Rairangpur (Odia pronunciationⓘ) is a city and a tehsil in the Mayurbhanj district of the state of Odisha, India. It is located 287 kilometres from the state capital Bhubaneswar, 82 kilometres from the district headquarters of Baripada, and about 73 kilometres from Jamshedpur. Rairangpur is the second largest city in the Mayurbhanj district, a notable mining area of Odisha, producing iron-ore from the Gorumahisani, Badampahar, and Suleipat mines.
The Kharkhai (Suleipat) Dam and the Simlipal Tiger Reserve are among the nearby local attractions, attracting many foreign tourists.
India's 15th and current President Smt. Droupadi Murmu served as a teacher in Rairangpur from 1994 to 1997.[2]
Etymology
The name 'Rairangpur' does not have any exclusively documented origin; the most likely possibility is that the name was formed from the conglomeration of 'rai' (king/royalty), 'rang' (color/joy), and 'pur' (town/city). The city was formerly referred to as Bamanghaty on 18th-19th century maps, however this name fell out of favor.
Geography
Rairangpur is located at 22°16′N86°10′E / 22.27°N 86.17°E / 22.27; 86.17.[3] It has an average elevation of 248 m (814 ft). The city mainly consists of shops, rice paddies and trees and branches out of the National Highway 220. The villages, buildings, and markets on either side of the road expands until it reaches farmland.
History
The kingdom of Mayurbhanj was formed through the bifurcation of the Khijjinga Dynasty of local Kshatriya heritage,[4] in which the Bhanjas established the kingdom of Keonjhar and the kingdom of Mayurbhanj. The ruler of Mayurbhanj shifted their capital from Khiching to Haripur, while the ruler of Keonjhar shifted their capital to Kendujhargarh subsequently after Firoz Shah Tughlaq plundered Keonjhar during his invasion in 1361 CE, when his armies marched through Singhbum, Manbhum and Mayurbhanj. In 1577, the Mughals conquered the Mayurbhanj princely state, around 51 years after the First Battle of Panipat.
During Mughal rule in Mayurbhanj, there was an extensive concentration of fortifications and defences, of which according to accounts by Raja Man Singh, there were 18 forts in the entirety of the state. These forts were located at Bhanjbhum, Mantri, Hariharapur, Dewalia, Purunia, Karkachua, Bamanghati, and Sarhonda.
Later in the year 1918, Rairangpur was officially named after Rairangpur Garh.
The Mayurbhanj princely state heavily influenced Rairangpur from the 12th century AD till it's accession to the Republic of India in 1949.[citation needed]
Bamanghaty in Bengal Etc. by Lowry, J.W. and Sharpe, J. 1848[6]
On 24 April 1960, Rairangpur Notified Area of Council (NAC) was formed with 15 wards.
Then on 1 May 2014, Rairangpur Municipality was formed under the laws as per the Municipalities Act. 1950 notification released by Government of Odisha.
Demographics
According to the 2001 Census of India,[1] Rairangpur has a population of 21,682. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. It has an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 65%. And 12% of the total population is under 6 years of age.
Economy
Rairangpur acts as a liaison centre between Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, Durgapur in West Bengal and the iron ore mines in Gorumahisani, Badampahar and Suleipat. The steel factories of Tata and the surrounding areas rely partly on the iron ores extracted from these mines. In addition to freight trains, there is also a DEMU passenger train from Jamshedpur to Badampahar via Rairangpur.
As surrounded by hills, iron ore is abundantly found here. The first iron ore mines of Asia were in Gorumahisani, Suleipat and Badampahar (mother mines of Tata Steel). The first ever trial for setting up a "Ferro Vanadium Plant" was made by Mayurbhanj Maharaja during pre-independence days. Currently, thousands of tonnes of iron ore are exported from here on a daily basis.
The majority of the population is dependent on paddy harvesting (farming) as either their main source or as an alternate source of income. The direct and indirect dependency of the economy of this place is largely influenced by paddy harvesting. The same is again largely dependent on the annual rainfall during May–September. The Kharkhai (Suleipat) Dam and The Bankbal Dam irrigate some of the cultivating lands and helps with the kharif harvesting.
It has the oldest and the largest "Sal Oil Extraction Plant" which has been closed for years. The area suffers due to less attention in the political environment with few resources and funds allocated for development from government or private sources.
Daily passenger train runs from Jamshedpur (Tatanagar) to Badampahar.
And weekly train Badampahar-Rourkela intercity Express runs on Sunday and Badampahar-Shalimar Express runs on Saturday.
Air conditioned luxurious buses to Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Rourkela, Tatanagar and Kolkata are available. Local buses and jeeps are there every fifteen to thirty minutes to all small villages and towns. Important traffic points of the city:
Bazar Golei Chhak
Biju Pattanaik Chhak (Durga Mandap)
Raghunath Murmu Chhak
Rairangpur has its local airstrip namely Dandbose Aerodrome (Rairangpur Airport). In most cases celebrities land here by their chopper.
Culture
Makar Parba is the most popular festival of Odisha, being widely celebrated here with great enthusiasm. As Makar comes once in year, a unique vibe is created among people, they wear new clothes and make Pitha (Rice Cake) in their homes, eat it and distribute to their relatives spreading love and affection.Also village people make Tusu (Cosmic Goddess) represent and them in the nearbyTusu Mela where people gather largely to witness those idols of Tusu.
During Rath Yatra (Car Festival), people from all sections of the society pull the Ratha (Chariot) of Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balabhadra and sister goddess Subhadra to their Mausibadi (Aunt's place) from the temple.
Most commonly Deepawali, Durga Puja, Ganesh Puja and Saraswati Puja's are celebrated all over Rairangpur. Popular idols belongs to Ichinda, Bazar, Kucheibudhi, Anladuba, Sakiladihi and Purnaghaty area.
Cricket is the most widely played sport in the city. "Deepak Kumar Memorial (DKM)", Mahuldiha organizes a cricket tournament every year. Being the most popular cricket tournament here, teams of different parts of the state and nearby participate and perform their talent. Likewise, "Rairangpur Premier League (RPL)" is also organized at Kacheri Stadium (Rairangpur Stadium).
Sports organised by various village youth associations just after Makar Sankranti is one of the age old sports activity promoting youth athletes with very colorful and festive events during January & February every year.
Park
Children's Park, Kacheri RoadBirsamunda Park , Mahuldiha
