This article is about the municipality in Odisha, India. For its namesake district, see Rayagada district. For its namesake village in Gajapati district, see Rayagada, Gajapati.
The city of Rayagada was founded by King Vishwanath Dev Gajapati (1527-1531 CE) of the Suryavansh dynasty of Nandapur Kingdom. It served as the capital of an extensive dominion that stretched from the confines of Bengal to Telangana in the south and was a great center of trade and commerce in the coastal regions of the country. There was also a fort constructed by the king and a row of shrines built along the river Nagavali including the temple of Majhighariani Temple who was considered the guardian deity of the place. Until 1947, the city was in the domains of the Jeypore Maharajahs.[1]
Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census,[2] Rayagada had a population of 57,732. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. In Rayagada, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age. The population of Rayagada town as per 2011 census is 71,208 out of which male population is 36,036 and female population is 35,172.Rayagada has an average literacy rate of 64%, lower than the national average of 74.4%: male literacy is 72%, and female literacy is 56%[3]
Ritesh Agarwal, the current CEO and the founder of Oyo rooms
Politics
Current MLA from Rayagada(ST) assembly constituency is Shri Kadraka Appala Swamy(INC). Previous MLA from Rayagada (ST) Assembly Constituency is Shri Makaranda Muduli of Indipendent, who won the seat in State elections in 2019 Lalbihari Himirika of BJD had won this seat in 2000.
After serving as deputy speaker of Odisha assembly, he was serving as a cabinet minister for SC and ST development minister.
