Paralakhemundi

Paralakhemundi is the major city and district HQ in Gajapati district, this District is a recently formed district that was created from Ganjam District on 2 October 1992. The district was named after the name of Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deb, who was the King of the estate.

This district has 7 Tehsils, 7 Blocks, 1,534 Villages, 149 Gram Panchayats, 11 Police stations, and only 1 subdivision Paralakhemundi which is also the headquarters of the Gajapati district.

The total population of the Gajapati District according to the census of 2011 was 5,77,817 in which a total number of males was 2,82,882 and a total number of females were 2,94,935.

Agriculture and Industries are the main sources of income for the people of this district. Most of the population of this district depend on this occupation for their livelihood.

Paralakhemundi, also known as Parala, is the district headquarters of Gajapati district and one of the oldest municipalities established in 1885, in the Indian state of Odisha. The majority of the population of this town speaks Odia and some speak English. The city shares its boundaries with Andhra Pradesh.

There are lots of old temples located in this town which are older than a century. Town has several old temples, monasteries, palaces, and heritage buildings. City is also well known for crafts of Jai Khadi bags, cane, and bamboo work.

Paralakhemundi is a small town in the Gajapati district but is the headquarters of the Gajapati district. This town is very beautiful and is located in the southeastern part of Odisha. This town is unique and very famous for its arts and culture and many popular tourist attractions attract people in large numbers every year.

Famous temple in Paralakhemundi

There are lots of famous old temples located in town which were constructed a century ago. Some of the famous temples are the following

• Luha Khamba Temple– Luha Khambeswara is a famous temple in Gajapati district. Lord Shiva is worshipped in this temple and the Temple is situated inside a Cave at the top of Luha Khamba Mountain Peak. This temple is around 82 km far from Paralakhemundi in the Gajapati district. Karthika Purnima is the main festival celebrated in the temple, and devotees come to watch the festival which is celebrated with great joy. To reach Luha Khamba Temple, we have to walk about 6 to 7 km up the hill.

• Maa Kureisuni Temple, Ramagiri, Gajapati- Maa Kureisini temple is an old but famous temple of Maa Kureisuni situated in the Gajapati district. This temple is very famous.

• Jagannath Temple– The Jagannath Temple situated in Paralakhemundi is also a very famous temple of Lord Jagannath. Jagannath Rath Yatra of Paralakhemundi is also very famous and is celebrated every year with great joy and enthusiasm by the people of Paralakhemundi. The three idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Lord Subhadra are worshipped here.

• Bhima Temple Mahendragiri – Bhima Temple is an old temple of Mahendragiri, dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Mahendragiri Hills. This temple is a much older temple of Lord Shiva.
• Chandragiri Buddhist Monastery – This monastery is situated in Chandragiri, which is 80km away from town, This is one the famous monastery in India, build in 2010, inaugurated by Dalai Lamba.

Major Festival in Paralakhemundi

• Ratha Yatra– Ratha Yatra also known as the Ratha Jatra or car festival, is considered the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival celebrated every year in Odisha on the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadh. The festival is held in many cities of Odisha state, and this festival is associated with the deity of Lord Jagannath. This is a famous festival dedicated to Lord Jagannath.

• Dussehra– Dussehra also known as Vijaya Dashami is a famous Hindu festival of Hindu celebrated every year to mark the victory of good over evil. The festival is celebrated every year in the month of September-October as the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. It is believed that on this day only Lord Ram killed Ravana which is mentioned in Ramayana. This festival is also celebrated to mark the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura.

• Kumar Purnima– Kumar Purnima is celebrated on Sharad Purnima is one of the most important festivals of Odisha and is celebrated every year on the full moon day of Ashwin month between October-November month. On this day unmarried girls worship God and follow some rituals to get a successful life partner and for their bright future.

• Thakurani Yatra – Thakurani yatra is a unique festival celebrated in many districts of south Odisha also known as Jatra in Odisha. This festival is dedicated to Goddess Maa Budhi Thakurani.

