Brajarajnagar
Brajarajnagar ବ୍ରଜରାଜନଗର | |
---|---|
Town | |
Brajarajnagar Brajarajnagar Location in Odisha, India | |
Coordinates: 21°49′N 83°55′E / 21.82°N 83.92°ECoordinates: 21°49′N 83°55′E / 21.82°N 83.92°E | |
Country | India |
State | Odisha |
District | Jharsuguda |
Elevation | 216 m (709 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 76,959 |
Languages | |
• Official | Odia |
Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
PIN | 768216[1] |
Telephone code | 066451 |
Vehicle registration | OD-23 |
Website |
odisha |
Brajarajnagar is a town and a municipality in Jharsuguda district in the state of Odisha, India. It is famous for MCL-owned coal mines and now-defunct Orient Paper Mills of Birlas established in 1936.
Most of the population in this city were working for Orient Paper Mills, which belonged to Birla Group of industries. Brajrajnagar has in its vicinity numerous open-cast and underground coal mines of Ib Valley Coalfield and Orient Colliery Area belonging to government-owned Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL).
History
The Brajrajnagar Police Station was established in 1936,[2] in the same year, when the Orient Paper Mills of Birlas was established here. The mill started functioning in 1939, leading to the growth of township around it, inhabited by the employees.
Eventually, Brajrajnagar became a Nagar Panchayat (Notified Area Council) (NAC) in 1968, and in 1989 it was made a Nagar Palika (Municipality), spread over an area of 42.73 km2. and includes seven revenue villages, Lamtibahal, Telenpali, Remja, Lajkura, Gandghora, Katabaga and Sanjob.[3]
Geography
Brajarajnagar is located at 21°49′N 83°55′E / 21.82°N 83.92°E.[4] It has an average elevation of 216 metres (708 feet). Ib River, which is a tributary of Mahanadi river, flows to the east of the town.[3]
Brajrajnagar vidhan sabha consists of vast area of Brajrajnagar, Belpahar, Bandhbahal, Gopalpur, Kanaktura border of Chhattisgarh. Moreover, Brajrajnagar forest range also has very large area which includes area in Remenda, Banharpali, Kudopali, Tilya, Sonari, Rajpur, Rampur, Loising, Barakhandia, Pathrapali, etc.
Demographics
As of 2001 India census,[5] Brajarajnagar had a population of 76,941. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Brajarajnagar has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 77% and female literacy of 60%. 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Industry
Brajrajnagar had one large paper mill named Orient Paper Mills of Birlas which happens to be the oldest industry in the state of Odisha, having set up in the year 1936 and production being started in 1939. Though since 1999, the O.P.M of Brajrajnagar has been shut down. Since then, thousand of workers have either shifted to the O.P.M. at Amlai, Madhya Pradesh or are working at MCL Brajrajnagar.[6]
The IB Valley Coal Area is also in Brajrajnagar and nearby areas. Prior to nationalization in the year 1973, three underground mines were operational in Brajrajnagar. Post nationalization, the IB valley Opencast Mines were opened from 1984 onwards. At present IB Valley Area consists of three Opencast Mines namely Lajkura Opencast mine, Samleswari Opencast mine and Lilari Opencast mine.[7] And all the underground mines are operational in Orient Colliery Area.
National Aluminium Company Ltd, a government owned company, is planning to set up an Aluminium smelter plant and one of the largest power plant near the town.
Transport
Road
Brajarajnagar falls on National Highway 49 (NH 49) which connects Raipur, the state capital of Chhattisgarh to Chandikhole in Odisha. Many Private buses runs daily service to major cities of Odisha such as Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela and Sambalpur.
Railways
Brajrajnagar Railways Station (BRJN) is a station on the Tatanagar–Bilaspur section of Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line. It is managed by Bilaspur division of South East Central Railway. It serves as important loading point for various coal-mines located in this area of Odisha. Brajrajnagar railway station is well connected with trains from Howrah, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bhubaneswar and Ahmedabad. Jharsuguda which is 11 km away is connected from the rest of the country including Chennai and Bangalore. It has another railway station, IB which is 1.5 km away from Brajrajnagar.
Airport
The closest airports are the Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur (319 km), Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi (351 km) and Biju Patnaik Airport, Bhubaneshwar (360 km).[8][9]
In 2009, the Airports Authority of India decided to set-up the second domestic airport in the state of Odisha at Jharsuguda. After completion in 2012, Jharsuguda Airport became the nearest airport to reach Brajrajnagar (20 km).[10] Air Odisha launched non-scheduled commercial flights between Rourkela, Jharsuguda and Bhubaneswar on 2 November 2012.[11]
Communication and Internet
2G, 3G, Broadband
Brajrajnagar has BSNL 3G services for fast Internet services as well as BSNL Broadband Internet services. Airtel also introduced its 3G service in the town in early December, 2015. There are various 2G service providers in brajrajnagar like Aircel, Airtel, BSNL, Reliance, Vodafone, Docomo, Idea and much more. BSNL landline also provides telephone services.
