Rayagada may be one of the newest districts of Orissa but the region shares a glorious past. The area was under the prosperous Kalinga empire ruled by great Ashoka. The tribal dominated Rayagada district of Orissa covers an area of 7,585 square kilometers with a population of 8,23,000. The population figure is in accordance to last census of 2001. The sex ratio of the district is 1029 females per 1000 males. The literacy rate of the district of Rayagada is very low at 35.61%. The Kondhos and the Saoras are the two major tribes of the district.
The Rayagada Town is the district headquarters and it is very well connected with cities like Berhampur and Bhubaneswar. The district has excellent road and rail network. Agriculture is the main occupation in the Rayagada district. The district has several place of tourist attractions. The historical remains and the hilly topography attract the tourists and travelers. Some of the popular tourism sites in Rayagada are:
* Hatipahar - the place has earned its name from the huge boulders that look like elephants. The place is adorned with a couple of exciting waterfalls.
* Minajhola - a place where three rivers meet is equally popular with the tourists and the pilgrims.
* Padampur - famous for the shrine of Manikeshwar Shiva. The place has historical attachments with the legendary Buddhist philosopher - Dharmakirti.
Occupying a total area of 7,073 sq km, Rayagada is divided into eleven blocks.
As per the 2001 census, the district houses a total population of 8,23,000 and it has a population density of 116 persons per sq km. Also the literacy rate of Rayagada is 35.61%.
The district generates income mainly through agriculture based activities.
Paddy, wheat, ragi, mung, biri, ground nut, potato and maize are the major crops grown in the area.
The central attractions of the district are temple of Ma Majhighariani, Laxminarayan temple, Hatipathar, Chatikona, Devagiri and Minajhola.
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Orissa-district-map
angul baleshwar bauda
bhadrak cuttack deogarh
dhenkanal gajapati ganjam
jagatsinghpur jajpur jharsuguda
kalahandi kendrapara khordha
kendujhargarh koraput malkangiri
mayurbhanj nabarangapur nayagarh
nuapada phulabani rayagada
sambalpur sonapur sundargarh
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