• Pongal – Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by the Tamil community which is also celebrated in many other states in south India and is also a famous festival celebrated all over the Odisha district. Pongal is celebrated for four days. Pongal is also the name of the dish made and eaten during this festival which is a mixture of boiled sweet rice.

• Maha Shivratri – Mahashivratri is a famous Hindu festival celebrated every year on Trayodashi of Phalgun month according to the Hindu calendar. It is believed that on Maha Shivratri God Shiva and Goddess Parvati were married. Mahashivratri means “great night of Lord Shiva” thus the festival is celebrated with great joy every year. Lord Shiva protects everyone from evil power and negativity.

Famous Places to Visit in Paralakhemundi

• Khasada Waterfall– Khasada waterfall is one of the most beautiful and well-known waterfalls of Odisha is an amazing waterfall located near Chandragiri in the Gajapati district. This waterfall is very beautiful as it is surrounded by dense green forest and hills from all sides and the dense forest and beautiful mountain makes the waterfall a very attractive place in the Gajapati district which attracts tourists.

• Gajapati Palace – Gajapati Palace is located at Paralakhemundi town of Gajapati district, Odisha. Gajapati palace is the fort of the rulers of Gajapati where the rulers used to stay many years ago. This palace is one of the rich architectural and cultural heritage of India.

• Gandahati Waterfall– Gandahati waterfall is one of the famous waterfalls of the Mahendratanaya River located in the Gajapati District, in Southern Odisha, India. Gandahati waterfall is about 30 km far from Paralakhemundi which is the headquarters of Gajapati district. The forest and view of this waterfall are beautiful which makes it a unique tourist attraction of Gajapati district.

• Mahendragiri Hills– Mahendragiri Hills is a hill located in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha which is about 40 km distance from Paralakhemundi. It is a beautiful hill covered with green dense forest and is home to many wildlife. Mahendragiri is the Second highest mountain peak in Odisha. The river Mahendratanaya flows down from this hill making it attractive and is one of the major attractive places for the visitor.

• Mankodadian Waterfall– The Mankadadian Waterfall is a beautiful waterfall which is situated at a distance of around 73 km away from Paralakhemundi. This waterfall lies in the eastern ghat region, the environment of this waterfall is very peaceful. This peaceful place is surrounded by green dense forest and hills on all sides of the waterfall. The waterfall produces very clean and cool water. Many visitors take a bath from the natural shower to take a bath of the natural shower. Mankadadian Waterfall is the best picnic spot in Gajapati because of its natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere.

• B.N. Palace Paralakhemundi- B.N palace which is also known as Brundabana Palace is a very beautiful palace located on the bank of river Mahendratanaya at Paralakhemundi which is around 1.5 km away from Paralakhemundi and is located on Odisha Andhra Pradesh border.

Weather in Paralakhemundi

Gajapati District experiences hot summers and cool winters. The temperature of this town varies between 16 degrees to 40 degree Celsius and the normal rainfall received is 1403.30 mm annually.

Best time to Visit

The best time to visit Paralakhemundi, Odisha is during the Winter season. i.e. from November to February.

Budget Hotels in Paralakhemundi

• Vishwanath Residency Palace
• Satya Residency.

Premium Hotels in Paralakhemundi

• Starling Forest Resort – Chandragiri
• Durga Residency

Local market in Paralakhemundi

• Main Market chandragiri
• Krushnapur Market
• City Big Bazaar

Famous food of Paralakhemundi

• Chenna Poda
• Poda pitha
• Dahi Baigana
• Aludam dahi vada

Restaurants in Paralakhemundi

• Sreekunj Restaurant, Palace St
• Chandini Restaurant, Palace St
• Mk Restaurant, Venkatapur
• Uma Restaurant

Pure Veg Restaurants in Paralakhemundi

• Kamakshi Veg Food Plaza
• Devi Shankar Meals Hotel

Jain Restaurant in Paralakhemundi

Amma Kitchens is one the restaurant which serves Jain food in town.

