Nabarangpur District was inaugurated on 2nd October 1992. Prior to that it was a big Sub-Division of the erstwhile Koraput District, considered to be second largest district in the country next to Bastar district in the former state of Madhya Pradesh. Though Koraput was vivisected  into four parts, each segment enjoys the status of newly formed district.

The inhabitants  here are mostly tribals, nomadic and almost aboriginal. Encounter with the civilized population in the township has changed their lifestyle to some extent by a few of them like Paraja, Kondhas, Gadava still live the primitive life style. They mostly depend on cultivation and forest products. Some speak Oriya in a corrupt form, difficult for the chaste Oriya speaking people to understand. They are an admixture of several words and phrases from aboriginal dialects. Boarder areas have a heavy dose of Chattishgarhi language in the west and  of Kalahandi dialect in the north.

The religion of the district is composite. There are Hindus, Christians and Muslims. The tribals worship the Hindu gods. The Mohammadans, though small in population are believed to be the descendents of soldiers from Golkonda who invaded the Jeypore. Some had settled down, married Paraja women and followed the Muslim festivals. The Christians are direct out-come of the Lutheren Mission Conversion. The American and German missionaries had a field day during the British Raj. They set up schools with boarding houses, dispensaries and built Churches. Protestants Catholic and other denomination of Christian are  prevalent here. The Christian hospital of Nabarangpur town has been an attraction for patients from far-flung areas. It was a treat to see former Doctors of Germany, who once served here,at its Golden Jublee Celebration held recently..

The other tribals living here are namely Bhumias, Dombs. The latter are wide spread through the district and enjoy status next to Kondhas. They are weavers and drummers by profession and enjoy great influence over others. The dombs are engaged in cattle trade. The Mirganis appear to be sub caste of dombs. They differ from the Oriya dombs by not killing cattle for food but theypartake of the beef of the animals that dies naturally. They claim to be superior to Oriya dombs. They earn their livelihood by cultivation and weaving.  In the upper rank of the social scale we come across Sankharies , who deal with lac and who make basket , chains  and dolls out of it. They are good artists, artisans and traders. Malis originally grow and collect flowers for temple worship. They now switched over to cultivation of Sugarcane, tobacco etc. on the banks of Indravati river. Sundhis are famous for distillation and selling of liquor. Tradition holds that they are the descendants of a Brahmin father and royal mother. They are usually rich and wealthy  in status.

History

The history of Nabarangpur is inextricably interlinked with that of  Koraput District. In a sense,  its language, style of living, heritage, geographical location flora and fauna and even climate is not distinct from the rest of the component of Koraput district. Its boundary stretches in the north to Kalahandi district west to Jagadalpur district in Chatishgarh, east to Kalahandi and Rayagada and south to Koraput district with the river Indravati separating the two districts. Nabarangpur is located on the 2000 ft Plateau (about 2000 ft above mean sea level) like that of the historically, famous Jeypore town in the Koraput district. In the north, the Panabeda area, recently renamed, as Chandahandi is only 500 ft above the sea level and experience interchange of climate and social life that of the adjacent Kalahandi district. The rest of Nabarangpur district is mainly flat with a few pockets of low hills. The highest peak Podagarh (an historical famous place) is 3050 ft high. There are Patches of thick forests mostly containing sal seeds and those provide sustenance to dependent villages.

Koraput belonged to Atavika people who valiantly fought the Kalinga war in the 3 rd century BC. They remained independent and dreaded. Kalinga regained her former glory during Mahamegha Bahan dynasty in the first century BC. The third king of this dynasty Kharabela made the Kalinga empire and the Atavika land very strong. The successive dynasties – the Satavahans (2nd century AD) two Ikshvakus (3rd century AD) has their dominian dynasty belonged to the Nalas (3rd and 4th

century AD), with a head quarter located at Pushkari, near the modern Umerkote town of Nabarangpur district. The Kesaribeda excavations bear testimony to the  rule of King Bhabadatta Verman and King Arathapati. The inscriptions of Podagarh refer to King Skanda Verman .The Nala King are traced to the kings who ruled from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. Their rapid growth landed them in Bastar –Koraput region. Around 10th century AD one Nala king Bhimesen was ruling over a region now located to the Koraput and Ganjam District.

The erstwhile Koraput was a small principality of Tri Kalinga under the Ganga era during the 5 the century AD. The patches of Odra, Kalinga and Kosala were brought under the control of Ganga    kings.  This dynasty became prominent during the 11th century AD with the rise of Somanakshi. Their suzerainty extended from the modern Sambalpur, Sonepur to Bastar – Koraput regions and they enjoyed control till the beginning of 14th century AD.

Matsya Family ruling over Vaddadi region of modern Jeypore dominated the next generation. The famous king included Bhanudeva, Narasingha Dev and others which is evident from inscription of Simhachalam in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.

