Skip to content
Odiapediaଓଡ଼ିଆପିଡ଼ିଆ
southern Odishaଓଡ଼ିଆରେ ପଢ଼ନ୍ତୁ

Nabarangpur district

ନବରଙ୍ଗପୁର ଜିଲ୍ଲା

Nabarangpur is a tribal-majority district of southern Odisha, formed in 1992, known for maize farming, the Mondei festival and the Papadahandi martyrs.

Headquarters
Nabarangpur
Population (2011)
1,220,946
Area
5,291 sq km
Villages
896
Literacy (2011)
46.4%
Towns (2011)
5

Nabarangpur (ନବରଙ୍ଗପୁର), also spelled Nabarangapur or Nowrangpur, is a district in southern Odisha on the border with Chhattisgarh. Nabarangpur is predominantly rural and Adivasi, and is known as Odisha's largest maize-growing district, for the Mondei harvest festival, and for the Papadahandi police firing of 1942 during the Quit India Movement.

The district headquarters is the town of Nabarangpur. Another important town is Umerkote, near the ancient fort of Podagada.

Nabarangpur was a sub-division of undivided Koraput district from 1941. On 2 October 1992, Gandhi Jayanti, the Government of Odisha made it a separate district, as recorded by both the district administration and the district court.

The district covers 5,291 sq km according to the 2011 Census (Wikipedia gives 5,294 sq km). The 2011 Census counted 1,220,946 people, about 56% of them from Scheduled Tribes. Only about 7% of people live in towns.

People of Nabarangpur district

Census 2011 counted 12,20,946 people in 2,73,423 households in Nabarangpur district. 7.2% lived in towns, and the literacy rate (age 7 and over) was 46.4%. The census recognised 5 towns in the district.

Population
12,20,946
6,04,812 male · 6,16,134 female
Households
2,73,423
about 4.5 people each
Literacy (age 7+)
46.4%
men 57.3% · women 35.8%
Females per 1,000 males
1,019
Girls per 1,000 boys (0–6)
998
People per km²
231
  • Rural11,33,321 (92.8%)
  • Urban87,625 (7.2%)
Scheduled Castes
1,77,384 (14.5%)
Scheduled Tribes
6,81,173 (55.8%)

What the 6,10,906 workers did

  • Cultivators1,35,056 (22.1%)
  • Agricultural labourers72,307 (11.8%)
  • Household industry6,778 (1.1%)
  • Other work64,974 (10.6%)
  • Marginal workers3,31,791 (54.3%)

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 Nabarangpur

How many of the 866 inhabited villages of this district had each facility within the village itself, from the Census 2011 Village Directory. Together the 887 villages cover 3,991 km², 44% of it sown with crops and 25% forest.

Education

  • Primary school848 of 866
  • Middle school532 of 866
  • Secondary school247 of 866
  • Senior secondary school15 of 866
  • Degree college100 of 866

Health

  • Primary health centre4 of 866
  • Health sub-centre258 of 866
  • Anganwadi centre840 of 866

Water & power

  • Treated tap water0 of 866
  • Hand pump851 of 866
  • Electricity for homes701 of 866

Roads & transport

  • All-weather road605 of 866
  • Public bus81 of 866
  • Mobile phone coverage851 of 866

Services

  • Post office or sub post office226 of 866
  • Commercial bank6 of 866
  • Ration (PDS) shop367 of 866
  • Weekly haat183 of 866
Primary schools
1,313
Middle schools
586
Secondary schools
277
Degree colleges
100
Primary health centres
9
Health sub-centres
258

Main crops named by villages: Paddy (768), Maize (588), Ragi (219), Sugarcane (107), Maida (54), Pulses (36), Vegetables (33), Biri (31). Handicrafts: Earthern Pots (4), Rope (2), Bamboo Products (2), Drums (1), Wood Craft (1), Ornaments (1), Iron Handicraft (1), Iron Products (1).

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 Nabarangpur

2 statutory towns (municipal corporation, municipality, notified area council or industrial township) and 3 census towns — places the census counted as urban but which are governed by gram panchayats.

