Padmapur, Rayagada

Padmapur ପଦ୍ମପୁର
village
Padmapur Location in Odisha, India
Coordinates: 19°14′34″N 83°49′05″E / 19.24278°N 83.81806°E / 19.24278; 83.81806Coordinates: 19°14′34″N 83°49′05″E / 19.24278°N 83.81806°E / 19.24278; 83.81806
Country	India
State	Odisha
District	Rayagada
Government
• Type	Democratic
Elevation	82 m (269 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	6,530
Languages
• Official	Oriya
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	765025
Telephone code	916857

Padmapur is the most populated village^[1] and one of the identified tourist centers ^[2][3][4] of Rayagada district. A hillock adjoins the village to its northern side to enhance the scenic beauty of the place. A 7th century inscription found here, in the Nilakantheswar Temple (a religious place^[5] i.e. the shrine of Lord Manikeswar Shiva),^[6][7] indicates that the Jagamanda hill, located close by, once housed the monastery of the famous Buddhist logician-philosopher Dharmakirti.^[8][9] Padmapur happens to be the birthplace of the communist leader Nagbhushan Pattnaik.

Important personalities born at and near Padmapur

• Nagbhushan Patnaik was born at Padmapur on November 27, 1934, to Srimati Rajalaxmi Patnaik and Sri Ramamurthy Patnaik. He completed his primary education at Padmapur and later the family left for Gunupur. Nagbhushan was the symbol of revolutionary spirit of the Naxalbari movement. Very few people knew that he was a poet also. On October 9, 1998, Comrade Patnaik breathed his last in a private hospital at Chennai due to renal failure.
• Sadguru Sri Sri Arjuna, was born in a tribal family on July 18, 1933, at Godiabandha, a village near Padmapur. The famous Socratic definition of sin- "Sin is ignorance" was instrumental in turning his life from a common carpenter to a spiritual preacher. He founded the spiritual forum "DIBYA DARSHAN SANGHA " and taught his followers the secret of a divine life;" If you desire liberation, acquire self-knowledge".
• Pandita Sabara Mangei Gamang, the inventor of Soura (Sora) lipi (script)^[10] i.e. Akshara Brahma, was born at Marichaguda, a village near Padmapur.
• Dr.Giridhara Gamang born on April 8, 1943, at Dibirisingi, a village near Padmapur, was the M.P. of I.N.C. and one of the former chief ministers of Odisha. He was awarded honorary doctorate degree by one university of Dehradun for his exceptional efficiency in playing one musical instrument called -Dhampo; mostly used in Rayagada district.

Culture

Most of the people are migrants of Ganjam district. A majority of them, Telli by caste,reside in an area called Jhumuruguda. Oriya & Telugu are the commonly used languages in the village. Most of the people are Hindus. Ganesh Puja, Saraswati Puja, Dasahara and the Car festival of lord Jagannath are celebrated here .Dolaparaba of Padmapur is famous in the area and people celebrate it with pomp and ceremony. The nearby villages of the area are populated with scheduled caste and scheduled tribe people like saura etc. Adivasis prepare Mahuli drink (a kind of liquor) used by them during festive seasons. There is a seventh century- old temple of lord Neelakantheswar amongst other temples. The lord Siva temple of Neelakantheswar is built in only seven big rocks. One of the rocks contains some Buddhist texts which shows that Dharmakirti, the Buddhist logician-Philosopher, spent his last days in the caves of the hillock.

Demography

Padmapur is a populated village in Rayagada district situated about 67 km away from the district headquarters. As of 2001 India census,^[11] Padmapur village had a population of 6530.The total population of the village as per latest census report 2011 available in "Official website of census india" is 6530 out of which the male population is 3360 and the female population is 3170 . The postal Index No.(PIN) of padmapur is 765025.

Geography

Padmapur is located at 19° 14' 34" N and 83° 49' 05" E .It has a mixed climate of mountain and costal plane.

How to reach

There is no direct rail or air communication to Padmapur. The nearest air port is Bhubaneswar and the nearest railway station is Rayagada.^[12] One can reach padmapur via Rayagada by Odisha State Road Transport Corporation buses or private buses .

Temples of divinity

Nilakantheswar temple

A number of old and new temples in and around Padmapur, as detailed below, attract the nearby mass during festive seasons.

• The seventh century-old Nilakantheswar temple at Padmapur (Shrine of Lord Manikeshwar Shiva) on the top of the hillock adjoining the village.(This temple is also believed to be the Mallikeshwara temple )
• The temple of Mallikeswar, at the foot of the hillock, which is built of red rocks,
• The temple of Dhabaleswar beside the temple of Mallikeswar,
• Another temple of Pudukeswar close to these temples at the foot of the hillock,
• The Radhakrushna temple in New street of Padmapur,
• The Giridhari temple in the Badasahi of Padmapur,
• The Gopinatha temple or Dasima Matha,
• The Trinath temple beside the road leading to Gunupur,
• The Gramadevati temple at the heart of the village,
• The Gayatri temple on the hillock area,
• The temple of Hanumana and the temple of Sai Baba on the hillock,
• Another small temple of Trinath at Jhumuruguda beside the main road.

Educational Institutions

Padmapur village is well equipped with a no. of educational institutions. Some of them are -

• The Govt. Bijayananda High School, Padmapur,
• The Govt. Boys' Upper Primary School near Markama street,
• The Govt. Girls' Upper Primary School at Bada sahi,
• The Primary school at Medical colony, Padmapur,
• The Primary School at Hatapada, Padmapur,
• The Girls' High school at Padmapur,
• The R.G.(junior) college, Padmapur,
• The Govt. Upper Primary School at Jhumuruguda,
• The Ideal Public School, Padmapur,
• The Aryan English Medium school at Padmapur,
• The Gajanana Vidya Niketana, Padmapur (Oriya medium)
• The Saraswati Sishu Mandir at Padmapur (Oriya medium).

References

External links

• Official website of Rayagada district
• "Tourist places of Rayagada district:Atithi.org"
• "List of identified tourist centers of Rayagada district"
• "List of districts and blocks in Orissa"
• "Rayagada dist.in Orissadiary"
• Padmapuronline"