Vana Parva). The epic (Adi Parva) also states that the capital of the Chedis was situated on the bank of river Suktimati which is the Sukhtel river of Balangir districtD. C. Sircar Ancient Geography of India Pg.55
Thus the ancestors of King of Kalinga Kharavela were from the Balangir district as they were ruling over the territory drained by the Sukhtel river in Balangir, wherefrom they advanced towards the east and became the master of Kalinga by the first century B.C. In the Hathigumpha inscription, Kharavela refers to one Rajashri Vasu as his ancestor, who is probably the same as Vasu, the son of Abhichandra, the founder of Chedi Kingdom. This Vasu may also be identified with Uparichara Vasu of the Mahabharata (Adi Parva) where hs is described as the King of the Chedis who were ruling in the modern district of Balangir and Subarnapur.D. C. Sircar Ancient Geography of India
Balangir region continued to be under the rule of Chedis during the first century AD but in the second century it came under the possession of the Satavahanas, whose king was Gautamiputra Satakarni. He is said to have built a magnificent vihara for his philosopher friend Nagarjuna on the Po Lo Mo Lo Ki Li or Parimalagir identified with the modern Gandharmardan hills.
Early history
The earliest noted history of Balangir district dates back to the third century BC. According to Bhagavati Sutra and Harivamsha Purana, Mahavir started his earliest preaching of Dharma at Nalanda, Rajgriha, Paniya Bhumi and Siddharthagrama. According to some scholars, (D. C. Sircar) Punita Bhumi is a synonym of Paniya Bhumi as per Odra-Magadhi language. It is the same as Paniya Bhumi or Nagoloka, the present Nagpur, and it is further identified as Bhogapura, the modern Bastar, region of Chhattisgarh, Koraput, Kalahandi and Balangir district of Odisha.D. C. Sircar, Inscription of Orissa, Pg. 263
In some of the inscriptions found in Balangir and Sonepur district, it has been mentioned that this part of the land was known as Attavika during Ashoka's invasion of Kalinga in 261 B.C.
The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visited Po Lo Mo Lo Ki Li monastery at modern Paikmal in the seventh century AD. It was then having cloisters and lofty halls and those halls were arranged in five tiers each with four courts with temples containing life-size gold images of BuddhaYuan Chawng 'Journey of the West'
Utkal University Archaeology Prof. Dr. Sadasiva Pradhan excavated the Gumagad site under Gudvela block near the Tel river valley in Balangir district, where he found that a strategic military hub existed in the first century BC. It was set up by a king contemporary to king Kharavela. Four copper plates were also found at Terssingha village which speaks of the Tel valley civilisation. Those plates had information regarding the two capitals – Udayapur and Parbatadwaraka – which were under the rule of Rashtrakutas and local chieftains belonging to different clans. The Udayapur area, the capital of Rashtrakuta kings, who ruled in the valley, still does have standing structures and also the ruins. These are mostly found at Amathgad. Ruins of a medieval fort is also found there.
According to eminent historian and epigraphist Sadananda Agrawal, copper plates were recently found in Kapsila village near Balangir. The found materials were three copper plates tied together by a circular ring and issued by a king named Khadgasimha. It has been dated to the eighth century AD and it informs about new rulers and history of the Tel valley civilization.
Rulers of Ancient Balangir
The chronology of various dynasty who ruled Balangir over the time. The Panduvamsis The Bhanjas The Somavamsis The Chodas The Kalachuris The Gangas The Chouhans
Center of Tantrik Vidya
Ranipur-Jharial in Balangir district is another place of historical importance. According to historians this area was known for its Tantra-Vidya throughout India. Somavanshi kings had built many temples here that can be dated back to the eighth-ninth centuries AD. It is said that there were at least 200 temples covering an area of about half a mile in length and a quarter of a mile in width. The largest stone temple is Someswar Siva, which was constructed by a Mattamayura Shaivacharya Gagana Siva whose inscription can be found on the lintel of the temple.
Ranipur-Jharial houses one among the five existing rare monuments of Hypaethral temples (temples without roofs) dedicated to 64 yoginis in India. The other three are at Hirapur near Bhubaneswar, Khajurao & Bheraghat near Jabalpur, and Dudhai near Lalitpur. The images at Ranipur-Jharial are made of sandstone. The temple of 64 yoginis of Ranipur-Jharial is famous not only for its architecture, but also for its religious significance. Three-faced Natraj Shiva idol stands at the centre of the temple encircled by 64 sculptures of the Yogini goddesses in various positions. Unfortunately with the curse of time, and also due to lack of care only 48 Yoginis are left by now.
Chouhan Rule Ramai Deo founded the kingdom of Patna in 1360 AD, and within a short span of its aggressive career become the head of the cluster of eighteen Garhs. The Patna kingdom stretched from Raigarh in Chhattisgarh to Bamra in Sundergarh District.
