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Odiapediaଓଡ଼ିଆପିଡ଼ିଆ
central Odishaଓଡ଼ିଆରେ ପଢ଼ନ୍ତୁ

Deogarh district

ଦେବଗଡ଼ ଜିଲ୍ଲା

Deogarh (Debagarh) is a forested hill district of western Odisha, once capital of Bamanda (Bamra) state, known for Pradhanpat waterfall and its royal heritage.

Headquarters
Deogarh
Population (2011)
312,520
Area
2,940 sq km
Villages
900
Literacy (2011)
72.6%
Towns (2011)
1

Deogarh (ଦେବଗଡ଼), also spelt Debagarh or Debagada, is a small, hilly and heavily forested district in western Odisha. The district headquarters, Deogarh town, was the capital of the former princely state of Bamanda (Bamra), whose rulers were known for bringing printing, postal services and electricity to the area. Deogarh is also known for the Pradhanpat waterfall just above the town.

Deogarh district was created on 1 January 1994, when it was separated from Sambalpur district. It is one of Odisha's least populous districts: the 2011 Census counted 312,520 people. Only about 7 percent of them lived in towns, making Deogarh overwhelmingly rural.

The district has a single sub-division, Deogarh, and three community development blocks. Its area is 2,940 sq km according to the Census; the district administration and Wikipedia give a smaller figure of about 2,782 sq km. About a third of the people belong to Scheduled Tribes, and Odia is spoken by around nine in ten residents, with Mundari, Kisan and Sadri also in use.

Forests cover a large part of the district, and hills ring Deogarh town. For administration and transport, Deogarh looks mainly to Sambalpur, about 90 km to the west.

People of Deogarh district

Census 2011 counted 3,12,520 people in 75,452 households in Deogarh district. 7.2% lived in towns, and the literacy rate (age 7 and over) was 72.6%. The census recognised 1 towns in the district.

Population
3,12,520
1,58,230 male · 1,54,290 female
Households
75,452
about 4.1 people each
Literacy (age 7+)
72.6%
men 81.9% · women 63.0%
Females per 1,000 males
975
Girls per 1,000 boys (0–6)
927
People per km²
106
  • Rural2,90,130 (92.8%)
  • Urban22,390 (7.2%)
Scheduled Castes
52,112 (16.7%)
Scheduled Tribes
1,10,400 (35.3%)

What the 1,65,435 workers did

  • Cultivators32,084 (19.4%)
  • Agricultural labourers24,462 (14.8%)
  • Household industry4,772 (2.9%)
  • Other work22,090 (13.4%)
  • Marginal workers82,027 (49.6%)

Marginal workers worked less than six months of the year.

Source: Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (district, sub-district and town level). Figures are from 2011, the most recent census with published district, town and village figures.

Facilities in the villages of Deogarh

How many of the 717 inhabited villages of this district had each facility within the village itself, from the Census 2011 Village Directory. Together the 877 villages cover 1,914 km², 31% of it sown with crops and 31% forest.

Education

  • Primary school555 of 717
  • Middle school267 of 717
  • Secondary school91 of 717
  • Senior secondary school16 of 717
  • Degree college14 of 717

Health

  • Primary health centre2 of 717
  • Health sub-centre42 of 717
  • Anganwadi centre475 of 717

Water & power

  • Treated tap water0 of 717
  • Hand pump644 of 717
  • Electricity for homes568 of 717

Roads & transport

  • All-weather road440 of 717
  • Public bus201 of 717
  • Mobile phone coverage598 of 717

Services

  • Post office or sub post office72 of 717
  • Commercial bank0 of 717
  • Ration (PDS) shop205 of 717
  • Weekly haat49 of 717
Primary schools
630
Middle schools
295
Secondary schools
120
Degree colleges
14
Primary health centres
3
Health sub-centres
42

Main crops named by villages: Paddy (700), Pulses (379), Til (181), Biri (151), Wheat (133), Mung (66), Kolatha (38), Groundnut (23).

Source: Census of India 2011, District Census Handbook: Village and Town Directory (Odisha). The facilities were recorded for the 2011 census (reference year 2009 for most items); many places have changed since. Facilities in towns are not included.

Towns of Deogarh

1 statutory town (municipal corporation, municipality, notified area council or industrial township) and 0 census towns — places the census counted as urban but which are governed by gram panchayats.

TownTypePopulationLiteracyWards
DebagarhMunicipality22,39083.4%11

Population of the town itself; for towns with outgrowths, the town page also gives the figure including them. Ward counts are the census wards of 2011.

Census sub-districts: town and country

Sub-districtPopulationRuralUrbanLiteracy
Debagarh1,07,90685,51622,39073.8%
Barkot72,88772,887071.4%
Kundheigola52,41952,419073.6%
Reamal79,30879,308071.3%

Odisha's census sub-districts are police-station areas, not revenue tahasils.

