Salem District (Madras Presidency)

The Salem District in Madras Presidency included the modern Salem, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, and Namakkal districts in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The district was divided into 12 taluks and has a total area of 7,530 km2. It was the biggest district in Madras State, and the administrative headquarters was Salem.
Salem District (Madras state)
District of Madras presidency
Salem District

Salem district in Madras presidency

Flag
Modern districts Salem, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Namakkal districts
Administrative Headquarters Salem
Area
• Total 7,530 km2 (2,910 sq mi)
Population
(1941)
• Total 2,869,228
Demonym(s) Salemians
The Salem district was in the region of Mazhavar Nadu, which is western Tamil Nadu. Before the Dharmapuri district was divided from Salem, Salem district was the biggest district in Tamil Nadu and area covered 7,530 km2 along with today’s Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Namakkal districts. Salem was the first formed district in India and was formed on the 4th of April 1792, a part of Madras state. Salem is the fourth urbanized city in Tamil Nadu.

Contents

1History
2Taluks
3Demographics
4Economy
5References

History

In 1947, Salem was part of free independent India, in 1951 exchange of the villages took place between Mysore and Madras state. In 1961 sankakiri taluk was formed from Tiruchengode Taluk, in 1965 Salem is bifurcated into Salem and Dharmapuri districts. And Salem constituted with eight taluks include Salem, Attur, Yercaud, Omalur, Sankari, Tiruchengode, Rasipuram and Namakkal. And Dharmapuri district constituted with 4 taluks which is Hosur, Krishnagiri, Harur and Dharmapuri. In 1966 Mettur taluk was formed from Omalur taluk, in 1989 Paramathi Velur taluk was newly created. In 1996 Namakkal district is created from Salem, and Salem constituted with 8 taluks which is Salem, Yercaud, Attur, Omalur, Mettur, Sankari, Gangavalli, and Idappadi and Namakkal district constituted with Namakkal, Tiruchengode, Rasipuram and Paramathi-Velur taluks. After all bifurcation Attur division and Vazhapadi taluk is formed in 1998, In December 2013 Salem taluk is divided into Salem, Salem west and Salem South taluks. In January 2015 Attur taluk was divided into Attur and Pethanaickenpalayam taluk. In January 2016 Omalur taluk was divided into Omalur and Kadayampatti taluks.

Taluks

The Salem district of the Madras presidency had 12 taluks, namely:

1. Salem
2. Attur
3. Yercaud
4. Omalur
5. Sankakiri
6. Tiruchengodu
7. Rasipuram
8. Namakkal
9. Hosur
10. Krishnagiri
11. Harur
12. Dharmapuri

Demographics

Salem District’s population was 2,869,228 according to the 1941 census. It is the second most populous district in Madras state after Visagapatinam. Kongu Tamil is the most spoken language in this region.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Salem, Tamil Nadu
Salem is one of the most important and most developed district in Madras presidency and even in modern Tamil Nadu, where industrial development took place, most notably Steel Industries and the TVS Group established in Hosur by T. V. Sundaram Iyengar.

Waterways were formerly extremely important but are almost extinct now. Limited boating takes place for pleasure or fishing on the Mahanadi. The nearest airport, Biju Patnaik International Airport is about 30 km away from Cuttack city.

Economy

Cuttack is widely known as the commercial capital of Odisha. It is believed to have the largest GDP among all cities in Odisha due to its large business houses and wide range of industries ranging from ferrous alloys, steel and logistics to agriculture and traditional industries like textiles and handicrafts. There are many trading houses in the city renowned nationally and internationally. The Port of Paradip around 85 km from the city facilitates the process.

Large-scale industries

There are 11 large-scale industries in and around Cuttack mostly in Choudwar and Athagarh and many more in the pipeline. These industries include steel, power, automobile, alloys, fireclay, etc. Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys, the country’s largest producer of ferrous alloys is in Choudwar, Cuttack. A mega-auto complex is in implementation stages on the city’s outskirts.

Traditional industries

The legacy of Cuttack in traditional industries is enviable. The city is second-largest hub for textiles in eastern India after Raipur. The city’s annual textile trade generates over a billion dollars. A large textile park is planned by giving a facelift to the erstwhile Orissa Textile Mills on city outskirts. Cuttack is famous for its glory of craftsmanship of handicraft work in silver filigree. These fine and unique handicraft works add significantly to the local economy.

