Bhubaneswar (; ), also known as Bhuvneshwar, is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as Chakra Khetra and Ekamra Khetra (Area adorned with a mango tree). Bhubaneswar is dubbed the "Temple City", a nickname earned because of many temples which are standing there. In contemporary times, the city is a hub of sports, tourism and IT in the country. Although the modern city of Bhubaneswar was formally established in 1948, the history of the areas in and around the present-day city can be traced to the 1st century BCE. It is a confluence of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain heritage and includes several Kalingan temples, many of them from 6th–13th century CE. With Puri and Konark, it forms the "Swarna Tribhuja" (), one of Eastern India's most visited destinations.Ramesh Prasad Mohapatra, Archaeology in Orissa, Vol I, Page 47, B. R. Publishing Corporation, Delhi, 1986, .
Bhubaneswar replaced Cuttack as the capital of Odisha on 13 April 1948. The modern city was designed by the German architect, Otto Königsberger, in 1946. Along with Jamshedpur and Chandigarh, it was one of modern India's first planned cities.BBSR Metropolitan/City Population section of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are often referred to as the 'twin cities of Odisha'. The area formed by the two cities had a population of 1.7 million in 2011. It is categorised as a Tier-2 city. Bhubaneswar and Rourkela are the two cities in smart city mission from Odisha.
Etymology Bhubaneswar is the anglicisation of the pronunciation of Odia name "Bhubanēśwara" (ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର), derived from the word Tribhubanēśwara (ତ୍ରିଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର), which literally means "the Lord" (Īśvara) "of the Three Worlds" (Tribhuvana), which in this context refers to Shiva.
History
Bhubaneswar stands near the ruins of Sisupalgarh. Dhauli, near Bhubaneswar was the site of the Kalinga War (-261 BCE), in which the Mauryan emperor Ashoka invaded and annexed Kalinga. One of the most complete edicts of the Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka, dating from between 272 and 236 BCE, remains carved in rock, to the southwest of the modern city.History, Religion and Culture of India. P.180. S. Gajrani After the decline of the Mauryan empire, the area came under the rule of Mahameghavahana dynasty, whose most well-known ruler is Kharavela. His Hathigumpha inscription is located at the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves near Bhubaneswar. The area was subsequently ruled by several dynasties, including Satavahanas, Guptas, Matharas, and Shailodbhavas.
In the 7th century, Somavamshi or Keshari dynasty established their kingdom and constructed a number of temples. After the Kesharis, the Eastern Gangas ruled Kalinga area until the 14th century CE. Their capital was located in present-day Cuttack City. After them, Mukunda Deva of the Bhoi Dynasty – the last Hindu ruler of the area until the Marathas ruled Odisha from Cuttack. Most of the older temples in Bhubaneswar were built between 8th and 12th centuries, under Shaiva influence. The Ananta Vasudeva Temple is the only old temple of Vishnu in the city.Bengal District Gazetteer: Puri. P.242. L.S.S. O'Malley In 1568, the Karrani dynasty of Afghan origin gained control of Odisha. During their reign, most of the temples and other structures were destroyed or disfigured.
In the 16th century, the area came under pachamani Mughal control. The Marathas, who succeeded the Mughals in the mid-18th century, encouraged pilgrimage in Odisha. In 1803, the area came under British colonial rule and was part of the Bengal Presidency (until 1912), Bihar and Orissa Province (1912–1936) and Orissa Province (1936–1947).
Contemporary history The capital of the British-ruled and post-independent Orissa State was also Cuttack, which was vulnerable to floods and suffered from space constraints. Because of this, in September 1946, a proposal to move the capital to a new capital was introduced in the Legislative Assembly of the Odisha Province. After independence of India, the foundation of the new capital was laid on 13 April 1948. The Legislative Assembly of Odisha was shifted from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar in 1949. Bhubaneswar was built as a modern city, designed by German architect Otto Königsberger with wide roads, gardens and parks. Though part of the city followed the plan, it grew rapidly over the next few decades, outstripping the planning process. According to the first census of independent India, taken in 1951, the town's population was just 16,000. From 1952 to 1979, it was administered by a Notified Area Council or a nagar panchayat; a municipality was established only on 12 March 1979. During this time, due to fear of wild animals and forested areas, Cuttack continued to be the people's favourite destination. The government officials lived at Cuttack and came to Bhubaneswar for work. The government then forced the officials to live at Bhubaneswar. Then some traders came to set up some shops. By the 1991 census, the population of Bhubaneswar had increased to 411,542. Accordingly, on 14 August 1994, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation was established.
Geography
Bhubaneswar is in Khordha district of Odisha. It is in the eastern coastal plains, along the axis of the Eastern Ghats mountains. The city has an average altitude of above sea level. Bhubaneswar lies in Mahanadi River Delta. The Daya River is 4 km to the south and the Kuakhai River 4 km to the east; the Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary and Nandankanan Zoo are in west and north to Bhubaneswar, respectively.
