Malkangiri district

History

Tradition and early history. According to local tradition, the area is linked with the Ramayana: it is identified with Malyavantagiri, and spots such as Sitakunda are believed to be where Sita bathed during the exile. The district administration states that settlement here goes back about 2,500 years, and records an inscription of 1376 CE at Kondakamberu recording a gift to Lord Nilakantheswar.

Name. Wikipedia's article on the town states that Malkangiri was founded in the 17th century by Malakimardhan Krishna Dev, a ruler of Jeypore (1676–1681 CE), whose title "Malik-mardhan" recalled his victory over a Golconda general named Malik Mohammad.

Rulers and resistance. The district administration notes that a line of local chiefs held Malkangiri between about 1400 and 1872 CE, including Queen Bangaru Devi (1855–1872), who is recorded as defeating Ramachandra Deva III of Jeypore. In 1880 the Koya leader Tama Dora led an uprising in which an inspector and six policemen were killed at the Podia police station; he was killed in the Rampa forests on 28 July 1880. Between 1922 and 1924 the guerrilla campaign of Alluri Sitarama Raju reached the area, and in September 1923 the Malkangiri police station and treasury were raided.

Freedom movement. On 21 August 1942, during the Quit India Movement, Laxman Nayak led a peaceful demonstration at Mathili, where police opened fire. He was sentenced to death and hanged on 29 March 1943.

Dandakaranya Project. From 1958 to 1988 the Dandakaranya Development Project settled refugees from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in the Malkangiri area. As a result, Bengali is the first language of about one-fifth of the district's people today.

Swabhiman Anchal. The reservoirs of Machkund and Balimela left about 151 villages of Chitrakonda block, beyond the Janbai river, reachable only by boat. On 26 July 2018 Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik opened the 910 m Gurupriya bridge, built at a cost of about Rs 187 crore, and renamed the formerly "cut-off area" Swabhiman Anchal (area of dignity).

Places to visit

Balimela reservoir

The Balimela reservoir on the Sileru is the district's largest water body, with hills of the Eastern Ghats around it. Odisha Tourism highlights boat cruises and sunset views. The dam's hydroelectric station has an installed capacity of about 510 MW.

Satiguda dam

Satiguda dam lies about 8 km from Malkangiri town. The district administration notes boating on the reservoir, and Odisha Tourism lists an eco nature camp here and at Chitrakonda.

Chitrakonda and the Gurupriya bridge

Chitrakonda has a reservoir and an eco nature camp. Beyond it, the Gurupriya bridge leads into Swabhiman Anchal, a landscape of water and forested hills.

Temples near Malkangiri town

The Bhairavi temple, about 3 km from town, is a hill shrine where people pray for safe journeys; ruins of the Raja Rani hill palace are nearby. Goi hill has a Shiva linga that the district administration describes as more than 6 feet tall, a focus of Maha Shivaratri. The Tarini temple lies about 2 km from town on the Jeypore road.

Manyamkonda

Manyamkonda, about 90 km from the headquarters, is a shrine of Lord Mahaprabhu. According to the district administration, its Bada Yatra is held every alternate year in March or April.

Ammakunda

Ammakunda in Khairput block, about 70 km from the headquarters, is a waterfall and gorge. The district administration notes that the fish in its pool are unusually tame.

Motu

Motu, at the southern tip of Odisha, is where the Sileru and Sabari meet and three states touch. It is a quiet riverside spot rather than a developed tourist site.

Onukudelli market and the Bonda hills

The Bonda hills lie about 80 km from the headquarters. Visitors usually see the Bonda only at the weekly market at Onukudelli (also spelled Onkadelli), which travel reports place on Thursdays. Selected villages with Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) populations remain closed to foreign visitors, and Odisha's rules for PVTG areas forbid photographing people and visiting at night. See our Koraput tribal heritage itinerary for current guidance.

How to reach

For the region as a whole, see how to reach Odisha.

Culture and festivals

Malkangiri is one of Odisha's most diverse districts in language and culture. In the 2011 Census, about 34% of the people spoke Odia as their first language, about 23% Koya and about 21% Bengali; Desia, Telugu, Kuvi, Paraja, Halbi and Remo are also spoken.

Communities. The largest Adivasi community is the Koya. The Bonda (Remo) live in the hills of Khairput block. They numbered about 12,000 in the 2011 Census and are one of India's 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. Bonda women are known for their bead necklaces and heavy silver neck rings. The Government of Odisha set up the Bonda Development Agency in 1977. The Didayi and Paraja also live in the district.

Festivals. The Bada Yatra of Manyamkonda and Maha Shivaratri at Goi hill are the district's best-known religious gatherings.

Food

As in neighbouring Koraput, the food of rural Malkangiri is built on rice and finger millet. Mandia peja, a gruel of ragi and rice, is a staple of Adivasi communities in Malkangiri and the other districts of southern Odisha. Odia staples such as pakhala bhata are common in town.

Notable people

• Tama Dora: Koya leader who led the 1880 uprising against colonial authority in the Malkangiri area, according to the district administration.
• Laxman Nayak (1899–1943): freedom fighter born in present-day Koraput district who led the Mathili protest of 21 August 1942 and was hanged in 1943.