Odisha360 Blog
Koraput district abounds in meadows, forests, waterfalls, terraced valleys, and darting springs. A real paradise for the nature-lover.
History
The history of Koraput goes back as far as the 3rd century B.C. It originally belonged to the valiant and dreaded Atvika people who fought the Kalinga war to restore the empire’s glory. Several dynasties, such as the Satavahans, Ikshvakus, Nalas, Ganga kings, and kings of Surya Vansh, successively ruled the region. Odisha finally made Koraput a district on April 1, 1936.
Koraput abounds in the imprints of Odisha’s glorious past. Temples, monasteries, and other historical monuments from the medieval period captivate visitors with their breathtaking beauty and hold incalculable historical importance.
Geographical Location
The district lies between 17 ° 40′ North to 20 ° 7′ North and 81 ° 24′ East to 84 ° 2′ East Longitude.
Koraput district abounds in meadows, forests, waterfalls, terraced valleys, and darting springs. This land of abundance is home to Odisha’s vast tribal population. A real paradise for the nature-lover, Koraput offers an additional benefit to the visitor of a first-hand meeting with its ancient civilization.
How to reach there?
Major Cities
Jeypore
Where to stay?
Koraput is a tribal area, and the number of tribal people residing in Koraput is also huge. One can feel the natural forests as well as the cool wind in this area. Like other districts of Odisha, Koraput also offers a number of good hotels in and around the town. Koraput provides eco-friendly stays like the Koraput Nature Camp.
Fairs and Festivals
The weekly markets of Koraput offer a multicoloured view of various colourful tribal communities coming together. Tribals descend from their hilly abodes to the market to buy, sell, mingle, and chat.
Every aspect of tribal life is charming and colourful. Tribal dance and music occupy the place of honour. The energetic and lively dances follow the beat of tapping music from traditional instruments and are a way of life for the tribals. In all seasons and on all occasions, the people sing and dance in Koraput.
Arts and Crafts
Handicrafts of Koraput reflect the vivid imagination and skilful artistry of the indigenous people—the qualities that make Koraput handicrafts stand apart. The exquisite, vegetable-dyed scarves and sarees spun by ‘Mirgan’ weavers are Koraput’s signature handicrafts, and they have earned national awards and international renown for their breathtaking beauty and rare artistry. Besides this, there are other handicrafts ranging from terracotta to metalwork.
In this wonderful land of beauty and bounty, an Art exhibition-cum-Artists’ camp on natural landscapes and the tribal way of life fits the region well and will expose its wonders on canvas. Besides, the Koraput region is rich in traditional art and embroidery. In this context, organizers hold the Art exhibition and the Artists’ camp.
Likewise, the Koraput region is also rich in traditional art, such as paper making, mask making, lacquer art, bamboo craft, docra casting, terracotta, metal works, weaving, leaf art, paddy craft, etc. To give artists exposure to the outer world and also a scope to exchange ideas with artists from other regions.