Belaguntha or Bellaguntha is a town and a Notified Area Council (N.A.C.) in Odisha, India. It's famously known as The Brass Fish Town.

Demographics

As of the 2011 Census of India, 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. Local crafts include brass, silver, copper, and woodwork. There are more than twenty temples in the town.

Geography

Bellaguntha is located at 19.88°N, 84.65°W. It has an average elevation of 59 m.

Culture

Major local festivals include Thakurani Yatra, Ratha Yatra and Danda Jatra. Other festivals include Dol Purnima, Durga Puja (Dussehra), Kumar Purnima, Pana Sankranti, Nurshingha Chaturthi, Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Makara Sankranti, Ganesh Puja and Saraswati Puja.

Food

Some sweets are prepared for special festivals, such as Halua and Drakhya for Ratha Yatra and Satapuri for Satapuri Amabasya.

Transport

Local sites

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: