Brajarajnagar

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]

Local leaders like Mrutyunjaya Dash and Rajkumari Dash from Telenpali and comrades had put valiant efforts during the freedom struggle of India.

Brajarajnagar is located at 21.82°N 83.92°E / 21.82; 83.92.[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. Brajrajnagar also has very large area which includes many villages like Remja, Telenpali, Khaliakani, Gandaghora, Khaliamal, Nuadihi, Gandhichowk, Badheikata, Barghat Quarter, Junenmunda, 9number, Lamtibahal, Mandalia, Hilltop colony, BhootBanglouw, GMcomplex, Minesrescue station, Sanjob, Badjob, Kusamunda, ESIchowk, Sargimal, Baghrachaka, Ainlapali, Amdarha, Baghiaberna, Balangibahal, Baliput, Barpali, Beleidhuda, Bhoimunda, Bundia, Chandnimal, Charbhati, Chelkuthi, Chichinda, Deogaon, Ghusuramunda, Gourmal, Kandakuda, Katapali, Kechhobahal, Koilaga, Kudopali, Loising, Madhupur, Naikdihi, Niktimal, Nuamunda, Rajpur, Rankata, Tharkaspur, Tileimal.

As of 2011 India census,[5] Brajarajnagar had a population of 80,403. 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.

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.

TRL Krosaki Refractories Limited (Formerly Tata Refractories Limited, )[1] is an Indian refractory company. It was established in 1958 in Belpahar, a city in Jharsuguda district of Odisha.

It mainly produces basic, dolomite, high alumina, monolithics, silica, flow control products and tap hole clay refractories having a consolidated installed capacity of 304,760 tonnes per annum

The current MLA from Brajarajnagar Assembly Constituency is Mr. Kishor Kumar Mohanty of BJD, who won the seat in State elections of 2019 defeating Mrs.Radha Rani Panda of Bhartiya Janta Party. Mr Anup Kumar Sai is three times MLA in Brajraj Nagar assembly constituency from 2001to2014 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] Mr.Suresh Pujari of BJP is currently the M.P. from Bargarh (Lok Sabha constituency).

• Gandghora High School
• Neheru Memorial M.E. School, Rajpur
• 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.

Major festivals celebrated in the Brajrajnagar are:

• Nuakhai: This is an important festival for the people of Western Odisha. An agricultural festival celebrated to welcome the new rice of the season. 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.
• Gokulashtami (Prathamastami)Yatra is one of the oldest celebrated festival observed in Rajpur village.
• Nagachaturthi Yatra is one of the oldest celebrated in Nuadihi village.
• Shirdi Sai Palki Yatra is one of the famous festival observed on the day of Makar Sankranti.

• 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
• Cineplex (Vikram Talkies) - Single screen advanced cinema hall
• Maa MulaBhudi Mandir (Gandaghora)
• Maa Samalei Mandir (Rajpur)
• Shiv Mandir (Nuadihi)
• Shirdi Sai Mandir (Gandhichowk)

• Orient Paper Mill to reopen ( http://jsglive.in/2017/05/11/orient-paper-mill-brajrajnagar-is-likely-to-be-re-open/)
• Jharsuguda district, Official website
• Brajarajnagar