Logistics and other industries

The number of medium- and small-scale industries concentrated around Cuttack is by far the largest among the cities in the state. The industrial estates in and around Cuttack numbers around eight. Jagatpur and Khapuria are industrial estates inside the city. A large chunk of these serve as ancillary industries for the big industrial houses in Odisha and other states.

Cuttack occupies a very significant place in the logistics map of the country. It connects the upper mineral-advanced districts and states to the Kolkata-Chennai corridor at the meeting point of NH-42 and NH-5 at Manguli Square.

The proximity to Paradip Port comes as an added advantage. OSL Group, one of the leading stevedore firms of the country is headquartered in Cuttack. Cuttack, being the largest business hub of the state is the nodal point of trade and transport. It also has the largest wholesale commodities market of the state at Malgodown and Chatrabazaar catering to the whole state.

Primary and service sector

Agriculture is a mainstay of Cuttack’s economy. The nearby villages are known for their high-quality and surplus production of crops, vegetables and fruits. These are usually sold at the largest mandi of the state at Chatrabazaar inside the city. The presence of Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), the largest rice research institute in Asia, adds to the importance of Cuttack in the agricultural map of the country.

Being the former capital of the state and a big business hub, many central and state government and corporate offices are in Cuttack. The service sector is quite large. The people of nearby districts are heavily depended on the city for their livelihood, contributing to the service sector and, thus, the floating population. The presence of Odisha High Court and the SCB Medical & College, the largest medical institution in the state, further nourishes the service sector. The Oriya film industry, Ollywood, is based in Cuttack and adds to its economy. Education is a major industry due to large number of universities, colleges, schools and coaching centres and caters to the neighboring districts.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1901	816,086	—
1911	835,867	+0.24%
1921	812,372	−0.28%
1931	864,780	+0.63%
1941	905,515	+0.46%
1951	935,593	+0.33%
1961	1,131,236	+1.92%
1971	1,414,425	+2.26%
1981	1,719,771	+1.97%
1991	2,052,936	+1.79%
2001	2,340,832	+1.32%
2011	2,624,470	+1.15%
source:

According to the 2011 census Cuttack district has a population of 2,624,470, roughly equal to the nation of Kuwait or the US state of Nevada. This gives it a ranking of 156th in India (out of a total of 640). The population is divided among 579,170 families. About 10% of the total population is of children below the age of 10 years. The district has a population density of 667 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,730/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 11.86%. Cuttack has a sex ratio of 940 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 84.2%, both higher than the all India average. The child sex ratio of 914 is lower than the overall district average.

Cuttack’s demographics are broadly consistent with the rest of coastal Odisha. About 28.05% of the population is urban – substantially higher than the Odisha average. This is due to the presence of the large city of Cuttack with more than 600,000 inhabitants.

Languages

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 91.36% of the population in the district spoke Odia, 4.66% Urdu, 1.24% Hindi, 0.86% Bengali and 0.78% Telugu as their first language.

Odia is the language of the Odia people and is spoken throughout the district. It is often the only language spoken outside the urban areas. Cuttack Odia is widely considered to be the standard dialect of the language and is frequently used in Odia newspapers, cinema and literary works.

Urdu, or more properly Odia Hindustani, is the language of the Odia Muslims who speak it as their mother tongue. In its general construction, the dialect is almost indistinguishable from the standard Hindi/Urdu of cities in Eastern India like Kolkata and Patna. However, the spoken dialect has a number of peculiar features due to the influence of Odia. The grammar is somewhat simplified and significant features of a patois are seen. Code switching is common and standard Urdu is always used for writing and formal communication. Most Muslims also speak Odia as a second language. Standard Hindi is the language of recent migrants from North India to Cuttack city.

Cuttack city also has small Bengali and Telugu communities who migrated during the late 19th century. The former were landlords or employed in the courts and offices while the latter were mostly labourers and menial workers. They speak their respective languages with significant Odia admixture.

Religion

Hindus are the overwhelming majority of the district’s population with more than 93.65% of the population practising Hinduism. Scheduled Castes constitute 19% of the overall population while Scheduled Tribes are about 3%. Religion plays an important role in the lives of people and temples are present in every habitation. Like much of Odisha, Jagannath is the preferred deity of worship while other gods and goddesses like Durga, Ganesha and Shiva also have large shrines dedicated to them. Almost every village has a local shrine where the presiding female deity or Gram Thakurani is worshipped.

