Brahmapur, Odisha

Brahmapur
ବ୍ରହ୍ମପୁର
Berhampur
City

Brahmapur Railway Station

Brahmapur Railway Station
Nickname(s): Silk City
Brahmapur

Location in Odisha, India

Coordinates: 19°19′N 84°47′E / 19.32°N 84.78°ECoordinates: 19°19′N 84°47′E / 19.32°N 84.78°E
Country  India
State Odisha
District Ganjam
Government
 • Type Mayor–Council
 • Body Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC)
 • Mayor K. Madhavi
 • Municipal commissioner Mrs. Anjana Panda
Area
 • Total 86.82 km2 (33.52 sq mi)
Elevation 26 m (85 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 355,823
 • Rank 120
 • Density 4,100/km2 (11,000/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 760001–760010
Telephone code 0680
Vehicle registration
  • OR-07
  • OD-07
Website www.berhampur.gov.in

Brahmapur (earlier known as Berhampur), nicknamed "The Silk City", is a municipal corporation located on the eastern coastline of Ganjam district of the Indian state of Odisha, about 169 kilometres (105 mi) south of the state capital, Bhubaneswar. It is one of the oldest and largest cities of Odisha. It is famous for its silk saris, temples and unique culture. The population of the city is 355,823 as of the 2011 Census of India (provisional),[1] making it the fourth most populous urban city in Odisha state[1] and 122nd in India.[2]

Etymology

The city's official name is Brahmapur (lit. "Home of Lord Brahma"). "Berhampur" is the anglicised form of the city's name, commonly used during and after the British era, and still by some.

Overview

Brahmapur is the primary railway head for nearby tourist destinations. It serves as a node for the nearby small towns and villages, so trade is predominant here. A majority of the people are self-employed in various businesses of different scales. Brahmapur is well known for its intricately designed silk saris (Brahmapuri patta), handloom cloth and jewellery shops. There is another type of patta available, called Bomokei patta, named after Bomokei, a nearby village. It is famous for its excellent work in making of brass metal fish (Pital).

Demographics

As per the 2011 Census of India (provisional), the population of Brahmapur is 355,823, of which 185,584 are males and 170,239 are females. The effective literacy rate of Brahmapur is 90.04%, higher than the national average of 74.04%. Male and female literacy rates are 93.83% and 85.92%, respectively. 8.2% of the population are children aged 0–6 years. The adult and child sex ratios are 917 and 898 females per 1000 males, respectively.[1] Brahmapur is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Gopalpur sea beach/port and 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Asika.

Administration

The city is administered by the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC). This organization earlier was a municipality from 1867 until 29 December 2008. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) of South zone is located at Brahmapur and covers the undivided Ganjam, Koraput, Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts.

Utility services

The BMC provides civic services to the city. Garbage collection has been privatized in 20 out of 40 wards.

There are many mobile phone service companies who operate their GSM and CDMA networks in the city. There are many landline companies that provide commercial and domestic broadband internet services in the city.

A survey has been done to assess the nature of solid waste generated in the city which would help in the designing of a solid waste management plant proposed to be established near Chandania Hill on the outskirts of Brahmapur. International Financial Corporation (IFC), is providing technological support for the project.

Potable water to the city is supplied by Brahmapur Corporation. The main source of water, the River Rushikulya, is colloquially known as "Ganga of Ganjam". It flows about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the city and drains into the Bay of Bengal near Gopalpur port. There are a large number of tanks and lakes in and around the city that provide storage.

The Southern Electricity Supply Company of Orissa Limited (SOUTHCO) was incorporated on 11 November 1997 to manage electricity supply to southern Odisha, consisting of the districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, and parts of Puri district, with its headquarters at Brahmapur. The area experiences scheduled and unscheduled power cuts, especially during the summer, due to excess consumption demands.

The Odisha State Government has proposed to have a passport service center (seva kendra) in Brahmapur.[3]

Culture

Brahmapur is one of the oldest and most prominent settlements between Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar. Oriya culture has been prominent in the area since ancient times. Since this region was merged with the Madras Presidency during the British era, a large number of South Indians (mostly Telugu and Tamil) were employed here by the British government. The city is famous for the shops in Bada Bazaar, Annapurna Market and Bhapur Bazaar.

Theatre has been very prominent since the late 1930, and was the main source of entertainment until the advent of motion pictures. Ganjam Kala Parishad and Prakasam Hall, located here, are some of the oldest drama halls in India. The oldest theatre in the history of Odisha was the Sri Sitaram Vilas Talkies (SSVT, established in the year 1927) which was closed down following severe damage by a super cyclone on 29 October 1999.[4]

Brahmapur is very famous for its papadum, aachar (pickles) and various kinds of badis. Brahmapur is well known for its intricately designed silk saris and handloom cloth and hence is known as the Silk City. It is also a big market place for fruits especially mangoes as they arrive from the orchards of nearby Andhra Pradesh state.