Shopping Mall in Paralakhemundi

• Value and Variety
• Trends
• Hanuman Market complex
• Value and Variety
• Baratam Shopping Mall
• Pantaloons

Retail Stores in Paralakhemundi

• Samadri general store
• Saptagiri Wholesale and Retail
• NK’s Brand street
• Sai Shree General store
• Twills Exclusive store

Multiplex in Paralakhemundi

Paralakhemundi is a small town in the Gajapati district, of Odisha. There are no multiplexes available in this town.

Some of the theatres are given below

• Sk Cinemax
• Jayamahal ISR Complex
• Sri Lakshmi Talkies

Major Brands Available in Paralakhemundi

• Modi care
• Flite
• Bata
• Peter England
• Raymond
• Adidas
• Samsung
• LG
• Del

Best location for Business in Paralakhemundi

• Paralakhemundi Bus stand
• Main Market chandragiri
• Paralakhemundi Railway colony

How to Reach Paralakhemundi

• By Air- Visakhapatnam International Airport is the nearest airport to Paralakhemundi which is around 93 km away.

• By Train- Nearest Railway station is Naupada Jn which is 29.82 km.

• By Road- From Bhubaneswar it is 300 Km, on the N.H. 16. You can easily get regular buses to Paralakhemundi from other major cities of Odisha.

Must visit places in Paralakhemundi

Gajapati district is well known for its tourist attractions. There are several places that one must visit in the Gajapati district. Some of them are :

• Maharaja Gajapati
• Chandragiri(Jiranga)
• Gandahati Waterfall
• Mahendragiri Hill
• Mankoda Diya Waterfall
• B.N Palace Paralakhemundi

Quick Summary of Paralakhemundi

Facts About Paralakhemundi, Gajapati
Name of Place	Paralakhemundi
Type of City or Place	District HQ
District	Gajapati
Current DM / Collector of District	Shri Smruti Ranjan Pradhan, IAS
State	Odisha
Administrative Structure	District HQ
Pin Code	761200
Subdivisions Details	1 Paralakhemundi
Tehsil Details	7
Block Details	7
Railway Station Available	Yes
Nearest Railway station	Paralakhemundi Railway Station
No of Trains (Up/ Down)	8
Airport Available	No
Nearest Airport	Visakhapatnam International Airport
Distance from State Capital	305 km.
City/ Town Population	87,152
District Population	577817
University in Town/ City	Centurion University of Technology and Management
Medical College	Gajapati College of Nursing, Parlakhemundi Gajapati college of pharmacy
Eng College	Govt. Polytechnic College Jagannath Institute for Technology and Management
Other Degree Colleges	SKGC College Sri Krushna Chandra Gajapati Autonomous College Gajapati Institute of Management
CBSE/ ICSE Private Schools	Kendriya Vidyalaya St. Joseph’s English Medium School Centurion public School Balasadan English Medium School Priyadarshini Convent School Vikash Vidya Niketan English medium High school
Govt Sr Sec School	Mahendragiri high-school Government Vocational Higher Secondary School Paralakhemundi Govt. Upper Primary School Agarakhandi Govt. RCD HIGH SCHOOL
Apparels Brands Available	Modi care Flite Bata Peter England Raymond Adidas Samsung LG Del
QSR Brands Available	No Available
Major Retailers (National / International Chains only)	Style Bazaar
5 Star Hotels (National / International chain hotel)	Taptapani Spring Resorts Starling Forest Resorts
No of Hotels listed on MMT/ Goibibo/ Booking.com	4
Recommended Hotels
Private Banks	ICICI Bank , HDFC Bank,Axis Bank, DCB Bank Limited
Government Banks	Andhra Bank, Central Bank of India, Corporation Bank, SBI, Utkal grameen bank
Famous Tourist Places	Khasada Waterfall, Gajapati Palace , Mahendragiri Hills
Famous Temples in City	Luha Khamba Temple, Maa Kureisuni Temple, Bhima Temple Mahendragiri

FAQ – Frequently Asked Question