Odia Muslims are about 5.38% of the population and are primarily concentrated in Cuttack city as well as the blocks of Mahanga, Salepur, Niali and Nischintakoili. As noted above, they are distinguished by the use of Odia Hindustani as their mother tongue. Almost all are Sunnis of the Hanafi school. Small communities of Shia – mainly Bohra and Ismaili from Gujarat are found in Cuttack city while Ahmadiyya are found in Tigiria block. Large mosques are to be found in Cuttack, Raisunguda and Mahanga areas.

Christians number about 0.46% of the population and are almost all descendants of converts from Hinduism. They are concentrated in Cuttack city and a couple of nearby villages in Athagad block. The population is mostly Roman Catholic with a large number of Church of North India adherents as well. The community also runs a number of well regarded educational institutions throughout the district.

A small community of Mahayana Buddhists numbering around 6,000 are found in the villages of Maniabandh and Nuapatna in Baramba and Tigiria blocks. This is the last remnant of a much larger Buddhist community that dominated Odisha for close to a thousand years till the 14th century. Almost all of them are weavers and produce the well regarded Maniabandh sarees. Apart from the usual Buddhist deities, a large number of Hindu deities are also a part of their pantheon. They are unique in being the only indigenous Buddhists to have survived outside the Himalayas in mainland India.

Small communities of Sikhs and Jains are also found in Cuttack city. They are mostly traders and maintain strong links with their brethren in other parts of India.

Politics

Under the three-tier system of Panchayati Raj, the district is divided into three Lok Sabha constituencies, 9 Vidhan Sabha constituencies, 1 Zila Parishad, 14 Panchayat Samitis and 373 Gram Panchayats.

The Zila Parishad is an elected body entrusted with the responsibility to oversee development activities in the district. It has 46 members including a president and a vice president. The collector is the ex-officio CEO of the Zila Parishad with the project director as the executive officer. The Panchayat Samitis are similar bodies at the block level with the block development officer as CEO. Gram Panchayats occupy the lowest rung and are headed by a Sarpanch assisted by an executive officer. Other Panchayat level officials include the Junior Engineer and the Gram Rozgar Sewak.

Most of Cuttack district is a part of the Cuttack (Lok Sabha constituency) with the exception of Niali which is a part of Jagatsinghpur (Lok Sabha constituency) along with Salepur and Mahanga which form a part of Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency.

The following are the 9 Vidhan sabha constituencies of Cuttack district and their elected members of that area

No.	Constituency	Reservation	Extent of the Assembly Constituency (Blocks)	Member of 16th Assembly	Party
87	Baramba	None	Baramba, Narasinghapur	Debi Prasad Mishra	BJD
88	Banki	None	Banki (NAC), Banki, Banki-Damapara, Baranga (part)	Debi Ranjan Tripathy	BJD
89	Athgarh	None	Athgarh (NAC), Athgarh, Tigiria, Tangi-Chowdwar (part)	Ranendra Pratap Swain	BJD
90	Barabati-Cuttack	None	Cuttack (MC) (part)	Mohammad Moquim	INC
91	Choudwar-Cuttack	None	Chowdwar (M), Chowdwar (O. G), Charbatia (C. T), Cuttack (MC) (part), Tangi-Chowdwar (part)	Souvic Biswal	BJD
92	Niali	SC	Niali, Kantapada, Baranga (part)	Pramod Kumar Mallick	BJD
93	Cuttack Sadar	SC	Cuttack Sadar, Cuttack (MC) (part), Nischintakoili (part)	Chandra Sarathi Behera	BJD
87	Salipur	None	Salipur, Tangi-Chowdwar (part)	Prasanta Behera	BJD
95	Mahanga	None	Mahanga, Nischintakoili (part)	Pratap Jena	BJD

1941165,204+0.90%

1951167,713+0.15%1961190,436+1.28%1971227,902+1.81%1981268,366+1.65%1991317,622+1.70%2001373,372+1.63%2011441,162+1.68%source:

According to the 2011 census Boudh district has a population of 441,162, roughly equal to the nation of Malta. This gives it a ranking of 552nd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 142 inhabitants per square kilometre (370/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.82%. Baudh has a sex ratio of 991 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 72.51%.

