Kendrapara
Kendrapara (केन्द्रापड़ा) is a small town and a municipality in the Kendrapara district of the Indian state of Odisha.
Location
Kendrapara is located at 20.50°N 86.42°E. It has an average elevation of 13 m (43 ft). It is surrounded by Bhadrak, Jajpur, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts and the Bay of Bengal to the east.
Kendrapara District is situated in the eastern portion of the state, and is bounded on the north by Bhadrak district, on the east by the Bay of Bengal, on the south by Jagatsinghpur District, on the west by Cuttack District on the northwest by Jajpur District.
Rivers
The river Chitroptala (a branch of the Mahanadi) flows through Kendrapara district. Other rivers in Kendrapara include the Luna River, the Karandia River, the Gobari River, the Brahamani River, the Birupa River, the Kani River, the Hansua River, the Baitarani River, the Kharasrota River, and the Paika River.
Administrative division
Tahasils: Aul, Kanika, Kendrapara, Marshaghai, Pattamundai, Rajnagar, Mahakalpada, Derabish, Garadpur
Blocks: This district has 9 blocks, which are Aul, Derabish, Garadpur, Mahakalapada, Marshaghai, Kendrapara, Rajanagar, Rajkanika, Pattamundai.
Tourist Places
Bhitara Kanika: Bhitarakanika is covered in deep mangrove forests and saline rivers. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary on 21 April 1975. It is known as a natural crocodile breeding ground. Other animals like deer, wild boar, monkeys, monitor lizards, pythons, and king cobra are also found here. The national park has an area of around 145 square kilometres. It is 160 kilometers away from the state capital of "Bhubaneswar".
Batighar is the location of the first lighthouse on the Eastern coast of India.[4] It is situated on the bank of the Kharinasi River. The height of the lighthouse is 125 feet. Construction of the lighthouse was started on 6 December 1836 and it was lighted on 16 October 1837.
Kanika Palace is a massive palace constructed by the King of Kanika. It was constructed on an area of 4 acres of land and height of the structure is of 75 feet. It is situated in Rajkanika Block.
Aali Palace is situated near Aul Township. It is an ancient palace spread over 40 acres of land.
Lakhmi Varaha Temple is a 500-year-old Indian temple dedicated to Varaha, the boar incarnation of Vishnu. The temple is located in Aul. The temple is about one kilometer away from the center of Tehsil Aul, which is situated about 146 km from the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is 17 km from Pattamundai and 38 km from Kendrapara.
Garteswar Temple is situated at Gosigan near Rajnagar, Kendrapara. It is an ancient Shiv temple.
Shri Dadhivaman temple is a 14th century old Jaganath temple worshipped by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur's forefather Krishnananda.
Sakhibata is a 500-year-old banyan tree at Sakhibata in Kendrapara district. The large tree, spread across 1.3 acres of land with about 600 trunks and sub-trunks, has been granted tourist spot status by the state government following active tourism in the area throughout the year. District Tourist Officer Bijoy Kumar Mohanty stated that funds had been sanctioned for building tourism infrastructure. The banyan tree withstood the devastation of the 1999 Super Cyclone. A 200-year-old temple is still intact at the spot, a reminder of the location's historic importance.
Badakotha is an old building near the Kendrapara bus stand. It used to be the only 2 floor building in Radhashyam Narendra.
Harihar Kshetra, Mahala is a famous temple situated at Mahala of Bangalpur GP in the Garadpur Block.
Sri Chhualia Shakti Peeth is a tourist attraction and shrine in Pattamundai block. It is equidistant from the nearest towns of Kendrapara and Pattamundai (12 km). The attraction is surrounded by Sahada trees. Other trees like Kadamba, Krushnachuda, Panihenduli, Ashosth are also available here. Maa, the deity, takes nonvegetarian food offerings (bhoga) such as fish. However, meats and wine are strictly prohibited. Dola Melan, Raja, Panchuka, Biswasanti Mahayajnya, Asta Prahar Namayajnya are the main yearly festivals of this Peeth.
Hukitola is a storm proof bunker constructed on Jamboo island by British, led by Captain Harris. It consists of 11 large size and 9 small size chambers.
Eka Kula is a unique island in Kendrapara, which can be reached via bike during low tide and via boats from Jambu.
Paradeep is a 20–30 km drive from Kendrapara.
Udaya Giri & Ratna Giri is a 10–15 km drive from Kendrapara. Mainly Budhu Murti and Budhu pratima are conserved there.
Sakhi Bata - There also a picnic spot called Sakhi Bata situated near the Luna River.
Lord Mahaveer temple is located at new Chandan Pokhari, Ichhapur, Kendrapara.
