Bhawanipatna

Bhawanipatna is located at 19.9°N 83.17°E / 19.9; 83.17.[1] It has an average elevation of 248 m (814 ft). It is located in the center of large mountains and plateaus, with the mountainous Eastern Ghats in its eastern frontier.

As of the 2011 India census,[4] Bhawanipatna had a population of 69,045, or 83,756 including its suburbs. The population of children 6 years old or under was 7,407, which was 10.73% of the total population. In Bhawanipatna Municipality, the female sex ratio is 945 against the state average of 979. Moreover, the child sex ratio in Bhawanipatna is around 911, compared to the Odisha state average of 941.

The literacy rate of Bhawanipatna city is 85.00%, higher than the state average of 72.87%. In Bhawanipatna, male literacy is 90.95%, while female literacy rate is 78.72%, according to the 2011 census.

Out of the total population, 23,705 were engaged in work or business activity; of this, 18,666 were males while 5,039 were females. In the census survey, a worker is defined as a person who engages in business, a job, service, cultivation, or other labour activities. Of a total working population of 23,705, 84.55% were engaged in main work while 15.45% of total workers were engaged in marginal work.

The current MLA from Bhawanipatna Assembly Constituency is Pradipta Kumar Naik of BJP, who won the seat in the State Legislative election of 2019.[5]

Bhawanipatna is part of the Kalahandi constituency,[7] currently held by Basanta Kumar Panda,[8] and before that by Arka Keshari Deo, who was the grandson of Maharaj Pratap Kesari Deo of Kalahandi.[9]

There are two Manikeshwari Temples located in the Kalahandi district of Odisha: one in the center of Bhawanipatna and the other in Thuamal Rampur. The main deity at this temple is Goddess Manikeshwari. The main devotees are from the fisherman community. During the Dussehra festival, an animal sacrifice is offered at this temple during Chatar Jatra, a festival where thousands of people gather in the city to get blessings from their beloved goddess. A film is also documented showing the ritual of animal sacrifice before Goddess Manikeshwari.

Phurlijharan waterfall

Phurlijharan is a perennial waterfall about 30 ft (9 m) in height. Evergreen forests around the fall provide ample opportunities to group picnickers. Rabandara is another perennial waterfall, about 13 ft (4 m) in height. Other waterfalls within the region include Sospadar Waterfall and Gadagada Twin-Waterfall.

Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary (Odia: କର୍ଲାପାଟ୍; Hindi: कर्लापाट्) is located in Kalahandi district and is a popular tourist attraction in Odisha. The 255 km² (98 sq mi) sanctuary lies within the Eastern Highlands' moist deciduous forests ecoregion; major plant communities include mixed deciduous forests and scrublands. The sanctuary is home to many wildlife species like tiger, leopard, gaur, sambar, nilgai, barking deer, mouse deer, and a wide variety of birds and reptiles. It also has high mineral deposits like bauxite and manganese.

Jakham has a wooden guest house.

Zilla Sangrahalaya Bhawanipatna (the District Museum) depicts the ancient history of the Kalahandi Region, and has artefacts, manuscripts, paintings, and rare historic items like Asurgarh coins and Gudahandi paintings.

Permunji is a nursery situated at the foot of the great mountain, a place for picnics. Elephants are commonly seen near the nursery crossing roads.

Hello Point is a picnic spot and valley viewpoint at the top of the Eastern Ghats from which half of the Kalahandi district is visible, including Junagarh and Kalampur block. The name comes from the fact that one can receive a signal from all mobile telecom services.

• 
  Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary
• 
  Statue Square (1950s)
• 
  Chhattar Jatra (rally) of Goddess Manikeswarin (2009)
• 
  Ghumura Dance in the Chhattar Jatra
• 
  Bhawanipatna aerial view

Panoramic valley view from Hello Point

The Hindu festival of Durga Puja (or Dasara) is celebrated all over India, but is very popular in eastern India, including in Odisha, West Bengal, and Assam. Most of the major festivals like Chhatar Jatra, Kkandabasha, and Budharaja Jatra, are celebrated during Dasara. The major goddesses of Kalahandi—including Manikeswari, Lankeswari, Denteswari, Khameswari, and Bhandargharen—are seen as a reflection of the goddess Durga, locally known as Shaki ('Energy') and stemming from tribal traditions.