TownTypePopulationLiteracyWards
NabarangapurMunicipality29,96085.2%20
UmarkoteNotified Area Council28,99375.1%14
PapadahandiCensus town9,39063.1%–
KhatigudaCensus town6,36185.1%–
RaigharCensus town5,93677.9%–

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
Raighar1,33,5371,27,6015,93650.0%
Kundei50,00250,002052.7%
Umarkote2,06,0121,77,01928,99349.4%
Chandahandi73,95373,953049.4%
Jharigan83,00683,006036.9%
Dabugan1,55,3831,55,383038.6%
Paparahandi99,69990,3099,39046.9%
Kodinga1,05,9731,05,973037.5%
Kosagumuda93,16693,166035.3%
Nabarangapur P.S1,18,95782,01236,94559.6%
Tentulikhunti70,31670,316052.4%
Khatiguda30,94224,5816,36153.9%

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

History

Ancient period. The district administration describes the region as part of the forest country known in early sources as Atavi and Mahakantara. In the 5th century CE the Nala kings ruled the Bastar–Koraput region. Their capital, Pushkari, has long been identified with Podagada, about 23 km from Umerkote, where an inscription of the Nala king Skandavarman records that he built a shrine to Vishnu and repopulated the deserted city of Pushkari. More recent scholarship, summarised on Wikipedia, places Pushkari in Bastar instead, so the identification remains debated. The district administration names the Nala kings Bhavadatta Varman, Arthapati and Skandavarman.

Jeypore period. In later centuries the area formed part of the kingdom ruled from Nandapur and then Jeypore. Wikipedia notes that Vikram Dev I of Jeypore (ruled 1758–1781) appointed his son Jagannath Dev as the zamindar of Nowrangpur. Under British rule the region was administered from the Madras Presidency, and assistant agents were posted at Nabarangpur from 1860, according to the district administration. It became part of the new province of Orissa with Koraput district in 1936.

Papadahandi, 1942. On 24 August 1942, during the Quit India Movement, a large procession of Congress workers and Adivasi supporters marched towards Papadahandi, and OrissaPOST notes that the arrest of Laxman Nayak was one of the triggers. At the bridge over the flooded Turi river, police opened fire. Nineteen people were killed, many were injured and about 140 were arrested. OrissaPOST reports that a martyrs' memorial (Sahid Minar) was inaugurated at the site on 24 August 1980, and the martyrs are remembered there every year.

Resettlement and district formation. In 1958 refugees from East Pakistan were settled around Umerkote under the Dandakaranya Project, and Bengali is still spoken in parts of the district. Nabarangpur became a district on 2 October 1992.

Places to visit

Podagada

The hill fort at Podagada, about 23 km from Umerkote, is the district's main archaeological site. According to the district administration, it has the remains of fortifications, Shiva and Vishnu temples, pottery and the Nala-period stone inscription. Odisha Tourism lists Podagada Fort among the district's attractions.

Papadahandi martyrs' memorial

The memorial at Papadahandi, beside the Turi river, honours the 19 people killed in the police firing of 24 August 1942. Commemorations are held on national days and on the anniversary of the firing.

Maa Bhandargharani temple

Odisha Tourism lists the temple of Maa Bhandargharani as one of the principal shrines of Nabarangpur district.

Natural spots

Odisha Tourism also lists Hirli Dongri and Chandan Dhara as natural attractions of the district. Little verified information about them is available online, so ask locally before visiting.

Nearby

Nabarangpur makes a good base for Koraput attractions such as Gupteswar and Deomali, both of which Odisha Tourism suggests as side trips from the district.

How to reach

ModeDetails
AirJeypore Airport is about 43 km away and has regional flights to Bhubaneswar; Visakhapatnam International Airport is about 200 km away (Odisha Tourism)
RailThe nearest major railhead is Jeypore, about 45 km away (Odisha Tourism), on the Kottavalasa–Kirandul line; the Hirakhand Express links Jeypore with Bhubaneswar
RoadNH 26 links Nabarangpur with Jeypore and Koraput; roads also run to Jagdalpur and Raipur in Chhattisgarh

Air services in the region change often, so check current schedules. See how to reach Odisha for more.

Temples (2)

  • Maa Bhandara Gharani Temple
  • Nilakanthesvara Temple

Photos and map links in the temple directory. Today's tithi, sunrise and Rahu Kala here.

Railway stations

No railway station is mapped inside the district. Village pages list the nearest stations outside it.

Culture and festivals

Nabarangpur's culture is shaped by its Adivasi communities, including the Gond, Bhatra, Paraja, Bhottada, Gadaba and Kondh. In the 2011 Census about 69% of people spoke Odia (including the regional Desia variety, see Odia dialects) as their first language, followed by Bhatri, Gondi, Bengali and Chhattisgarhi.

Mondei. The best-known festival is Mondei, celebrated in the harvest season. Communities gather near their village deities to worship the first harvest, sell paddy, maize and vegetables, and perform dances. The district administration and the Culture Department now organise a district-level Mondei at Nabarangpur that brings together tribal dance troupes from the interior and artists from other regions. Dates vary from year to year.

Crafts. Odisha Tourism highlights lacquer craft and handmade toys among the district's traditional crafts.

