Sambalpur district

Sambalpur District is a district in the western part of state of Odisha, India. The historic city of Sambalpur is the district headquarters.

The district is located in the Mahanadi River basin. It has a total area of 6,702 square kilometers, of which almost 60% of the district is covered in dense forest. The district is bounded by Deogarh District to the east, Bargarh and Jharsuguda districts to the west, Sundergarh District to the north, and Subarnapur and Angul districts in the south.

Sambalpur city is the connecting city between Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Whereas it used to be known for its importance as a diamond trading centre, nowadays it is mainly known for its textiles, especially the Sambalpuri Saree. It's a good place from which to explore the surrounding forests and spot, some of the rare species still roaming the area in one of the wild life sanctuaries, such as the well-known Badrama sanctuary. Sambalpur is also famous for Sambalpuri song and Sambalpuri dance.

History

Sambalpur is mentioned in the book of Ptolemy (2nd century) as Sambalaka on the river Manada (the Mahanadi River). This gateway to the exotic charms of the western region of Odisha was the cradle of an ancient civilization and is an important landmark in India's cultural history.

Sambalpur was a former princely state of British India. When its ruler died without a direct male heir in 1849, the British seized the state under the doctrine of lapse. It was attached to the British Bengal Presidency, but...
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