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 78.69% of the population in the district spoke Odia and 20.55% Sambalpuri as their first language.

Culture

Boudh is a new district but the civilization of Boudh area is as old as the oldest river valley civilizations of the world. As all civilization started on the banks of the river and the riverine passage was the mode of transport in the days of yore, people of Boudh claimed to be inheritors of rich culture. From 2nd century AD up to a period of one thousand years, Boudh was an important seat of Jagannathism , i.e Odia Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shakti cult in the country. Boudh is part of Odia Culture. It was highly developed educationally and culturally during the Soma Vanshi period and also during the Gangas and Surya Vanshi period.

Communal dance

Various types of dances are prevalent in the district. These are usually held during socio-religious functions. An account of some of the major dances is given below.

Karma dance

The Karma dance of Boudh is quite different from the Karama dance of the Oraons of Sundergarh District. In Boudh, the Ghasis perform this festival and dance. They observe Sana Karama festival on the 11th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadrab (August–September) and Karama festival on the 11th day of the bright fortnight of the same month. On both the occasions, males and females belonging to the Ghasi community perform the Karama dance. The girls sing Karama songs and the boy play on the Mrudunga and Madala. They generally sing songs relating to goddess Karama whom they worship on the occasion.

Danda Nata

Danda Nata is a ritual dance and is very popular in Boudh. The participants of the dance are the devotees of the god Hara and goddess Parvati. They perform the dance in the month of Chaitra (March–April) and Vaishakha (April–May).

Dalkhai dance

The people of Boudh perform this dance during the month of Aswina (September–October) on the occasion of Bhaijuntia (Bhatri Dwitya) In this dance young girls stand in a line or in a semi-circular pattern with songs known as Dalkhai songs.

Fairs and festivals

The Hindus of the district observe a number of festivals all year round. These festivals may broadly be divided into two categories, viz. domestic festivals observed in each household and public festivals and fairs where people congregate in large numbers on some auspicious days. The domestic festivals are confined to worship of family deities, observance of Ekadashi, various vratas, etc. most of them being guided by phases of the moon. The public festivals are usually religious ceremonies attended by a large number of men, women, and children who come for worship as well as entertainment. An account of some of the important festivals in the district is given below.

Chuda Khai Jatra

This function is observed in the last Friday of Margasira (November–December) wherein both males and females gather in a place and scold each other in filthy languages and also fight each other. The concept behind this is that by such function the land will yield good crops.

Ratha Jatra

The Ratha Jatra or Car Festival of Lord Jagannath is held on the 2nd day of the bright fortnight in the month of Asadha (June–July). The festival is observed at different places of Boudh, but the festival observed in the Boudh town deserves special mention. During this festivals, people of this district wear new dresses and make delicious food. Thousands of people from nearby villages of the district congregate at Boudh for this occasion. The Raja of Boudh performs the ritual as in case of Ratha Jatra of Puri. The three deities – Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are taken in a car from the main temple to the Mausima temple. The deities stay there for 7 days. During this time different types melas, mina bazaar are organized at Boudh as large numbers of people come to Boudh.

Laxmi Puja

Laxmi Puja is observed in almost all Hindu households on every Thursday in the month of Margasira (November–December). The Hindu women celebrate this festival with great austerity and devotion. On the Thursdays, the house and the courtyard are decorated with chita or alpana designs, and Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, is evoked and worshipped. The last Thursday of the month marks the end of the Puja when rice cakes and other preparations of sweets are offered to the goddess.

Nuakhai

Nuakhai is an agricultural festival. It is observed more or less in all parts of the district. This ceremony generally takes place in the bright fortnight of Bhadraba (August–September) on an auspicious day fixed by the astrologer. On this occasion, preparations of new rice are offered to gods, goddesses, and ancestors, after which members of the family along with friends and relatives partake of the new rice. The head of the family officiates in this function.

Sivaratri

Sivaratri festival is observed in all Siva temples on the 14th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Phalguna (February–March). The devotees remain awake throughout the night and worship Lord Siva. At midnight a lamp called Mahadipa is taken to the top of the temple and is kept burning throughout the night. The devotees break their fast after seeing the Mahadipa. This festival is observed with great pomp and splendor in the Siva temple of Boudh town namely Matengeswar, Chandrachuda, Mallisahi, and at Charisambhu (Jagati), Karadi, Sarsara, Dapala, Bhejigora, and Raniganj.

