Explore Koraput : History & Heritage

The history of Koraput goes back as far as third century BC. It originally belonged to the valiant and dreaded atvika people who fought the kalinga war to restore the empire's glory. The region successively came to be ruled by several dynasties : Satavahans, Lkshvakus. Nalas, Ganga kings and kings of Surya Vansha. Finally becoming a district of Orissa state on 1st April 1936.

The origin of the name ‘Koraput’ is obscure. But theories abounded. According to Mr. R.S. Bell former Collector Koraput, the name derives from Kora-Putti meaning ‘the hamlet of the nux-vomica- a tree that was once prevalent in the region. Another theory suggests Koraput is the corrupted form of ‘Karaka Pentho’, Literally meaning ‘hail-stone’. While a folklore says Koraput is named after khora Naiko- a valiant warrior of Nandapur kingdom.

Koraput abounds in the imprints of Orissa’s glorious past. Temples, monasteries and other historical monuments from the medieval period. breathtaking in their beauty and of incalculable historical importance, stand as footprints of time, telling the story of the eras by gone.