Politics
The current MLA from Brajarajnagar Assembly Constituency is Mrs. Radharani Panda of BJP, who won the seat in State elections of 2014 defeating the 3 time winner. Mr. Anup Kumar Sai of Indian National Congress. Mr. Keshba Chandra Sahu had won this seat in 1999 for 17 months and before him, Mr. Prasanna Kumar Panda of CPI had won this seat in 1995, 1990 and in 1985. Mr. Upendra Dikshit had won this seat as INC(I) candidate in 1980 and as INC candidate in 1977.[12][13][14]
It was a part of Deogarh (Lok Sabha constituency),[15] though now it is a part of Bargarh (Lok Sabha constituency), after a new Lok Sabha constituency was created after 2008 delimitation of parliamentary constituencies based on the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India in 2002.[16] Dr P.K. Singh of BJD is currently the M.P. from Bargarh (Lok Sabha constituency).
Education
- Rampur Colliery High School
- Bundia High School
- Kudopali High School
- O.P.M Boys High School
- O.P.M Girls High School
- H Line Girls High School
- Lamtibahal High School
- Srima Arabina High School
- Orient High School
- Telenpali High School
- Mandalia High School
- Daniel Public School
- Siksha Niketan
- Womens College
- Brajrajnagar College
- Saraswati Shishu mandir
- Lala Lajpat Rai Ucha Vidya Mandir School
- Little Angels' Senior Secondary School
- D.A.V Public School, Samaleswari OCP
- D.A.V Public School, IB Valley Area
- Black Diamond School of Engineering, Mandalia
- Ambika Institute of Computer Technology
- Sai Educational & Charitable Trust, Education Partner - Sambalpur University & NICE Computer
There are also other secondary schools.
Festivals Observed
Major festivals celebrated in the Brajrajnagar are:
- Nuakhai: This is an important festival for the people of Western Odisha. Families gather during this period and eat together. After that, the younger take the blessings of elders and dance with friends.
- Bhai Jiyuntia: A festival observed by the women of this region where a sister prays for the betterment of her brother.
- Rath Yatra: Rath Yatra is celebrated in the town & near by villages of Brajarajnagar.
- Durga Puja: Durga Puja has been celebrated in public pandals in the town for more than half a century. Specially Durga pandals of Gandhi Chowk,Black Diamond(Mandalia),Hill Top Colony and ESI Chowk is very devotional.The puja pandal of OPM(Golchakkar) is one of the oldest celebrated Durga puja of town.Besides these it is also celebrated in various temples of town.
- Ganesh Puja: Ganesh Puja is celebrated all over the town including various schools and colleges.
- Diwali and Chath: It is celebrated with great pomp and show.
- Makar Sankranti: It is celebrated with great pomp and show in Khaliakani of the town.
Places of interest
- Chandi Mandir, Brajrajnagar
- Laxmi Narayan Temple, Brajrajnagar
- Birla Temple(Shiv Mandir), near Lamtibahal, Brajrajnagar
- IB Bridge
- Lal Pathar
- Satya Sai Mandir
- Barghat Mandir
- Underground and Open cast Mines
References
- ↑ "Pin Code: Sr Brajarajnagar, Jharsuguda, Orissa". Pincode.net.in. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- ↑ "History". Jharsuguda Police. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- 1 2 "Information About Brajrajnagar". Odisha eMunicipality Services. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- ↑ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Brajarajnagar
- ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ↑ "Orient Paper and Industries: Company History". Money Control. January 3, 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- ↑ "Industry: Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd". Jharsuguda district website. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- ↑ "Nearest airport to Brajrajnagar, India". travelmath.com. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- ↑ "Nearest Airport to brajrajnagar". holyindia.org. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- ↑ "AAI plans 2nd airport in state". Business Standard. January 7, 2009. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- ↑ "Air Odisha launched commercial flights between Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Bhubaneswar,". Orissa Diary. November 2, 2012. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- ↑ "State Elections 2004 - Partywise Comparison for 129-Brajarajnagar Constituency of Odisha". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
- ↑ "Cong, BJP heavyweights bite the dust in Orissa". Rediff.com. May 17, 2009.
- ↑ "List of MLAs from Jharsugda district". Jharsuguda district website.
- ↑ "Assembly Constituencies - Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies of Odisha" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
- ↑ "Parliament". Jharsuguda district website.