Dasahara

The Durga Puja and Dasahara festivals are celebrated during the bright fortnight in the month of Aswina (September–October). Generally, this Puja continues for 4 days from Saptami up to Dasami. The images of goddess Durga are worshipped in a few places in the district of which celebrations held at Boudh town and at Sakta shrine of Purunakatak deserve special mention.

Dasahara has a special significance to the warrior caste. They worship their old weapons of war and exhibit physical feats on the occasion. Their heroic forebears used to start on fresh military expeditions during this season of the year.

Dola Jatra

Dola Jatra is usually celebrated from the day of Phagu Dasami to Phagu Purnima. In some places, it is observed from the next day of Phagu Purnima to Chaitra Krishna Panchami. On this occasion, the images of Radha and Krishna are placed in a decorated biman and carried in procession to the accompaniment of music. At places, the bimans carrying Radha-Krishna images from different places assemble together for a community worship. This assembly of the gods called melan is usually celebrated with great pomp and show. This is the main festival of the people belonging to the Gaura caste. They worship the cow and play naudi (a play with sticks) by singing songs relating to Radha and Krishna.

Puajiuntia and Bhaijiuntia

The Puajintuia ceremony is celebrated on the 8th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Aswina (September–October). On this occasion almost all the mothers worship the deity Dutibahana for long life and prosperity of their sons.

On the 8th day of the bright fortnight of Aswina (September–October), Bhaijiuntia is observed. The sisters worship goddess Durga on this occasion for the long and happy life of their brothers.

Ramaleela

Ramanavami or Ramaleela celebration is celebrated during the month of Chaitra. It is observed for 8 to 30 days at different temples of Rama. It is a dance drama in open theatre for the entertainment of people during which seven parts of the epic Ramayana is being played by different artists on different nights. It is observed with great pomp and shows in Raghunath temple at Boudh town for 18 days. It is also famously observed at Laxmiprasad village of Boudh town. It is also observed with religious fervor at Raghunath Jew temple of Debgarh and in the village Bahira.

Kailashi Jatra

Kailashi or Kalashi Jatra is observed on the 11th day of bright fortnight of Kartika which is also an auspicious month for Hindu. It is observed in the kalashi kothi (worshipping place). The walls of the kalashi kothi is painted with different god and goddess. A special type of musical instrument called Dhunkel is being played during this occasion inside the worshipping place. Girasinga is famous for this festival in the district. It is also observed in Palas, Landibandha, Gandhinagar Khuntbandha, Chandrapur, gundulia, Sarsara, Samapaju, Sidhapur, Khaligaon, Ramgad and Khaliabagicha of Boudh town.

Christian festivals

The Christians of the district observe New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with great pomp and show.

Muslim festivals

The Muslim inhabitants celebrate Id-Ul-Fitre, Id-Ul-Zuha, Shab-E-Barat, Shab-E-Quadar, Juma-Tul-Wida, Muharram, Shab-E-Meraj, Milad-Un-Nabi, and Ramzan like their fellow brethren in other parts of the state.

Recreation

Leisure and recreation are essential for life. People usually gather in the evening at the temple or in a common place where the priest or Puran panda recites and explains from the religious texts like the Bhagabat, the Mahabharat, the Ramayan, the Haribansa, or other Puranas. The singing of Bhajan or kirtan accompanied with musical instruments like khanjani, gini, mrudanga or harmonium is also another popular form of entertainment for the people. Occasionally acrobatic feats, monkey dance, beard dance, and snake charming and magic performed by itinerant professional groups also provide entertainment to the people. In urban areas cinema, opera are a common source of entertainment. Besides this recreational clubs are also functioning in the district.

Tourism

Boudh is known for its century-old temples, ancient Buddha statues, and caves. With the spread of Saivism, Vaishnavism and a number of other cults, numerous shrines dedicated to various deities were found in this region.

