Bhubaneswar Development Authority

Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa is a unique amalgamation of tradition and modernism. Dotted with temples of the past era glorifying several Hindu Gods & Goddesses, it is rightly termed as a "City of Temples". It is a city which has seen the advent of many faiths like Hinduism, Jainism & Buddhism and their peaceful coexistence with each other that has resulted in reinforcing its secular image in the country. While the old city preserves the golden chapters of history, the modern city boasts itself as being a tech- savvy state of Eastern India. Poised to becoming the premier tech city in eastern India, the city offers benefits like none other – Excellent Infrastructure leading to all round enhancement of quality of life and high quality talent pool. It has a modern cosmopolitan married to great historical and leisure places, the combination of which make it preferred destination. It is also one of the safest cities in India to live in.

History

This city witnessed some epoch making events in history. It was here that the Great Kalinga War was fought resulting in transformation of Emperor Ashoka from Chanda-Ashok to Dharma-Ashok leading him to embrace Buddhism. The city has witnessed flourishing of numerous temples with intricate Orissan architectural works showcasing the artistic skills of our sculptors. Some of the temples are Parsurameswar (7th c.AD), Vaital (8th c.AD), Mukteswar (10th-11th c.AD), Rajarani (11th c. AD), Brahmeswar, and the Lingaraj temple complex (11th c.AD). Apart from these temples, Bhubaneswar has the oldest rock-cut caves in Khandagiri, Udayagiri once inhabited by Jain monks and Dhauli where Ashokan inscriptions are engraved. Now, there stands a Peace Pagoda built by the Japanese monks.

Geographic And Demographic Profiles

Bhubaneswar is located on the eastern coastal region of India within the picturesque backdrop of its fringe areas. Nandankanan- the famous wild life sanctuary with the largest population of white tigers is located towards the northern side of the city. The rivers, Kuakhai & Daya(which carries many a historic tale in its fold) flows on the eastern and southernmost fringe of the city. The western fringe area is surrounded by a forest range with its rich ecological bio-diversity. Geographically, the city forms part of the mid-coastal plane of Orissa with an average elevation of 45 meters above the mean sea level. More interestingly, the city is centrally located between the two metropolises i.e Kolkota and Chennai being connected by East coast Railway and National Highway No.5. The city is well connected by rail and air with Delhi and other state capitals. Khurda town is located in between 200-12' North Longitude and 850-37' East Longitude. Four major roads namely, National Highway No-5 and 224, State Highway-13 and No-27 make the town accessible to important places of the town. From physiographic point of view, Khurda forms part of the North-Eastern hilly tract. The extreme part is occupied by Barunei hill range. Jatni town is located in between 200–10' North Latitude and 850-45' East Longitude. It is connected to Bhubaneswar and Cuttack by both rail and road.

Population Growth

As per the 2001 census, Bhubaneswar is classified as a Class-I town, where as Khurda and Jatni are classified as Class-III towns of the state. As per the present census, this urban complex constitutes 11.79% of the total urban population of the state. The Population growth of BDA area from 1981 to 2006 is shown in the following table.