Rayagada

2025-05-11T12:26:56Z

2405:201:A008:6113:8B80:C961:C800:5C3C:

{{About|the municipality in Odisha, India|its namesake district|Rayagada district|its namesake village in Gajapati district|Rayagada, Gajapati}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Rayagada
| other_name =
| settlement_type = Town
| image_skyline = Rayagada Railway Station.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Rayagada Railway Station
| nickname =
| pushpin_map = India Odisha#India
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Odisha, India
| coordinates = {{coord|19.17|N|83.42|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name1 = {{flagicon image|Orissa Flag(INDIA).png}} [[Odisha]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Rayagada district|Rayagada]]
| established_title = 
| established_date = 1545
| founder = [[Vishwanath Dev Gajapati]]
| named_for =
| government_type = [[Nagar Palika|Municipality]]
| governing_body = '''Rayagada Municipality'''
| leader_title1 =[[Rayagada (Odisha Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Member of Legislative Assembly]]
| leader_name1 = Kadraka Appala Swamy, [[Indian National Congress|INC]]
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 =
| area_rank =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 207
| population_total =71208
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_footnotes =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_rank =
| population_demonym =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Odia language|Odia]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 765001
| area_code = 06856
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| registration_plate = OD-18
| website = https://rayagada.odisha.gov.in
| footnotes = }}

'''Rayagada''' is a [[municipality]] in [[Rayagada district]] in the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Odisha]]. It is the administrative headquarters of Rayagada district.

==History==
The city of Rayagada was founded by King [[Vishwanath Dev Gajapati]] (1527-1531 CE) of the [[Suryavansh]] dynasty of [[Kingdom of Jeypore|Nandapur Kingdom]]. It served as the capital of an extensive dominion that stretched from the confines of Bengal to Telangana in the south and was a great center of trade and commerce in the coastal regions of the country. There was also a fort constructed by the king and a row of shrines built along the river [[Nagavali]] including the temple of [[Majhighariani Temple]] who was considered the guardian deity of the place. Until 1947, the city was in the domains of the [[Kingdom of Jeypore|Jeypore]] Maharajahs.{{sfn|KSB Singh|1939|p=16}}

==Demographics==
{{As of|2001}} India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|access-date=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Rayagada had a population of 57,732. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. In Rayagada, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age. The population of Rayagada town as per 2011 census is 71,208 out of which male population is 36,036 and female population is 35,172.Rayagada has an average literacy rate of 64%, lower than the national average of 74.4%: male literacy is 72%, and female literacy is 56%<ref name=Populationfinder>{{cite web|title=Population of Rayagada|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=444343|publisher=Census of India|access-date=16 June 2015}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Purnachandra Bidika]], a gold medalist in Asian Power lifting Championship
* [[Varun Sandesh]], an actor in Tollywood films
* [[Ritesh Agarwal]], the current CEO and the founder of Oyo rooms

==Politics==
The current [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]] from Rayagada (ST) assembly constituency is Kadraka Appala Swamy(INC). Previous [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLAs]] from Rayagada (ST) Assembly Constituency include Makaranda Muduli, an [[Indipendent|independent]] candidate, who won the seat in State elections in 2019 and Lalbihari Himirika of [[Biju Janata Dal|BJD]] who won this seat in 2000.
After serving as deputy speaker of Odisha assembly, he was serving as a cabinet minister for SC and ST development minister.

Rayagada is part of [[Koraput (Lok Sabha constituency)]].<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2000/background/S18/Orissa_AC_Dist_PC.pdf
|title = Assembly Constituencies – Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies of Odisha
|publisher = Election Commission of India
|access-date = 2008-09-18
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051108040424/http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2000/background/S18/Orissa_AC_Dist_PC.pdf
|archive-date = 2005-11-08
}}</ref>
Shri Jayram Pangi (Biju Janta Dal) won the general election 2009 defeating [[Giridhar Gamang|Dr. Giridhar Gomango]] (INC) who represented this constituency 9 times. [[Jhina Hikaka]] who won in 2014 elections. Current MP is Shri [[Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka]] from [[Indian National Congress|INC]].

[[File:Hanging-Bridge.jpg|thumb|Hanging (Jhula) Bridge at Chakagudda, Rayagada]]
Currently [[N. Bhaskar Rao]] has been elected to [[Rajya Sabha]] from Rayagada.<ref name="ndtv">{{cite web|title=3 BJD Candidates Elected Unopposed To Rajya Sabha In Odisha|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/3-bjd-candidates-elected-unopposed-to-rajya-sabha-in-odisha-1415262|website=www.ndtv.com|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref>

==Education==
*[[Divine Public School, Rayagada|Divine Public School]]

==References==
* {{cite book |author=KSB Singh |title=Nandapur A Forsaken Kingdom |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.209240 |year=1939 |publisher=Utkal Sahitya Press |isbn=978-81-86772-17-1 }}

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://rayagada.nic.in/ Official website of Rayagada district]

{{Rayagada district}}
{{Industrial hubs in Odisha}}
{{Municipalities of Odisha}}
{{Nobility of the Raj}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Rayagada district]]

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Rayagada