Night life in this town comes alive with some glitter and bustling shops around Annapurna Market, some market complexes down the market street and Ramlingam Tank road, where people sit there and enjoy the evening. The streets around Goutam Cinema Hall are famous for street-side food, though hygiene of the food can be questionable.

Western-style dress has gained greater acceptance among men, although traditional dress like the dhoti and kurta are seen during festivals or other religious occasions. Many women normally wear a sari or a shalwar kameez, though western attire is becoming popular among younger women.

There are many temples in Brahmapur, including Lord Sidha Vinayaka Temple, Lord Nilakantheswara Temple, Lord Sri Radheshyam Sunder Temple, Bhairabi Temple, Taratarini Temple, Venu Gopalaswamy Temple, and Budhi Thakurani Temple.[5]

Festivals

The people of Brahmapur celebrate all the major festivals of Odisha, like Rath Yatra, Durga Puja, Diwali, Kumar Purnima or Gaja Laxmi Puja, Manabasa Gurubar, Raja Sankranti, Makar Sankranti, Bishuba/Pana Sankranti or Oriya New Year, Dola Yatra or Holi, Chandan Yatra, Gamha Purnima or Rakshya Bandhan, Kartik Purnima, Nabanna, Janmastami, Ram Navami, Saraswati Puja, Ganesh Puja, Ugadi, and others. Some festivals are unique to the City, like Sharad Purnima or Kumara Purnima. In Kumar Purnima, all the girls do Janiusa Puja and pray to Tulasi Maa for blessing them with a good life partner. Every two years, a festival is held in honor of the main deity of the city, Thakurani Maa and the festival is known as Thakurani Jatara/Yatra. It is said that Goddess Thakurani Maa come to their parent's home during the holidays for some days from her in-laws home. Sitala Shashti Jatra is celebrated during the month of June every year to mark the wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

The other communities of the city such as Telugus, Marwaris, Punjabis, Bengalis and Gujaratis celebrate their festivals along with the major festivals of the city.

Transport

Brahmapur is considered as the gateway to southern Odisha, and has a well-developed transportation network.

Road

Brahmapur city is connected with National Highways NH-5 (Chennai–Kolkata), NH-59 (Gopalpur–Ahmedabad) and NH-217 (Gopalpur–Raipur) and other cities and towns of Odisha. The three-wheeler auto taxis are the most important mode of transportation in this city. Taxis also ply on the city's roads. The Ganjam Urban Transport Services Limited (GUTSL) with joint partnership with Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) have come up with an agreement, valid for one year, to run a city-bus service for Berhampur to urban centres on its periphery (Chatrapur,Gopalpur, and Hinjli) on February 27, 2014.[6][7]

Rail

Brahmapur railway station is situated on the East coast railway line which is a major route connecting the two metros Kolkata and Chennai of India. It is directly connected to New Delhi, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Cuttack, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Puri, Raipur, Sambalpur, Vishakhapatnam, and many more cities of India. Cuttack – Brahmapur connectivity (DMU) is popular connectivity to reach Cuttack.

Air

The nearest Airports are Biju Patnaik Airport, Bhubaneswar (169 km) and Visakhapatnam Airport, Visakhapatnam (256 km). Rangeilunda airstrip is located at about 9 km east of the city and was built by the British during World War II. It is adjacent to the Berhampur University.

Sea

The city is served by two ports, Gopalpur Port and a new satellite port at the Bahuda Mouth (Muhan), operated by Paradip Port Trust (PPT).

Media

Electronic media

Brahmapur has a full-fledged All India Radio Station which broadcasts FM radio on 100.6 MHz in Greater Brahmapur region (BCGH-Brahmapur, Chhatrapur, Gopalpur and Hinjilicut). Also there is a high power transmitter of (6 KW) Doordarshan which telecasts Oriya language programs. U-TV, previously known as B TV, is the local channel which broadcasts the daily local news.

Print media

There are many print media houses in Brahmapur. The oldest Oriya daily Dainik Asha, The Samaj, Dharitri, The Sambad, Odisha Bhaskar and Anupam Bharat are published from Brahmapur.

Health care

Government / society-owned hospitals

MKCG Medical College and Hospital- It is a combined medical college and hospital and one of the three government medical colleges in Odisha. There are many famous hospitals such as Apollo Hospital, City Hospital, Janana Hospital, Red Cross Hospital, Sahara Dipeta square, Amit Hospital, Canal Street, Gate Bazar; Sriram Hospital, Aeshrat Nursing Home, Escorts Diagnostic, Kamapalli etc.

Education

The oldest Municipal School, Government Queen of the Mission's High School,Government High School – MKCG Medical Campus, Girls High School, K. C. Town High School, City High School are probably among the oldest schools in India. Prominent lawyers like G. L. Narasimham, Rajaguru, G. L. Jagannadham, and others are still considered prominent legal experts by the lawyers in and around Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

The city is also a major center of education in south Odisha. The city is the home to 9 engineering colleges, 11 Polytechnic colleges, 14 ITI’s (as of 2011) and the number is growing every year. The city is also home to many tutorials and coaching institutes who prepare students for various entrance exams. Real Estate have also emerged as a big player in Brahmapur urban area. Recent times have seen retail chains such as Vishal Mega Mart, The Planet, Kolkata Bazar, Reliance, The World, etc. opening outlets in Brahmapur.