History

According to Wikipedia, the area's recorded history goes back to the Mathara dynasty in about the 5th century CE. Later, a branch of the Ganga rulers established the Bamanda (Bamra) state, traditionally said to have been founded in 1360 CE by Saraju Gangadeb. Deogarh became its capital. In 1901 the state covered about 5,149 sq km and had 123,378 people. Its forests yielded timber and lac, and the Bengal Nagpur Railway crossed its north-eastern corner, with stations at Bamra Road and Garpos. Like Sambalpur, Bamra was moved between provinces in the colonial period: it was attached to the Central Provinces until 1905, to Bengal until 1912, and to Bihar and Orissa until 1936, before joining the new province of Orissa.

Bamanda is remembered as one of Odisha's most progressive princely states. Raja Basudeb Sudhal Deb, who ruled from 1869 to 1903, was a patron of literature and education. He founded a high school at Deogarh and set up the Jagannath Ballav Press in 1886. From 1889 the state published the Odia weekly Sambalpur Hitaishini. Wikipedia credits his reign with the state's own postal system (linked to the British system in 1895), a telegraph service, and a long telephone line between Bamra and Barkote opened in 1900.

Wikipedia also records that Bamanda issued its own postage stamps and paper currency, and describes the Bamra–Barkote telephone line as one of the longest in India at the time.

RulerReignRemembered for
Basudeb Sudhal Deb1869–1903Printing press, Sambalpur Hitaishini, school, posts and telegraph
Sachidananda Tribhuban Dev1903–1916Hydroelectric scheme at Kodarkot
Bhanuganga Tribhuban Deb1920–1948Last ruling prince; signed accession in 1948

His successor, Raja Sachidananda Tribhuban Dev (ruled 1903–1916), introduced a hydroelectric system at the Kodarkot (Kurudkut) waterfall. It supplied power to the palace and to local industries, including a sugar factory, from around 1908 according to Wikipedia.

On 1 January 1948 the last ruler of Bamanda signed accession to the Indian Union, and the state was merged into Odisha as part of Sambalpur district. Deogarh remained a sub-division of Sambalpur until it became a separate district in 1994.

Places to visit

Pradhanpat Waterfall

The Pradhanpat waterfall falls from the hill directly above Deogarh town and is the district's best-known sight. A shrine of Maa Pradhani stands near the falls, and the waterfall also supplies drinking water to the town. A local festival, the Pradhanpat Utsav, is held here each year.

Kurudkut (Kodarkot) Waterfall

This forest waterfall near Deogarh is where the Bamanda rulers set up their early hydroelectric scheme. Spellings vary between sources (Kurudkut, Kodarkot, Kurdkot, Kuddukut). It is best seen after the monsoon and in winter.

Royal palace and Kailash Palace

The palace of the former Bamanda rulers stands in Deogarh town. OdishaTV also describes a Kailash Palace, which it says was built in 1919 by Raja Dibya Sankar Dev and has been developed for eco-tourism. Check access locally, as parts of these buildings may be private.

Deojharan Waterfall

A waterfall in thick forest with a cool spring where visitors bathe. OdishaTV notes that the site was historically used as a camping ground.

Gohira Dam

A dam and reservoir in the district that OdishaTV describes as a scenic picnic spot.

Jagannath Temple

A temple of Lord Jagannath in Deogarh town, built in the Kalinga style and a major place of worship for local people.

How to reach

  • Air: the nearest airport is Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda, about 98 km away. Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, is about 265 km away.
  • Rail: Deogarh has no railway station of its own. The nearest railheads are Sambalpur (about 90 km), Jharsuguda (about 98 km), Bamra (about 103 km) and Rourkela (about 115 km).
  • Road: Deogarh is on the old National Highway 6 route, about 90 km east of Sambalpur and about 265 km from Bhubaneswar. Distances are as given by Wikipedia.

See also neighbouring Sambalpur, Angul and Sundargarh, or browse all districts of Odisha.

Culture and festivals

Deogarh shares the culture of western Odisha. Nuakhai, the festival of the new rice crop, is celebrated in every home. Rath Yatra and Durga Puja are other major festivals, and the Pradhanpat Utsav celebrates the town's waterfall.

The district's literary heritage is one of its proudest traditions. The Jagannath Ballav Press and the weekly Sambalpur Hitaishini made Deogarh an early centre of Odia publishing in the late 19th century.

Adivasi communities, including Munda, Kisan, Oraon and Ho speakers, live in the forested villages and keep their own festivals, songs and dances. Folk forms of the region, grouped under Sambalpuri dance, are performed at festivals.