The next dynasty belonged to the Famous  Sailavansis. Who ruled over Vindhya during 14th century AD. The earliest king Ganga Raju was ruling over Nandapur, a former capital of the Maharaja of Jeypore. Nandapur is famous for the throne of 32 steps erected in the line of king Vikramaditya of Ujjain, Jainism and Shaktism grew side by side in the kingdom of Nandapur.

The last king of  Sailavansa – Pratap Ganga Raju was succeeded by Vinayak Dev of Surya Vansa whichlasted till the eno of the British Empire. Vinayak Dev was said to be married to the daughter of the last ruler of Silavansi Paratap Ganga Raju and ascended to the throne of Nandapur Vinayak Dev and his six succeeding generation of kings had only one son each and on advices from astrologers the headquarters of the kingdom was switched from Nandapur to Jeypore.

During the Anglo-French conflict, Vikram Dev I was successful in driving out the French from Malkangiri area and the Marathas from the Umerkote belt.

King Vikram Dev I (1758 –1781 AD) was succeeded by Ramachandra Dev-II (1781 –1825) while his other two sons Jagannath and Narasingh Dev were placed in charge of Nabarangpur and Gudari regions. Jagannath Dev’s son Arjun Dev and Narasingha Dev’s son Chaitanya Dev were issueless. Hence, Nabarangpur and Gudari were remerged to Jeypore kingdom.

During the 20th century Ramachandra Dev-IV (1920-31) was an honourable lieutenant in World War-I .He was issueless and was succeeded by a benevolent, aged, scholar king Vikram Dev IV, the son of Krishna Chandra Dev. During this period the Boundary Commission headed by Sir O’Donnel was entrusted with the task of writing the different Oriya speaking tracts. The Commission went round Jeypore, Paralakhumendi, Ganjam, and Visakhapatnam agency before finalizing. The state of Orissa was formed on 1st April 1936 with Koraput as one of the six districts.  In 1951 Vikram Dev IV died at the ripe old age of 82 and the Estate abolition Act was passed the next year. The Estate of    Jeypore was taken over by Government of Orissa.

Important Places

Maa Pendrani

Maa Pendrani of Umerkote is born out of a legend. A small village Pendra(Pendrahandi) near Umerkote worship a pure soul Pendrani, a married girl who was a victim of secret jealousy of her own brothers . As the story goes , her husband was overtly pampered by her parents who made him stay in their household with no work to bother about. The four brothers out of sheer jealousy conspired and succeeded in killing her innocent husband ( Pendara )  and buried him in their field . Sensing a foul play , Pendrani could unfold the heinous crime and apparently jumped into her husband’s funeral pyre and perished in its flames. Days

later her spirit was  believed to roam about the villages helping  those who  trusted  her supernatural transformation. People adore her scrifice and worship in a temple erected at Umerkote. That the local degree College is name after her is a tribute to the saga of supreme sacrifice.
 

Sahid Minar    

After independence a monument called “SAHID MINAR” was raised to mark
the sacrifice of these innocent and long-forgotton patriots on the same river bank.
Every year people gather at the  Minar to pay floral tributes to those brave souls
On 24th August.The Minar is located in the Papadahandi block of Nabarangpur.

Khatiguda Dam

Four dams were constructed for the purpose of blocking the flow of River water . The highest dam is located at Khatiguda while the other  Two are constructed at Muran and Kapur.The last two envelope Small streams which merge into river Indravati through the dam water. 

Maa Bhandaragharani

Maa Bhandargharani of Nabarangpur is the presiding deity of the locality. The name signifies the preserver of wealth and protector of lives. She is also worshipped in nearby villages. Tuesday and Saturday are marked for special worship. Devotees throng the temple precincts on every conceivable occasion to seek blessings.

Lord Lagannath Temple

The temples of Lord Jagannath are scattered throughout the Nabarangpur district. But the ancient one is located at Nabarangpur itself. The temple has no outward trappings and looks like an old private quarter except, of course, for the Garuda stambha (pillar) on its frontal gate. Till the late 80’s only the single deity –Lord Jagannath was stalled on the sanctum sanctorium. According to a legend, two other wooden idols-that of Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra were seized by one ruler of Bastar region and stalled at a temple in Jagadalpur and that of Lord Jagannth slipped from the elephant back half-way and was retrieved the next day. Now the three deities are worshiped from a huge pedestal, due to the zeal of devotees and  officials who carved out two symmetrical wooden idols to replenish the fatal loss. The wooden carvings on the temple roof are a marvel to look at. Various forms of human, and animal find place on the wooden beams. Birds, flowers and other splendour of art and architecture cover every inch of the roof. Even a casual glimpse of erotica adds awe to the raving and scrutinizing eyes. What is displayed exuberantly on the stones elsewhere in the state is figured on wooden surface in this remote region. This treasure is well preserved with a coat of shinning black paint against the ravages of Time.

Important facts