Rice. The aromatic Koraput Kalajeera rice, which received a Geographical Indication in 2024, is grown in Nabarangpur as well as Koraput. See GI tags of Odisha.

Food

Maize and millets are central to rural food in Nabarangpur. Mandia peja, a gruel of ragi and rice, is a staple of Adivasi households in Nabarangpur and the neighbouring districts of southern Odisha. Rice remains the main grain, and everyday Odia dishes such as dalma are eaten across the district.

Geography and climate

Nabarangpur lies on a forested plateau in the south-west of Odisha. It borders Koraput and Kalahandi districts in Odisha and the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. Wikipedia describes hills of up to about 1,000 m in the west, the Eastern Ghats in the east and more open plains in the south.

Rivers. The Indravati, which rises in Kalahandi, forms part of the boundary with Koraput. The Turi, a smaller river, is remembered for the 1942 firing at Papadahandi.

Climate. The district has a tropical climate with a hot summer, a wet monsoon and a mild winter.

Climate indicatorValue (as given in Wikipedia's district article)
Average summer temperatureabout 40°C
Average winter temperatureabout 12°C
Average annual rainfallabout 1,691 mm
Best time to visitOctober to March (Odisha Tourism)

Economy

Agriculture. Nabarangpur is an agrarian district and is known as the largest producer of maize in Odisha. Millets, sugarcane, cashew nuts and forest produce are other important sources of income.

Development. In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj listed Nabarangpur among India's 250 most backward districts, and it receives support under the Backward Regions Grant Fund. It is part of the KBK (Kalahandi–Balangir–Koraput) region.

Climate of Nabarangpur

In Nabarangpur district (at 19.23°N, 82.54°E), the hottest month is May (average highs of 36°C) and the coolest nights come in Jan (13°C). About 1470 mm of rain falls in a year, most of it in the monsoon; Jul is the wettest month.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high (°C)273034363631272728282726
Average low (°C)131620232524222222201613
Rainfall (mm)136153255233389368239831616
Rainy days1124516232319811

Averages for 1995–2024 at that point (569 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

  • Sadashiva Tripathy (born 1910): born in Nabarangpur, he was the fifth Chief Minister of Odisha (1965–1967) and represented Umerkote in the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
  • The Papadahandi martyrs: the 19 people killed in the police firing of 24 August 1942 are remembered as the district's freedom-struggle martyrs.

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
10
Sub-districts
12
GPs
189
LGD villages
896

Community development block

Chandahandi

Gram panchayats
14
Villages
89
LGD block code
3513
District
Nabarangpur
Open full block page

Villages (…)

All blocks in Nabarangpur

BlockGPsVillagesVillage pop.LiteracyST share
Chandahandi148973,86749.4%35.1%
Dabugam127067,65438.9%59.9%
Jharigam231121,50,06338.9%62.4%
Kosagumuda261221,60,78536.6%61.5%
Nabarangpur135578,20946.0%58.0%
Nandahandi115155,82347.4%47.1%
Papadahandi23891,24,75543.3%58.1%
Raighar261171,76,34949.9%67.4%
Tentulikhunti158578,82150.7%48.3%
Umerkote261061,66,69743.1%64.7%

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 Nabarangpur

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

When was Nabarangpur district formed?

Nabarangpur became a separate district on 2 October 1992, when undivided Koraput district was divided. It had been a sub-division of Koraput since 1941.

What happened at Papadahandi in 1942?

On 24 August 1942, during the Quit India Movement, police fired on a large procession at the Turi river bridge near Papadahandi. Nineteen people were killed, and a martyrs' memorial now stands at the site.

What is the Mondei festival?

Mondei is a harvest-time gathering of Adivasi communities such as the Gond, Paraja, Bhottada, Gadaba and Kondh, who worship the first harvest, trade produce and perform dances. The district administration now organises a district-level Mondei at Nabarangpur.

What crop is Nabarangpur known for?

Nabarangpur is known as the largest maize-producing district of Odisha. Millets, sugarcane and cashew are also grown.

Sources & references

  1. 1History | Nabarangpur District — District Administration, Nabarangpur, Government of Odisha
  2. 2History | District Court, Nabarangpur — District Court Nabarangpur, eCourts
  3. 3Nabarangapur District: Census 2011 data — Census2011.co.in (compiled from Census of India 2011)
  4. 4The heroes of Papadahandi — OrissaPOST
  5. 5Nabarangpur — Odisha Tourism, Government of Odisha
  6. 6Nala dynasty — Wikipedia
  7. 7Nabarangpur district — Wikipedia

Last reviewed . How we check articles

Report an error