Buddha Statues

Three remarkable Buddhist statues are found in Boudh are indicative of the fact that it was once a center of Buddhist culture. One of the statues is present in Boudh town. The total height of this image is 6 ft. 9 inches of which the seated figure measures 4 ft. 3 inches in height and 3 ft. 10 inches from knee to knee. It is seated in the bhumisparsa mudra on a lotus throne 1 ft. 2 inches in height placed on a pedestal 11 inches in height and 4 ft. 6 inches in breadth. The whole image is built up in sections with carved stones. The only attendant figures are two Gandharvas flying with garlands in their hands on the sides of the head. On the whole, this colossus of Boudh compares favourably with similar colossi at Udayagiri and Lalitgiri in Cuttack district. The image is uninscribed and beneath the pedestal is the ancient stone pavement of the original shrine. This appears to be the site of an ancient Buddhist monastery the remains of which are still to be found.

At a distance of 40 km. from Boudh town the image of Buddha is in the village shyamsundarpur. The height of the statue is 5 ft. and the image is in the same posture as in Boudh town. Here also the only attendant figures are two Gandharvas flying with garlands in their hands at the back of the Budhha statue. The image is built up of sandstone. Locally it is known as Jharabaudia Mahaprabhu.

Another Budhha statue is also seen in the village Pragalapur, which is 2 km from Shyamsundarpur. The height of this statue is 3.5 ft. In the left-hand side of the statue there are three numbers of the invisible image and on the right-hand side, their lies five numbers of an image called ugratara.

Ramanath Temple

A group of three temples of Siva at Boudh town are called the Rameswar or Ramanath temples, dating back to the 9th century AD are reputed for their special feature. The decorative motifs and the plastic art of three temples at Boudh are certainly superior to and older than the great Lingaraj and Ananta Vasudeva group. One particular feature of the Ramanath temple is worth particular attention. Their plan is quite different from any other temples. In plan, these temples are eight-rayed stars and the argha-pattas of the lingas are also similar. These magnificent temples built of red sandstone and profusely carved are stated to have been constructed in the mid-9th century AD. The temples with rich texture and curved surfaces are noteworthy. Each of these temples stands by itself on a raised platform, and consists of a cell and an attached portico. The minute recesses and angularities produce a charming effect of light and shade and confer an appearance of greater height from the continued cluster of vertical lines than they really possess. Archaeological Survey of India has preserved this temple.

Jogindra Villa Palace

This is the palace of ex-Ruler of Boudh locally known as Raja batis. This was constructed during the reign of Raja Jogindra Dev, who was a benevolent and generous ruler. The palace is a picturesque and handsome building commanding a fine view of Mahanadi.

Hanuman Temple

This temple is situated in the midst of the river Mahandai to the east of Boudh town. The Hanuman temple was constructed by a religious mendicant. This shrine was constructed on a large stone. The temple commands an extensive view, especially during rain when the Mahanadi is in full bloom.

Chandra Chuda and Matengeswar Temple

The Chandra Chuda and Matengeswar temple are situated on the bank of river Mahanadi in Boudh town. Both the temples are Shiva temples. In the Matengeswar temple, there is also a separate temple for goddess Parvati.

Madan Mohan Temple

In Madan Mohan temples idol of Radha-Krishna has been worshipped. One Gayatri Pragnya Mandir is also situated at the adjacent to these temples.

Jagannath Temple

This temple is one of the ancient temples of Odisha. It is situated in the heart of Boudh town.

Debagarh

The Raghunath temple at Debagarh is 14 km from Boudh town. The marble statue of Rama, Laxman, Sita and Hanuman are being worshipped here. There is also a pond here.

Chari Sambhu Temple

The Chari sambhu temple was previously named as Gandharadi temple. It is situated near the village Jagati at a distance of 16 km. from Boudh. It is the renowned twin temples of Nilamadhava and Sidheswar. These temples were constructed under the patronage of the Bhanja rulers of Khinjali mandala in the 9th century AD. These two temples were built on one platform which is exactly similar to each other. The one on the left hand is dedicated to Siva named Siddheswar and its shikhara is surmounted by a Sivalinga. The second is dedicated to Vishnu, named Nilamadhava and its shikhara is surmounted by a wheel of blue chlorite. The principle of construction of the jagamohans at Gandhara is slightly different from that of other temples. Their roofs are built on the cantilever principle and originally it appears to have been supported on twelve large pillars arranged as a hollow square.