Balaram Deo, the 19th Raja of Patna, founded a town called Balramgarh and shifted the capital of Patna state from Patnagarh to Balramgarh in the early 16th century. Subsequently, the town was renamed as Balangir from Balramgarh. After around 8 years of rule in Patna state, he was awarded the land from river Ang until the boundary of Bamra kingdom by his mother. Subsequently, he founded a kingdom named Sambalpur, which went on to become a strong kingdom.Orissa District Gazetteers: Balangir, Printed by the Superintendent, Orissa Government Press, 1966 List of Chouhan rulers of the Patna stateOrissa District Gazetteers, Appendix III, Page 86-87 Raja Ramai Deo (1360-1385 AD) Raja Mahaling Singh Deo (1385-1390 AD) Raja Vatsaraja Deo (1390-1410 AD) Raja Vaijal Deo I (1410-1430 AD) Raja Bhojaraj Deo (1430-1455 AD) Raja Pratap Rudra Deo I (1455-1480 AD) Raja Bhupal Deo I (1480-1500 AD) Raja Vikramaditya Deo I (1500-1520 AD) Raja Vaijal Deo II (1520-1540 AD) Raja Bajra Hiradhara Deo (1540-1570 AD) (Had two sons, Narsingh Deo and Balaram Deo, who later founded the Sambalpur Kingdom) Raja Narsingh Deo (1570-1577 AD) Raja Hamir Deo (1577-1581 AD) Raja Pratap Deo II (1581-1587 & 1600-1620 AD) (Between 1587 and 1600, it was looked after by Hrudaya Narayan Deo, son of Sambalpur Raja Balram Deo) Raja Vikramaditya Deo II (1620-1640 AD) (His younger brother Gopal Rai was made the Raja of Khariar) Raja Mukunda Deo (1640-1670 AD) Raja Balaram Deo (1670-1678 AD) Raja Hrudesha Deo (1678-1685 AD) Raja Rai Singh Deo (1685-1762 AD) Raja Chandra Sekhara Deo Raja Pruthuviraj Deo (1762-1765 AD) Raja Ramachandra Deo I (1765 - 1820 AD) Raja Bhupal Deo (1820-1848 AD) (His brother Maharaj Yuvraj Singh Deowas granted the estate of Jarasingha in 1765) Maharaja Hiravajra Singh Deo (1848-1866 AD) Maharaja Sur Pratap Singh Deo (1866-1878 AD) Maharaja Ramchandra Singh Deo II (1878-1895 AD) Maharaja Dalaganjan Singh Deo (1895-1910 AD) Maharaja Prithviraj Singh Deo (1910-1924 AD) Maharaja Sir Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo (1924-1975 AD) Maharaja Raj Raj Singh Deo Maharaja Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo
The Eighteen Garhs Below is the list of eighteen Garhs (with their old names) which were part of the old Patna State (Balangir) and Sambalpur State during the Chouhan rule. Also known as the Garhjat States. Patna (Included most part of the modern Balangir district) Sumbulpore (Sambalpur) Sonepoor (Sonepur) Bamra (Deogarh) Rehracole (Rairakhol) Gangpoor (Rajgangpur) Boud (Boudh) Atmullick (Athmallik) Phooljur Bunnaee (Bonai) Raigarh Buragarh (Bargarh) Suktee Chandarpur Sarangarh Bindanawagarh Khariar Borasambar (Padampur)
List of industries before independence Though now Balangir is one of the most under-developed districts in Odisha, it was not the same before its merger with Odisha. Ex-Patna State was one of the earliest states in India to have started industries as early as the end of the 17th century.
Below is the list of industries that existed in the area during the pre-merger period. Koshal Transport and Trading Co. Ltd., Balangir Koshal Industrial Development Co. Ltd., Balangir Balangir Trading Co. Ltd., Titlagarh Patna Village Industries Association Ltd, Lathor Rajendra Tile Works Ltd, Titlagarh Koshal Industries Development Syndicate, Balangir Patna State Graphite Mining Co., Titlagarh Patna State Weaving Factory, Balangir Mahavir Jain Weaving Factory, Belgaon Weaving Factory, Manihira, Loisingha Central Jail Weaving Factory, Balangir Handmade Paper Factory, Balangir
Merger with Odisha state The Chauhan rule ended with the merger of Patna and Sonepur into Orissa on the January 1, 1948. They together form the district of Balangir. Sonepur was carved out as a separate district on April 1, 1993. The last ruler of Patna, Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo successfully transitioned to democratic politics. He became the Chief Minister of Odisha from 1967 until 1971.
Recent developments Currently people of this district along with the nine other districts of western Odisha are demanding for a separate state called Koshal. According to unofficial sources around 20,000 people are migrating from Balangir every year to other states in search of work. More than 90% population in this district are staying below poverty line.