There are many major educational institutions in Brahmapur and following are some of the reputed institutions: Berhampur University, Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati (MKCG) Medical College and Hospital, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences(CPS), Khallikote Government College, Government Engineering School (Polytechnic), Parala Maharaja Engineering College(PMEC), National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), Vignan Institute of Technology and Management(VITAM), Roland Institute of Technology (RIT), Sanjaya Memorial Institute of Technology (SMIT) and Gandhi Institute for Industrial Technology(GIIT). The city has highest number of engineering colleges after the state capital of Bhubaneswar. Many students come here to prepare for engineering and medical entrance examinations especially from southern and central region of Odisha.

General education

Engineering

Many engineering colleges are also present like Parala Maharaja Engineering College (A Government & constituent college of B.P.U.T.) , National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), Kalam Institute of Technology (KIT), Roland Institute of Technology Surya Vihar (RIT), Sanjay Memorial Institute of Technology (SMIT), Chandipadar, Vignan Institute of Technology and Management (VITAM), Bhairavi, Mantridi village, Brahmapur etc.

Medical, pharmacy, and nursing

MKCG Medical College and Hospital at Brahmapur and many more under this category include Biju Patnaik Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Kaviraj Ananta Tripathy Sharma Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital, Brundaban Nayak Medical College & Hospital (in progress by SMIT Group) etc.

Others colleges are also present in various fields such as College of Fisheries(O.U.A.T.), Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ankushpur (Ratanpur Farm), Brahmapur , Army Air Defence College (AADC), J.N. Tata Technical Education Center, Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF), Academy of Technocrats for the IT courses like BCA, BES & BBA under Berhampur University, DISHA College of Management & Technology (BCA & BBA under Berhampur University, Distance Programs under Punjab Technical University, Karnataka State Open University, Manomaniam Sundaranar University) , Multi-skill Development Centre (MDC) (Upcoming) at Brahmapur next year in association with German technological expertise aids., Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, Orissa Christian Theological College.

Industries

Brahmapur region is the hub of industrial activities in southern Odisha. Industrial clusters include granite processing units, Cashew nut processing, rice mills, and fabrication/ handloom unit industries are popular in this region. Some major industries located in Brahmapur region are:

Economy

Software industry Many software companies have set up their centres as Brahmapur offers opportunities associated with Grade II and grade III cities for BPO and software companies. The third software park STPI- Berhampur of the state and 51st in the country, was inaugurated on August 20, 2010, at Brahmapur.

Sports

Brahmapur has produced some of the best weight-lifting and boxing players for India at the International level including present day Indian champion in Commonwealth Games Gold medalist winner Katulu Ravi Kumar. Veer Hanuman Club of Brahmapur has produced international weight-lifters like Bijay Kumar Satapathy, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, and Tikina Gopal. Bijay Kumar Satapathy, is also an Arjuna Award winner and had grabbed the Silver medal in the 1982 Commonwealth Games held in Australia, and gold medal in the 1981 Mini-Commonwealth Games. Chandra Sekhar Sahu, an employee of the Indian Railways, had clinched a Gold medal in the SAARC sports meet in 1990. Similarly, Tikina Gopal had also won Silver and Bronze medals in the Junior and Senior Asian Championship, while Ranu Mohanty, a girl from the city won medals in the International event of Power-lifting. Cricket, Volley, Basketball and Football (Soccer) are the other popular sports. Sarathi Sahu had won a medal in the state level cricket matches.

Stadiums

Brahmapur has a National level stadium which has hosted several Ranji Trophy matches. The city has produced many reputed Ranji players in the recent times.

Notable people

Nearby attractions

This is one of the oldest pilgrimage place of mother goddess and amongst the four major ancient Adi Shakti centers in India. The mythological texts recognize four major Shakti Pithas (centers), like Bimala, Taratarini, Kamakshya and Dakhina Kalika, which originated from the limbs of the Corpse of Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.
Rooted in the hoary past, mentioned in the Puranas, the Tantras and as the main seat of Tantric cult for thousands of years and center of Shakti worship since time immemorial, this hill Shrine is believed to be the Sthana Peetha (Breast Shrine of Mata Sati) and an important prehistoric religious center which bears an uninterrupted history of about 6000 years.

Politics

Current M. P. (Member of Parliament) of Brahmapur Parliamentary Constituency is Siddhanta Mahapatra of BJD, elected in the year 2009, 2014. Current MLA from Brahmapur Assembly Constituency is Dr. Ramesh Chandra Chau Patnaik of BJD, who won the seat in the state elections of 2014, 2009, 2004 and 2000 and also as JD candidate in 1995.[9] Berhampur Corporation comes under four Assembly segments i.e., Berhampur old town, Gopalpur, Chatrapur and Digapahandi. Berhampur is part of Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency.[10]

References