Bhadrak

Bhadrak is a district in the State of Orissa in India. The district is located between 21° 4' N and 86° 30' E. It is situated at the altitude of 45 feet. Area of the District is 1721 Sq Km. This district is bounded by Balasore district in the north, Jajpur district and river Baitarani is in the south, Keonjhar district is in the west and Bay of Bengal and Kendrapada district is in the east. It has a population of 1,506,337 as per 2011 census.

The district has only one subdivision, 7 Tahsils (Basudebpur, Bonta, Bhadrak, Chandbali, Dhamnagar, Tihidi and Bhandaripokhari ), 7 Blocks (Basudebpur, Bonta, Bhadrak, Bhandaripokhari, Chandbali, Dhamnagar and Tihidi), one Municipality and 193 Gram Panchayats and 1356 Revenue Villages.

This district is divided in to three zones according to its soil condition - 1. Saline Soil, 2. Alluvial Soil, 3. Sandy Soil.

This district is naturally divided into two well-designed tracks - 1. The salt tracks along the coasts which is not arable and 2.The arable track, which is called the granary of the state.

As per the agro climatic condition of the district the areas may be divided into four zones - a) Rain fed Zone, b) Perennial irrigated Zone, c) Flooded Zone and d) Saline Zone.

There are 5 types of forests in the Bhadrak district.

The climate of this district is generally hot with high humidity.

History

Bhadrak subdivision of the undivided Balasore district became a new district on 1st April 1993.

The district derives its name as legend has it, from the Goddess Bhadrakali whose temple stands on the bank of the river Salandi.

Bhadrak is an ancient land noted in legends dating back from the age of the puranas. Since the inception of Abul Fazal's Ain-e-Akabari.

The gigantic tank of Asura, the Buddhist relics of the Seventh and Eight Centuries discovered in Khadipada and Solampur, the villages of Dhamnagar, the Budddist caves in Sarisua Hill near Kupari and the mysterious temple of Biranchi Narayan in the village Palia, a parallel to the Sun Temple at Konark testify its ancient history.

The last battle to vindicate the freedom of Odisha was fought in a village called Gohiratikiri, on the bank of the river Genguti near Dhamnagar in 1568 in which the defeated king Mukunda Dev lost his life.

In 1575 the Muslim population settled down in Bhadrak following the discomfiture of the Afgans under Usman at the hand of Raja Mansingh. In Mughal period Bhadrak remained a subah under the Nawabs of Bengal.

After the Mughals, the zone consisted of some principalities like Kanika, Ampo and Agarapada with a few administrative sub-units called Chowparhies such as Kubera, Talapada, Nadigaon, Kasimpur, Kurigaon, Bindha etc were ruled by Kshatriya Chiefs with patriotic temper.

With the British occupation, Cuttack and Balasore constituted one of the two administrative divisions, in June 1804. In 1828, when Balasore was made a separate District, Bhadrak become one of its Sub - Divisions.

Bhadrak became the vanguard of freedom struggle. In 1920 when the non-cooperation movement was launched, the boycott of the law court practically resulted in closing down of the court of the 2nd Officer for a whole year. Gandhiji came down to Bhadrak in the last week of March 1921. The historic mass rebellion of Kanika started in 1922, which for the time being was suppressed with the help of British troops stationed at Bhadrak but ultimately the popular upsurge, under the leadership of Chakradhar Behera, the doyen of Kanika tenants movement triumphed. With the mass civil disobedience movement launched in 1930, Bhadrak once again became centre of the movement.

In the historic Quit India Movement of 1942 Bhadrak played a leading role.

Politics

Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) constituencies and their areas after delimitation order of 2008

43 Bhandaripokhari Vidhan Sabha Constituency - 1. BONTH BLOCK, 2. BHANDARIPOKHARI BLOCK

44 Bhadrak Vidhan Sabha Constituency - 1. BHADRAK BLOCK, 2. BHADRAK (M)

45 Basudevpur Vidhan Sabha Constituency - 1. BASUDEVPUR BLOCK 2. Bhatapada, Saya, Bahabalpur, Sindol, Kolha, Mukundapur and Maharampur GPs of TIHIDI BLOCK 3.BASUDEVPUR (NAC).

46 Dhamnagar Vidhan Sabha Constituency (SC) - 1. DHAMNAGAR BLOCK 2. Paliabindha, Achak, Dolasahi, Guamal, Talapada, Kubera, Biliana, Baro, Bodak, Kanpada, Shyamsundarpur and Talagopabindha GPs of TIHIDI BLOCK .

47 Chandabali Vidhan Sabha Constituency - 1. CHANDABALI BLOCK , 2. Daulatapur, Bamanbindha, Jamjodi, Rajnagar, Barasar, Sahapur and Gobindapur GPs of TIHIDI BLOCK

Places of interest
Raktatirtha Eram, Aradi, Chandbali, Dhamnagar, Dhamara, Aharapada, Iswarpur, Nuasasan Guamal, Bhadrak Town, Santhia, Kuansh, Charampa, Erein, Satabhauni, Asurali, Suryapur, Palia, Barunai, Eram, Agarpara, Kaupur, Gohira Tikiri Dobal, Soharampur, Phalapur Dhamanagar, Ghanteswar, Narendrapur, Apanda

Nearby pages
Bhadrak Lok Sabha Constituency, Bhadrakali, Bhadrakali Temple in Chatara, Bhadramada, Bhadrasen