Dharakot

Dharakot is a semi-urban village and former zamindari estate in Dharakot Community Development Block of Ganjam district in the Indian state of Odisha.

Geography
Dharakot is located at 19.38°N, 84.34°W. NH-59 (Gopalpur-Khariar) passes through the town. It is located about 12 km north-west from Asika and 55 km from Silk City Brahmapur.

Administratively it consists of three subdivisions: Jahada with 85 villages, Kunanogada with 37 villages, and Sahasrango with 66 villages.

Villages of Dharakot

 * Kanagiridi
 * Panibandha
 * Baharpur (12 km)
 * Balarampur
 * Baradabili (12 km)
 * Arjuna palli
 * Kahira palli
 * Dharakot
 * Dhaugam
 * Golla Damodarpalli
 * Jaga Mohan (2.4 km)
 * Dasamaili
 * Haripur
 * Bethuar
 * Dakabaja
 * Jahada (4.4 km)
 * Jhadabandha
 * Jharapari
 * Machhakot
 * Manikapur (27 km)
 * Mundamarai (3 km)
 * Rugumu (8 km)
 * Saradhapur (5.5 km)
 * Singipur
 * Pratapur (7 km)

History
This place was earlier under Khindirisrunga (ଖିଣ୍ଡିରିଶୃଙ୍ଗ) or Khidisingi (ଖିଡ଼ିସିଙ୍ଗି) Mandala which comprised present day Surada, Dharakot, Sheragada blocks of Ganjam district (also includes some parts of Mohana block of Gajapati district).

Rajas of Khidisingi

 * Bera Patta Mallik (Last Kandha king)
 * Raja Sobha Chandra Singh (Nala dynasty descendant )
 * Raja Purusottama Singh
 * Raja Krushna Singh
 * Raja Rai Singh
 * Raja Preeti Singh
 * Raja Kirti Singh
 * Raja Padmanabha Singh
 * Raja Bikram Singh
 * Raja Baliar Singh (Last Khidisingi king)

In 1476, Raja Baliar Singh divided the Khidisingi (Sorada) kingdom into four different estates due to early demise of his elder son. Dharakot went to his second son, Raja Hadu Singh.


 * Badagada – Raja Daman Singh (Baliar Singh's grandson from his eldest son)
 * Dharakot – Raja Hadu Singh
 * Sorada – Raja Sandhadhanu Singh (also known as Abhaya Pratap)
 * Sheragada – Raja Parsuram Singh (Minor) (Represented by Baliar himself).

Rajas of Dharakot Estate

 * Raja HADU SINGH (1477-1540)
 * Raja RAI SINGH (1540-1602)
 * Raja NARAYAN SINGH (1602-1647)
 * Raja PURUSHOTTAM SINGH (1647-1699)
 * Raja RAM CHANDRA SINGH (1699-1731)
 * Raja JAI SINGH (1731-1748)
 * Raja RAJENDRA SINGH (1748-1780)
 * Raja DAMODAR SINGH 1780
 * Raja KRUSHNA SINGH (1780-1788)
 * Raja JAGANATH SINGH (1788-1830)
 * Raja RAGHUNATH SINGH (1830-1863)
 * Raja BRAJA SUNDAR SINGH (1863-1880)
 * Raja MADAN MOHAN SINGH DEO (1880-1937)
 * Raja BRAJKISHORE SINGH DEO (1937-1938)
 * Raja KRUSHNA CHANDRA SINGH DEO (1938-1946)
 * Raja PADMANABH SINGH DEO (1946-1949)
 * Raja ANANT NARAYAN SINGH DEO (1974-2003)
 * Raja KISHORE CHANDRA SINGH DEO (2003-2010)
 * Rani SULAKSHANA GEETANJALI DEVI (2010- current titular ruler)



Rani Sulakshana Geetanjali Devi is the present Rani Saheb of Dharakot since 28 May 2010.

Tourist destinations
The Jagannath Mandir and Dharakot Maharaja Palace are famous tourist destinations here.

Jagannath Mandir
The Jagannath Mandir, Dharakot is built in contemporary Kalingan architecture style by the Nala descendant Dharakot Zamindari family. The Ekadasi Rath Jatra (Cart festival) is the specialty and a different ritual compared to other Jagannath Mandirs around Odisha followed here. Around 40k-70k devotees visit during this festival.



Dharakot Maharaja Palace
This is a 600-years-old palace of the King of Dharakot. The palace is situated just beside the Jagannath Mandir.

Sati Chita (Sati's Pyre)
It is said that Raja Jaganath Singh (1788-1830), while returning to his Palace after a hunt, saw a ray of light coming from inside a hut. The Raja entered the hut and saw a holy man meditating in front of a fire. The Holy Man told the Raja that this was the place where Rani Chandama Devi had committed Sati. The Raja was impressed and immediately ordered the construction of a Math over that place, and later descendants of the Dharakot Royal family have kept the flame burning ever since, with the task of keeping the flame alive being entrusted to the Head Priests of the Math. The fire, known popularly as Sati Chita (Sati's Pyre) is tended to by a Mahant (Head Priest) at Sathi Math which is built on 9 acres of land at the entrance of Dharakot fort.

Educational Institutions

 * Royal Degree College
 * Ananta Narayan Higher Secondary School
 * Somanath Science Higher Secondary School, Mundamarai
 * Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya, Kusaguma
 * Sri Raja's High School
 * Krushna Singh Girl's High School
 * Badadanda Sahi Primary School
 * Block Colony Primary School
 * Ex-Board Boy's Primary School
 * Sri Brajeswari Girl's Primary School
 * Kotharisahi Primary School
 * Majhisahi Primary School
 * Ghodapalli Primary School
 * Pattadev Sanskrit Toll
 * Saraswati Bidyabhaban School

Banks in Dharakot

 * State Bank of India
 * Utkal Gramya Bank
 * Aska Co-op Central Bank
 * Union Bank of India, Mundamarai
 * Indian Overseas Bank, Jahada

Politics
Dharakot is a part of Sanakhemundi Assembly Constituency. Current MLA from Sanakhemundi Assembly Constituency is Ramesh Chandra Jena of INC, who won the seat in State elections in 2019 and previously in 2009 after delimitation of seats. Previous MLA from this seat was Nandini Devi (2014) of BJD.

Dharakot is a part of Aska (Lok Sabha constituency).