Rayagada district

Rayagada district
Top: Jagannath Temple at Rayagada
Bottom: Hills near Gunupur
Location in Odisha
Location in Odisha
Coordinates: 19°09′58″N 83°24′58″E / 19.166°N 83.416°E / 19.166; 83.416
Country India
State Odisha
HeadquartersRayagada
Government
 • Collector & District MagistrateParul Patwari, IAS, IAS
 • Superintendent of PoliceHarisha B.C. IPS, IPS
 • Divisional Forest Officer, Rayagada Forest DivisionAswini Kumar Kar, OFS
Area
 • Total
7,584.7 km2 (2,928.5 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
967,911
 • Density116/km2 (300/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialOdia, English
 • LocalKui, Sora, Kuvi
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
765 xxx
Vehicle registrationOD-18
Sex ratio0.972 /
Literacy49.76%
Lok Sabha constituencyKoraput(ST)
Vidhan Sabha constituency
Municipality
Notified Area Council (NAC)Gudari NAC
Websitewww.rayagada.nic.in
Cultivated fields and trees, with people for scale
Outskirts of Sambalpur Rayagada Railway line

Rayagada district is a district in southern Odisha, a state in India, which became a separate district in October 1992. Its population consists mainly of tribes, primarily the Khonds and the Soras. In addition to Odia, Kui and Sora are spoken by the district's indigenous population. It was founded by Maharajah Biswanatha Deba Gajapati of the Surjyabansha dynasty of Jeypore.[1][2][3][4]

Rayagada covers an area of 7,584.7 square kilometres (2,928.5 sq mi), and is divided into eleven blocks. Agriculture is the chief source of income, and paddy, wheat, ragi, green and black gram, groundnut, sweet potato and maize are the district's major crops.

  1. ^ Schnepel 1995, p. 147.
  2. ^ KBS Singh 1939, p. 19.
  3. ^ Mohanty 2013.
  4. ^ Sarma, G. v Prasada (24 May 2017). "Shedding light on tribal history and culture". The Hindu.