Nuakhai is typically a local festival prevalent in western Odisha, including Kalahandi. It is inspired by the harvesting of new crops and historically came from tribes. There are many kinds of Nuakhai according to tribal culture, out of which Dhan ('rice') Nuakhai is most popularly celebrated. Now, everybody (irrespective of caste, creed, and religion) celebrates it.

The Chatar Jatra of Goddess Manikeswari of Bhawanipatna is a popular ceremony held in October.

Diel (or Deepawali; also popularly known as Diwali) is celebrated in Kalahandi. It is getting popular due to the immigrant businesses mainly from the Marwadi community.

Kalahandi Utsav "Ghumura" is hosted in Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium.

There are several market areas in the city. The biggest is Laxmi Bajar (or 'main market') at the core of the city. Most of the garment showrooms, costumes, jewelry, grocery, and fancy shops are found here. Fruits and vegetables are sold in the inner area of the market mainly near Laxmi Mandir.

Hatpada (or 'weekly market') is a bi-weekly market that takes place on Tuesday and Saturday near Gandhi Pramod Udyaan (park). Traders from different areas come to sell their goods including vegetables and grocery items; masala and spices; metal products, tools, and utensils; and animals, milk products, and meat.

Mach Bazaar is located near Ghodaghat bridge, and is where different types of fish and prawns are sold.

Naktiguda Haat is a small Bajar located on NH-26, mainly known for grocery and vegetable items.

1. Lal Bahadur Sashtri Stadium is the biggest stadium in Odisha according to the total field area. It is near the Bhawani Talkies, an old cinema hall. The stadium has held various matches including the Ranji Trophy and the Kalahandi Cup. It is maintained by Kalahandi District Athletic Association. Various sports and athletic training are conducted including cricket, football, karate. There are also several tennis courts in the stadium.
2. Indoor Stadium (Badminton court) is present near the LBS Stadium.
3. The Reserve Police Stadium is the home ground of the Odisha Police.
4. The Govt. Autonomous College Field is one of the largest field in Bhawanipatana.
5. D.I.E.T. Field is one of the biggest grounds available in the city used for club cricket, volleyball, and football games.

Cinema

• Bhawani Talkies was the oldest cinema hall in the city, near L.B.S. Stadium with UFO technology. (now closed)
• Satyam Cinema is the biggest cinema hall in the city with UFO technology and Dolby Digital sound.
• New Star Cineplex is the largest multiplex of southwestern Odisha (KBK-South Odisha) with four screens (#3D technology). It is situated near OMFED plant, SH-16 Raipur road, Bhangabari, Bhawanipatna.
• Bhagirathi Mall, Second Mall & Multiplex in Bhawanipatna. Multiplex-4 Screen 3D, shopping mall is situated near Satsang Bihar, NH-26 Junagarh Road, Bhawanipatna.

Parks and gardens

• Bhagirathi Park – near Shirdi Sai Mandir on SH-44
• Gandhi Pramod Udyaan – near Statue Square
• Ecological Park – one of the oldest parks; on the outskirt of the city on NH-26

Bhawanipatna has a medical college, several hospitals, and ambulance services, all of which provide good health care services in the city.

There is a 132/33 kV grid station near OMFED diary on SH-16. Power to this grid comes directly from the Therubali grid. Power transmission and maintenance are done by Grid Corporation of Odisha.

There is also a sub-station in Naktiguda, Bhawanipatna. It is maintained by Western Electricity Supply Company of Odisha.

• Rendo Majhi – A freedom fighter in Odisha, who started the Kondha Revolution against the British in 1853.[14]
• Sujeet Kumar (politician) – Rajya Sabha Member, policy maker.
• Bhubaneswar Behera – Engineer, academic, administrator, and author.[15]
• Ram Chandra Patra, IAS (retd.) (1919-2013) – Bureaucrat, social worker, and administrator acknowledged for his simplicity and administration, and for taking initiative in the Indravati project.[16][17] He was the first IAS from Kalahandi.
• Kishan Patnaik – Socialist leader.[18][19] He was born in 1930 into a lower-middle-class family in Kalahandi. Mr Patnaik worked in the youth wing of Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha and soon rose to become its national president. He was elected to Lok Sabha from Sambalpur at the age of 32 and was one of handful members who turned the Lok Sabha into a real forum to discuss matters of national importance. He was perhaps the first person to bring the issue of starvation death in Kalahandi to the Indian parliament. Mr. Patnaik never lost sight of this fundamental plight of rural India, and securing the right to livelihood for the people on the margin therefore always remained central to his politics and to his vision of development.[20]

• Official website of Kalahandi
• Map of Kalahandi