Bhubaneswar is topographically divided into western uplands and eastern lowlands, with hillocks in the western and northern parts. Kanjia lake on the northern outskirts, affords rich biodiversity and is a wetland of national importance. Bhubaneswar's soils are 65% laterite, 25% alluvial and 10 % sandstone. The Bureau of Indian Standards places the city inside seismic zone III, on a scale ranging from in order of increasing susceptibility to earthquakes. The United Nations Development Programme reports that there is "very high damage risk" from winds and cyclones. The 1999 Odisha cyclone caused major damage to buildings, the city's infrastructure and cost many human lives. Floods and waterlogging in the low-lying areas have become common due to unplanned growth.
Urban structure
The Bhubaneswar urban development area consists of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area, 173 revenue villages and two other municipalities spread over . The area under the jurisdiction of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation covers . The city is somewhat dumbbell-shaped with most of the growth taking place to the north, northeast and southwest. The north–south axis of the city is widest, at roughly . Growth in the east is restricted due to the presence of Kuakhai River and by the wildlife sanctuary in the northwestern part. The city can be broadly divided into the old town, planned city (or state capital), added areas and into Units and Colonies.
The old town or "Temple Town", the oldest part of the city, is characterised by many temples, including the Lingaraja, Nilakantha Siva, Rajarani and Muktesvara temples, standing alongside residential areas. Additional structures include the Somabaresvara Siva Temple and the Kartikesvara Siva Temple. The area is congested, with narrow roads and poor infrastructure. Among neighbourhoods in the old town are Rajarani Colony, Pandaba Nagar, Brahmeswara Bagh, Lingaraja Nagar, Gouri Nagar, Bhimatangi, Kapilaprasad and Sundarpada.
The planned city was designed in 1948 to house the capital. It is subdivided into units, each with a high school, shopping centres, dispensaries and play areas. While most of the units house government employees, Unit V houses the administrative buildings, including the State Secretariat, State Assembly and the Raj Bhavan. Private residential areas were later built in other areas of the planned city, including Saheed Nagar and Satya Nagar. Unit I, popularly known as the Market Building, was formed to cater to the shopping needs of the new capital's residents. Later, markets and commercial establishments developed along the Janpath and Cuttack-Puri Road at Saheed Nagar, Satya Nagar, Bapuji Nagar and Ashok Nagar. A dedicated institutional area houses educational and research institutes, including Utkal University, the Institute of Physics, the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology and Sainik School. Indira Gandhi Park, Gandhi Park and the Biju Patnaik Park are located in the unit.
The added areas are mostly areas lying north of National Highway 5, including Nayapalli, Jayadev Vihar, Chandrasekharpur and Sailashree Vihar, Niladri vihar which were developed by Bhubaneswar Development Authority to house the growing population. With the development of the new areas such as Chandrasekharpur, the city is now divided roughly into North (newer areas) and South Bhubaneswar (older areas) by the NH-5 highway.
The peripheral areas are outside the municipal boundary or have subsequently been included within the extended boundary, including Tomando, Patia and Raghunathpur. Most of these areas were developed in a haphazard manner, without proper planning. The Master Planning Branch of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority developed the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) in 2010. According to the Odisha Development Authorities Act, 1982, the Development Authority has control over the planning for municipal areas. Apart from the CDP, BDA has also created Zonal Development Plans for some of the areas under the CDP. Bhubaneswar secured the top rank in the Smart city list in India.
Climate
Bhubaneswar has a tropical savanna climate, designated Aw under the Köppen climate classification. Temperatures in Bhubaneswar usually range from . It experiences five primary seasons: winter (December to January), when temperatures can drop to ; spring (February); summer (March to May), when temperatures can reach or higher; monsoon (June to October); and post-monsoon (November). The annual mean temperature is ; monthly mean temperatures are . Summers (March to June) are hot and humid, with temperatures in the low 30s C; during dry spells, maximum temperatures often exceed in May and June. Winter lasts for only about ten weeks, with seasonal lows dipping to in December and January. May is the hottest month, when daily temperatures range from . January, the coldest month, has temperatures varying from . The highest and lowest temperatures ever recorded in Bhubaneswar are on 5 June 2012 and on 30 December 2018. The official weather station for the city is the Biju Patnaik Airport. Weather records here date back to 1 July 1948.
Rains brought by the Bay of Bengal branch of the south west summer monsoon lash Bhubaneswar between June and September, supplying it with most of its annual rainfall of . The highest monthly rainfall total, , occurs in August.
Bhubaneswar has been ranked 7th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results'
Economy
Bhubaneswar is an administrative, information technology, education and tourism city. Bhubaneswar was ranked as the best place to do business in India by the World Bank in 2014. Bhubaneswar has emerged as one of the fast-growing, important trading and commercial hub in the state and eastern India. Tourism is a major industry, attracting about 1.5 million tourists in 2011. Bhubaneswar was designed to be a largely residential city with outlying industrial areas. The economy had few major players until the 1990s and was dominated by retail and small-scale manufacturing. With the economic liberalisation policy adopted by the Government of India in the 1990s, Bhubaneswar received investment in telecommunications, information technology (IT) and higher education.