Pentha is situated in between the rivers Chitrotpala & Luna (Karandia). It's only 12 km from Kendrapara township and 5 km from Patkura. Direct buses are available from Cuttack to Pentha. The village is known for the Maa Sata Bhauni Temple (among the most ancient temples of Odisha), which is situated in the middle of the village, and Maa Kharakhai (Goddess Dhumabati), Gopinathjew Temple, Ram Mandir, Sarala Mandir, Tarini Temple, Hanumanjew Temple, and Nilakantheswar Temple. The Sandhha Nacha (in the memory of Sandha Raja of Kunjang Garh) is celebrated at Dola Purnima. The Rama Charita Manas & Parayan is celebrated for 9 days of every year on the occasion of Lord Hanuman's birthday. Pentha is also the birthplace of the poet and writer Kabibar Parida.[citation needed]
Sialiaa is situated in the Rajkanika block. The main attraction of this village is that there are no doors in the houses of the villagers.[5]
Ma Patharakani Temple is situated at the SH-9A Main Road near Gogua Market, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kendrapara. It is situated between Kendrapara and Pattamundai.
केन्द्रापड़ा
केन्द्रापड़ा (Kendrapara, କେନ୍ଦ୍ରାପଡ଼ା) भारत के ओड़िशा राज्य के केन्द्रापड़ा ज़िले में स्थित एक नगर है। यह ज़िले का मुख्यालय भी है। राज्य के तुलसी क्षेत्र के नाम से विख्यात केन्द्रापड़ा चरखा मिलों के लिए प्रसिद्ध है। कहा जाता है कि भगवान बलराम ने केन्द्रसुर का वध कर उसकी पुत्री से विवाह किया और यहीं बस गए। उड़ीसा के इस प्राचीन जिले में मनाया जाने वाला वार्षिक कार पर्व बड़ी संख्या में लोगों को आकर्षित करता है। गोबरी नदी यहाँ से बहने वाली प्रमुख नदी है। 2546 वर्ग किलोमीटर के क्षेत्रफल में फैला यह जिला औल, भीतरकनिका वन्यजीव अभयारण्य, डांगामल और तामल सासन आदि पर्यटन स्थलों के लिए प्रसिद्ध है।[1][
प्रमुख आकर्षण
कनिका महल: यह महल केन्द्रापड़ा के वैभवशाली इतिहास का प्रतीक है। राजा राजेन्द्र नारायण भंजदेव ने इस महल की नींव 9 जून 1909 में डाली थी। इस महल का निर्माण कार्य दस साल में पूरा हुआ। महल में आज भी प्राचीन काल की झलक देखी जा सकती है।
भीतरकनिका: भीतरकनिका को 1975 में अभयारण्य घोषित किया गया था। इस अभयारण्य में पाई जाने वाली वनस्पतियाँ बंगाल के सुंदरवनों से काफी मिलती हैं। यहाँ बाघों के अलावा विभिन्न प्रकार के वन्यजीव पाए जाते हैं। अभयारण्य में कच्छ वनस्पतियों की करीब 600 किस्में देखी जा सकती हैं। केन्द्रापडा के समुद्र तटीय इलाकों में यह अभयारण्य 650 वर्ग किलोमीटर के क्षेत्रफल में फैला है। इसका विस्तार भाद्रक और जगतसिंहपुर जिलों तक है। पक्षी प्रेमियों के लिए भी यहाँ अनेक दुर्लभ प्रवासी पक्षियों को देखने अनेक अवसर हैं। अक्टूबर से मार्च की अवधि यहाँ आने के लिए सबसे बेहतर मानी जाती है।
बलदेव जी मंदिर: केन्द्रापड़ा का यह मंदिर राजधानी भुवनेश्वर से 95 किलोमीटर की दूरी पर है। तुलसी क्षेत्र के इस तीर्थ स्थल में पुरी के जगन्नाथ मंदिर के विधिपूर्व धार्मिक अनुष्ठान संपन्न होते हैं। भगवान बलदेव की रथ यात्रा पुरी के कार पर्व के समान की लोकप्रिय है।
डांगालम: मगरमच्छों के लिए प्रसिद्ध डांगामल में बड़ी संख्या में मगरमच्छों को देखा जा सकता है। भीतरकनिका वन्यजीव पार्क में स्थित इस परियोजना की शुरूआत 1975 में लुप्त होते मगरमच्छों को बचाने के लिए की गई थी। डांगामल में ठहरने के लिए फॉरेस्ट गेस्ट हाउस की भी व्यवस्था है।
गहिरमथा कछुआ अभयारण्य: 1997 में स्थापित इस कछुआ अभयारण्य को विश्व के सबसे बड़े कछुआ प्रजनन केन्द्र के रूम में विकसित किया गया है। यह कुल 1440 वर्ग किलोमीटर के क्षेत्र में फैला है और भुवनेश्वर से करीब 179 किलोमीटर दूर है।
तमला सासन: यह केन्द्रापड़ा जिले का प्रमुख धार्मिक केन्द्र है। औल, भीतरकनिका और डांगामल इसके निकटवर्ती दर्शनीय स्थल हैं।