Thus each side had four pillars of which the central ones flanked an opening. Originally these two jagamohanas appear to have been open on all sides; but later on, the lintels on all sides appear to have given away and then it became necessary to fill in the gaps between pillars with the exception of the four openings with ashlar masonry. At the same time, the side openings were filled up with a jali or lattice of blue chlorite towards the bottom and a frieze of four miniature temple shikhara over it. This arrangement is not followed in later temples where the ingress of light into jagamohana is through four or five stone pillars in the opening used as window bars.

The style of ornamentation in the jagamohans of the Gandharadi temples is altogether different. Even stylized chaitya-windows are rarely to be seen at Gandharadi except at the bases of the pilasters of the vimana. the ornamentation on these two jagamohans is very simple and much less overcrowded. The importance of the Gandharadi temples lies in the fact that they provide a link and that a very important one, in the chain of the evolution, in the chain of the evolution of the medieval Orissa temple type.

The Gandharadi temple is also locally known as ‘Chari Sambhu Mandira‘ (the temple of four Sambhus or Siva lingas). In the Siva temple Siddheswar is the presiding deity. In the Jagamohan, to the left of the door leading to the sanctum is the siva Linga called Jogeswar and to the right of the door is the linga called Kapileswar. At a little distance from Siddheswar stands the temples of Paschima Somanath (Siva), the door of the temple opening to the west.

Some images of considerable antiquity are found worshipped in shrines nearby. Notable among them are the images of Ganesh in the temple of Paschima Somanath and an image of eight armed Durga worshipped under a banyan tree, the later image being badly eroded due to the vagaries of weather. These images probably once adorned the Siddheswar temple. Portions of carved doorsteps in black chlorite and other decorative motifs have been unearthed. In the vicinity of the temple. Five feet (1.52 meters) high Hanuman image of good workmanship is being worshipped near the village Jagati and a carved Nabagraha slab is lying in the cornfield. Archaeological Survey of India has preserved this place.

Purunakatak

Purunakatak, 30 km from Boudh on Boudh-Bhubaneswar road, is a trading center of some importance. Goddess Bhairabi is the presiding deity of Boudh District. Durga puja festival is observed here for 16 days. Just opposite to the Bhairabi temple is the temple of Maheswar Mahadev. One Inspection Bungalow is nearby for staying.

Places of Interest

• Padmatola Sanctuary
• Dambarugada Mountains
• Nayakpada Cave (Patali Shrikhetra)
• Marjakud Island

Apart from the above places, there are numerous places in Boudh for tourist visits e.g. Asurgada, Shiva temple at Karadi, Sarsara and Baunsuni, Jatasamadhi temple at Balasinga (Temple of Mahima Cult), and Paljhir Dam.

Legislation

Vidhan Sabha Constituencies

The following are the 2 Vidhan sabha constituencies of Boudh district and the elected members of that area.

No.	Constituency	Reservation	Extent of the Assembly Constituency (blocks)	Member of 15th Assembly	Party
85	Kantamal	None	Kantamal, Boudh (part)	Mahidhar Rana	BJD
86	Boudh	None	Harbhanga, Boudhgarh (NAC), Boudh (part)	Pradip Kumar Amat	BJD

Star Wars92% (130 reviews)90 (24 reviews)N/AThe Empire Strikes Back94% (102 reviews)82 (25 reviews)N/AReturn of the Jedi82% (94 reviews)58 (24 reviews)N/AStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace52% (232 reviews)51 (36 reviews)A−Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones65% (253 reviews)54 (39 reviews)A−Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith80% (299 reviews)68 (40 reviews)A−Star Wars: The Force Awakens92% (437 reviews)80 (55 reviews)AStar Wars: The Last Jedi90% (472 reviews)84 (56 reviews)AStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker51% (495 reviews)54 (61 reviews)B+Spin-off filmsStar Wars: The Clone Wars18% (171 reviews)35 (30 reviews)B−Rogue One: A Star Wars Story84% (446 reviews)65 (51 reviews)ASolo: A Star Wars Story69% (475 reviews)62 (54 reviews)A−Television filmsStar Wars Holiday Special27% (15 reviews)N/AN/AThe Ewok Adventure21% (14 reviews)N/AN/AEwoks: The Battle for Endor33% (3 reviews)N/AN/A

Accolades

Academy Awards

The eleven live-action films together have been nominated for 37 Academy Awards, of which they have won seven. The films were also awarded a total of three Special Achievement Awards. The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi received Special Achievement Awards for their visual effects, and Star Wars received a Special Achievement Award for its alien, creature and robot voices.

