Bhanjanagar is a town and Municipality in Ganjam district in the state of Odisha, India.

Geography

Bhanjanagar is located at 19.93°N, 84.58°W with an average elevation of 69 metres (226 feet). Bhanjanagar hosts the headquarters for the Bhanjanagar Sub-division, Ghumusar DFO, Bhanjanagar SDPO, Ghumusar Tahasil, Bhanjanagar Block, and Education Block. Bhanjanagar Block shares its borders with Surada, Bellaguntha, Jagannath Prasad Blocks of Ganjam district and G. Udayagiri, Raikia, Chakapada Blocks of Kandhamal district. There are 139 villages in Bhanjanagar Block while Bhanjanagar town is administered as a Municipality. The town is located beside Bhanjanagar Dam.

History

Bhanjanagar is a planned community situated in the confluence of rivers Loharakhandi and Badanadi. Earlier, this patch of land used to be a part of Ghumusar Zamindari of Bhanja dynasty whose headquarter was in Kulada. During British Raj this place became their administrative ground. The town, earlier named as Russellkonda a.k.a. Russell's Hill after George Russell (President of then Board of Revenue) was renamed later as Bhanjanagar in the memory of Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja, a great poet in Odia literary history. On 13 March 2024, the Government of Odisha upgraded Bhanjanagar NAC to be a Municipality.

Nearby villages

Demographics

According to the 2011 India census, Bhanjanagar had a population of 20,482.

Climate and regional setting

Maximum summer temperature is 46 °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.

Educational Institutions

Colleges

Schools

Training Institutes

Industries

Bhanjanagar has fertile lands, and a number of rice paddy processing units, or rice mills.

Culture

The Thakurani Yatra, Ratha Yatra and Danda Jatra festivals draw crowds to Bhanjanagar. Apart from this, Dola Purnima, Durga Puja(Dussehra), Kumar Purnima, Pana Sankranti, Nurshingha Chaturthi, Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Danda Yatra, Ganesh Puja and Saraswati Puja are also celebrated. People with brotherhood celebrating all the festivals.

Attractions and sites

A reservoir is located north of Bhanjanagar with a catchment area of 25 sqmi. The water of this reservoir irrigates many acres of land in Ghumusar (Bhanjanagar), Berhampur and Chhatrapur sub-divisions, and also supplies drinking water to Bhanjanagar and Berhampur city. Construction was completed in the year 1894. The panoramic view of the reservoir is a popular tourist attraction. To increase further tourism, a huge park, named "Biju Patnaik Children's Park", in a natural surrounding with many Playing Instruments, a toy train, Science Park, Model Zoo, Road Train and swings for kids, boating facility, Family Train, 3D-Hall, Video Games, Aquarium, "Bhanja Doli", "Kalinga Boita" and last but not the least, an extraordinary and unique musical fountain were constructed for amusement. In April 2013, the tallest Shiva statue of Odisha (7th/8th-tallest Shiva statue in the world) was built at Beleswar Hill Top, located close to the water reservoir.

Transport