Kendrapara

For the Kendrapara meteorite of 2003, see meteorite falls.

Kendrapara (Odia: କେନ୍ଦ୍ରାପଡ଼ା) is a city and a municipality in Kendrapara district in the Indian state of Orissa. It is the headquarters of Kendrapara district.

Geography

Kendrapara is located at 20.50°N 86.42°E / 20.50; 86.42. It has an average elevation of 13 m (43 ft). It is surrounded by Bhadrak, Jajpur, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts and Bay of Bengal in the east. The river Luna (a branch of Mahanadi) is flowing out side of Kendrapara district.

Transport

Kendrapara is just about 75 kilometres from the state capital, Bhubaneswar. To reach Kendrapara one can go via Cuttack-Jagatpur-Salipur state high way or on the National Highway No.5 and 5 A, crossing at ChandikholViaChhata towards Paradip. Kendrapara is just two and half hour drive from Bhubaneswar Airport on the National Highway 5 and 5 A.(If you go non-stop by your car). The Nearest Railway station is at Cuttack which is 55 kilometre from Kendrapara town.

Demography

The map of Kendrapara District.

As of 2001 India census, Kendrapara had a population of 13,01,856. Males constitute 49.6 % of the population and females 50.4 %. Kendrapara has an average literacy rate of 77.33%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 87.62 %, and female literacy is 67.29%. In Kendrapara, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age. The local language is Oriya, the state language, but a high degree of fluency is also present in Hindi, English , as well as some familiarity with Urdu in some parts of the population.

Hindus form the dominant majority of the population. There is a substantial Muslim minority.

Culture

The Baladevjew Temple is located in Kendrapara. A Car Festival or Rath Yatra is held in the month of Ashadha(June/July). The Gajalaxmi puja onKojaagari Purnima or Kumar Purnima is celebrated in the month of October and Kartikeya Puja in November and Maa Kali Puja at Olaver are held each year. Gajalaxmi puja is a big festival here and is celebrated for 7 days. Maa Kali Puja in Olaver is one of the famous festivals in the region. The Oriya sweet dish, Rasabali, originated from Kendrapara. The car of Lord Baladevjew, also called as 'Bramha Taaladhwaja' is one of the biggest cars of its type in the world. Kendrapara is also known as Tulasi Ksherta (as Tulasi, different from basil tulsi is the wife of Lord Balabhadra) and Gupta Kshetra (Lord Balabhadra wish to stay here secretly). Different types of prasad prepared and used in Baladevjew Temple are Rasabali, Potali Pitha, Magaja Ladoo, Kakaraa, Khaja, Karanji, Chhena Kheeri, Ghanabrata, Dahipakhala, Khiri, Puri etc.

Village Kusupur is one of the well known and very important village in the District Kendrapara - Cuttack (earst while) District. Village Poet Nanda Kishore Bal, Village Educationist and socialist leader Surya Mani Jena, Silpiguru Bimbadhara Verma, Pradyumna Bal, Member of Parliament are the most distinguished personalities who hails from village Kusupur. Village Kusupur is also famous for its Dussera Sabha which organizes the traditional Sword Fighting on the eleventh day (next day of Dussera) for last more than hundred years. On this occasion Kusupur Dussera sabha organises various local cultural functions including the sword fighting wherein the Kshetriyas of village Kusupur and from the nearest gadjat areas participate and were being awarded. Apart from the sword fighting the fire fighting (burnati) are also worth watching. Every year about a lakh of people gathered in Kusupur to witness the Dussera Sabha. Village Kusupur is situated in the bank of river Birupa and next to Balichandrapur on the National Highway No.5A. Bhalukuni Melana is celebrated each and every year in Derabis hata ground. It is one of the biggest melana in the district. Ramjan, Eid, bakhrid, muharram are the festivals of Muslims are observed each year with great pump. Derabish is located 11 km away from district headquarters. Karilopatna located near to Kendrapara is a beautiful place to visit. Potali Matha, located at Balia which is around 5 km towards north of Kendrapara town, organizes a 5-day 'Biswa Santhi yajna' each year in March. People from across India gather there. On the final day of the Yajna, organized by the local trust headed by Kartik chandra Mishra and there is always a big crowd, more than 20,000 to get the prasad (Yajna Ahuti). Lohit baba Mandir, located at Chhata Chhaka (NH-5A), Derabish is around 6 km away from Kendrapara town and 20 km away from chandikhol. Dadhibamana Jewish Temple is situated in Derabish. One of the famous "Boita Bandana Utashv" held on November (Kartika masa) in the village kalapada, which is 7 km from Kendrapara town situated in the bank of Luna river (A part of Mahanadi). Near about 20-30 thousand people gather in this festival that will celebrate for 7 days. And the ultimate part is, it is inaugurated by Power Minister Mr. Atanu Saibyasachi. That festival is mainly celebrated for the remembrance of Sadhabs who were gone to Java and Sumitra etc. for business.

Most of the people here are farmers and some do business and some do fishing in the river and the bay of Bengal. growing prawn near sea shore is a profitable business. Many small-scale industries are coming up so people are now getting more opportunity there.

Politics

The Assembly seats in the district are Kendrapara, Bari-Derabisi, Patakura, Rajnagar, Pattamundia, and Aul.

Throughout the area politics have remained with the local parties since the 1970s. Kendrapara has played a crucial role in Orissa's politics, producing leaders like Member of Parliament Mr. Rabi Ray who achieved the post of Speaker in Loksabha, and Mr. Biju Patnaik, former Chief Minister of Orissa. Present day leaders from Kendrapara include individuals such as Supreme Court of India Lawyer, Mr.Sanjib Kumar Mohanty,Advocate and Former Spokesperson of Delhi University Students' Union and Mr.Prasanta Varma, as well as Member of Parliament of Kendrapara (Lok Sabha constituency), Mr. Baijayanta Panda. Current Member of Parliament is Baijayant Panda.

Current MLA from Kendrapara Assembly Constituency is Sipra Mallik, who won the seat in State elections of 2004. Previous MLAs from this seat were Utkal Keshari Parida of OGP, Bed Prakash Agarwalla who won this seat in 2000 representing BJP and also earlier in 1990 representing JD and in 1977 representing JNP, Bhagabat Prasad Mohanty of INC who won in 1995 and in 1985, and Indramani Rout of INC (I) in 1980.

Kendrapara is part of Kendrapara (Lok Sabha constituency).

Social organisations

• Radha Ramana Matha,Pradhan Patikira Written By Pradyumna Kumar Rout (DIPU) on 20-06-11***
• Narayani Oriental Research Society (N.O.R.S), Tirinia, Kendrapara
• GRACE
• Potali Matha
• Nrusingha Tikiri Matha (BayaBaba Matha), Kendrapara
• Anata Matha
• Baba Baikuntha Nath Brahmachari Math (Hanuman Mandir, Garapur)
• Sankara Baba Matha, Rajagarh
• Sukaparikshita Sanskrutika Parisada, Kudanagari

mahakalpara

• Azad hind sports club, Pattamundai, SK Mustaq Hussain (Secretary)
• Mission for Allied Social Service (MASS), Derabish, Burhan Khan (president) Abdul Raheman Khan (SECY), Naim Akhter (Treasurer) Derabis
• Sahara Educational And Welfare Trust. Chairman (Burhan Khan)

Picnic spot

There are so many picnic spot in Kendrapara. One of the famous place is "Bhitara Kanika". You can see the wildlife animal like Crocodile, birds, Tigers etc., Boating and most beautiful nature. Only 20–30 km drive from Kendrapara you reached at paradeep. You can see the sea beach, port, Neheru Bangala (first prime minister of India comes here and also see the entry gate of river to Sea shore. Paradeep is also the last point of east coast of India. Most popular Udaya Giri & Ratna Giri just 10–15 km drive from Kendrapada. Mainly Budhu Murti, Budhu pratima are conservated there.There also a picnic spot Named Sakhi Bata.It is situated near Luna River.it is a beautiful spot.Lord Baladev and Laxmi Mandir is there.

Education

In the field of education also Kendrapara is not behind. There are so many schools and colleges which are engaged in creating well qualified professionals in all the fields. Some of the educational institutions of Kendrapara are:

Schools	Colleges	Professional & Technical Institutions	- Derabish High School, Derabis Kansar Sahaspur High School, Kansar Sahaspur	- Ramachandra High School, Fakirabad	- Chhatabata girls High school, Hafimelak	- Derabis Women's College, Derabis	- Derabis College, Derabis
Balia Govt. High School	Chandol College	Kendrapara Institute of Engg. & Tech.(KIET)06727-221003
Balia High School	Derabish College	PNS Diploma college	NM Industrial Training Center, Balia, Bhagatpur. Miss Mitali Madhusmita Pradhan Member Of Managing Committee
Bhagabanpur High School	Kendrapara College [1]
Bharati Bidya Mandir	Marsaghai College
Karilopatna college, Karilopatna -	Dohali High School	Tulsi Women's College
Government Girl's High School	Lokanath Mohavidyalaya, Korua
Gulnagar High School
	Ichhapur High School		Kalapada High School
Ideal Public School Unique Public School, Derabis
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Baro
Joyaram High School Karilopatna
Kendrapara Boys High School
Marsaghai High School
Netaji Subhash English Medium School
Rajagarh High school
Saraswati Sisu Mandir					-Pradhan Patikira M.E. School Written By Pradyumna Kumar Rout (DIPU)
St. Joseph School
Standard Public School
Sudersan High School, Thakurhat
Kudanagari High School, Kudanagari
Sidha Marichiyani Bidyaptha, Manatir

Kendrapara has produced a number of well-known personalities. Like famous astronomer, mathematician and writer of Suskhma Sphuta Siddhanta Pandit Sri Gokulananda Routroy (1947–2009). Nowadays young and enthusiastic professionals are coming up and have established their names in the fields like software and IT industry, petroleum industry, management, finance, education, administration, politics, well-known media personality like Itishree Nayak (Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award for Electronic Media Oriya -2006) also belonging to Tripurari Pur village of Mangal Pur Gram Panchayat, Derabish Block of Kendrapara District.