Film	Best Picture	Best Director	Best Supporting Actor	Best Original Screenplay	Best Costume Design	Best Film Editing	Best Makeup	Best Original Score	Best Production Design	Best Sound Editing	Best Sound Mixing	Best Visual Effects	Ref.
Star Wars	Nominated		Nominated	Nominated	Won		category not yet introduced	Won			Won	Won
The Empire Strikes Back								Nominated				Special Achievement
Return of the Jedi										Nominated
The Phantom Menace												Nominated
Attack of the Clones
Revenge of the Sith							Nominated
The Force Awakens						Nominated		Nominated		Nominated	Nominated
Rogue One
The Last Jedi								Nominated		Nominated
Solo												Nominated
The Rise of Skywalker								Nominated		Nominated		Nominated

Grammy Awards

The franchise has received a total of fifteen Grammy Award nominations, winning six.

Film	Album of the Year	Best Pop Instrumental Performance	Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media	Best Instrumental Composition	Ref.
Star Wars	Nominated	Won	Won	Won
The Empire Strikes Back		Nominated	Won	Won
Return of the Jedi			Nominated
The Phantom Menace			Nominated
Revenge of the Sith			Nominated	Nominated
The Force Awakens			Won
Solo				Nominated

Notes

Library of Congress

In 1989, the Library of Congress selected the original Star Wars film for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry, as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The Empire Strikes Back was selected in 2010. 35mm reels of the 1997 Special Editions were the versions initially presented for preservation because of the difficulty of transferring from the original prints, but it was later revealed that the Library possessed a copyright deposit print of the original theatrical releases. By 2015, Star Wars had been transferred to a 2K scan which can be viewed by appointment.

Emmy Awards

Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure was one of four films to be juried-awarded Emmys for Outstanding Special Visual Effects at the 37th Primetime Emmy Awards. The film was additionally nominated for Outstanding Children’s Program but lost in this category to an episode of American Playhouse.

At the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor and the CBS documentary Dinosaur! were both juried-awarded Emmys for Outstanding Special Visual Effects. The film additionally received two nominations for Outstanding Children’s Program and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Special.

Unproduced and rumored films

In early 2013, Bob Iger announced the development of a spin-off film written by Simon Kinberg, reported by Entertainment Weekly to focus on bounty hunter Boba Fett during the original trilogy. In mid-2014, Josh Trank was officially announced as the director of an undisclosed spin-off film, but had left the project a year later due to creative differences, causing a teaser for the film to be scrapped from Star Wars Celebration. In May 2018, it was reported that James Mangold had signed on to write and direct a Fett film, with Kinberg attached as producer and co-writer. By October, the Fett film was reportedly no longer in production, with the studio instead focusing on The Mandalorian, which utilizes a similar character design.

In August 2017, it was rumored that films focused on Jabba the Hutt, and Jedi Masters Obi-Wan and Yoda were being considered or were in development. Stephen Daldry was reportedly in early negotiations to co-write and direct the Obi-Wan movie. At D23 Expo in August 2019, it was announced that a streaming series about the character would be produced instead.

Felicity Jones, who played Jyn Erso in Rogue One, has the option of another Star Wars film in her contract; notwithstanding her character’s fate in Rogue One, it has been speculated that she could return in other anthology films. In 2018, critics noted that Solo was intentionally left open for sequels. Alden Ehrenreich and Emilia Clarke confirmed that their contracts to play Han Solo and Q’ira extended for additional films, if required.

An unannounced film centered around the Mos Eisley Spaceport was reportedly put on hold or cancelled in mid-2018, leading to rumors of the cancellation or postponement of the anthology series. Lucasfilm swiftly denied the rumors as “inaccurate”, confirming that multiple unannounced films were in development.

Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were to write and produce a trilogy of Star Wars films scheduled to be released in December 2022, 2024, and 2026, which were first announced to be in development in February 2018. However, citing their commitment to a Netflix deal, the duo stepped away from the project in October 2019. Kennedy stated her openness to their returning when their schedules allow.

Additionally, though unconfirmed by Lucasfilm, BuzzFeed reported in May 2019 that Laeta Kalogridis was writing the script for the first film in a potential Knights of the Old Republic trilogy. In January 2020, a film set in the era of The High Republic was rumored to be in development.