Food

Deogarh's food is that of western Odisha. Rice is the staple, and the forests supply seasonal foods such as mushrooms (ruguda) and bamboo shoots (kardi). Snacks and sweets common across the region, such as chaula bara and rasbaraa, are also eaten here.

Geography and climate

Deogarh lies east of Sambalpur in the hilly upland of north-western Odisha. The Brahmani river flows through the district, and several hill ranges cross it. Wikipedia lists heights for the main ranges, including Kaidanta (about 816 m), Khajuria (about 745 m) and Pradhanpat (about 743 m). Wikipedia also gives forest land in the district as about 1,560 sq km, more than half its area.

The soils are mostly sandy, loamy and red. Farming depends heavily on the monsoon.

FeatureDetail
Main riverBrahmani
Notable hillsKaidanta, Khajuria, Pradhanpat, Pawri
Forest landAbout 1,560 sq km (Wikipedia)
ClimateTropical wet and dry; hot summers, monsoon June to September, mild winters

Economy

Deogarh is mainly an agricultural and forest district. Paddy is the main crop, and many families depend on forest produce for part of their income. There is little large industry. Wikipedia notes several planned industrial projects, but the district has stayed largely rural. Small-scale tourism centres on Pradhanpat and the other waterfalls.

Climate of Deogarh

In Deogarh district (at 21.53°N, 84.73°E), the hottest month is May (average highs of 38°C) and the coolest nights come in Jan (15°C). About 1660 mm of rain falls in a year, most of it in the monsoon; Aug is the wettest month.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high (°C)263034383834303030302826
Average low (°C)151721252627252524221815
Rainfall (mm)25203237622633974162751001416
Rainy days2234516252420811

Averages for 1995–2024 at that point (197 m above sea level), from the Open-Meteo historical weather API (ERA5 reanalysis by ECMWF/Copernicus, CC BY 4.0) — modelled values on a ~25 km grid, not station readings from the India Meteorological Department. A rainy day has 2.5 mm or more.

Notable people

  • Raja Basudeb Sudhal Deb (ruled 1869–1903): ruler of Bamanda, founder of the Jagannath Ballav Press and the weekly Sambalpur Hitaishini, and a noted patron of Odia literature and education.
  • Raja Sachidananda Tribhuban Dev (ruled 1903–1916): ruler of Bamanda who brought hydroelectric power to Deogarh.

Blocks, sub-districts, panchayats & villages

Choose a block, sub-district or town to see its details and its gram panchayats and villages. Open any village for its own page.

Counts below: Local Government Directory, December 2022 snapshot (LGD villages, which can differ from the district administration's revenue-village count).

Blocks
3
Sub-districts
4
GPs
82
LGD villages
900

Community development block

Barkote

Gram panchayats
29
Villages
311
LGD block code
3346
District
Deogarh
Open full block page

Villages (…)

All blocks in Deogarh

BlockGPsVillagesVillage pop.LiteracyST share
Barkote293111,07,71672.0%31.1%
Reamal303431,07,27072.2%25.5%
Tileibani2324674,24870.8%58.4%

GPs and villages: Local Government Directory (Dec 2022). Village population, literacy and Scheduled Tribe share: sum of the block's villages in Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (village level).

All census sub-districts

Towns (urban local bodies)

Assembly constituencies in Deogarh

  • 19DeogarhRomanch Ranjan Biswal · BJD

Source: Local Government Directory (lgdirectory.gov.in), Government of India — data dump of December 2022 via github.com/planemad/india-local-government-directory. Sub-districts follow the Local Government Directory, which for Odisha uses the Census sub-districts (police-station areas) — these are not the same as revenue tahasils. Boundaries and names change over time; check the district administration for current status.

Frequently asked questions

Is Deogarh the same as Debagarh?

Yes. Deogarh, Debagarh and Debagada are different spellings of the same district and town in western Odisha.

What is Deogarh famous for?

Deogarh is known for the Pradhanpat waterfall beside the town, its forests and hills, and its history as the capital of the Bamanda (Bamra) princely state, whose rulers were early patrons of printing, posts and electricity.

When was Deogarh district formed?

Deogarh district was created on 1 January 1994 by separating it from Sambalpur district.

How far is Deogarh from Bhubaneswar?

Deogarh is about 265 km from Bhubaneswar and about 90 km from Sambalpur by road, according to Wikipedia.

Sources & references

  1. 1Debagarh District: Census 2011 data — Census2011.co.in (compiled from Census of India 2011)
  2. 2Deogarh District at a Glance — District Administration, Deogarh, Government of Odisha
  3. 3Debagarh district — Wikipedia
  4. 4Debagarh — Wikipedia
  5. 5Bamra State — Wikipedia
  6. 6Top 6 must-visit attractions in Deogarh, Odisha — OdishaTV

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