PÁRVATÍPUR TALUK.
This lies east of the north end of the 3,000 feet plateau, and includes the tangle of foot-hills which there hedge in that table-land. These latter belong to the Agency, and are chiefly inhabited by the more civilized kinds of Khonds, with a sprinkling of Konda Doras, Paidis, Ghásis and Gadabas. The rest of the taluk resembles in its appearance and people the adjoining parts of the plain country. The perennial Nágávali bisects it east and west, and for months in every year greatly impedes communication.
The more interesting places are the following: —
Addápusila : Three miles south-east of Párvatípur; population 748. Above the village stands a conspicuous hill which differs from the many others in the neighbourhood in being covered with bamboo and crowned with a row of naked black and yellow tors and pinnacles. Several of these latter have crashed down its sides to the bottom, and under the overhanging side of the most enormous of them are built four shrines which are cared for by a bairági and have a great local reputation. In front of these stand two small brick and plaster temples of the usual pattern, and the place is picturesquely surrounded by trees planted by the faithful. The stone from this hill is being used for the new dam across the Nágávali (p. 106).
Kurupám: Twelve miles north-east of Párvatípur, on the road to Gunupur; population 2,364; the head-quarters of the ancient zamindari of the same name. The newer part of the place (founded by and called after the present Rája's father Súrya Náráyana Rázu) contains a guest-house, choultry and dispensary maintained by the estate; while in the older quarter are the remains of the former fort, in honour of whose guardian goddess, Paidi Máramma, a festival is held in Vaisákha each year, the chief rites in which are the taking in procession of nine pots, the wearing of disguises (véshamulu) and the sacrifice of a buffalo.
Tradition says that the estate was originally given on the usual feudal tenure by Rája Visvambara Deo I of Jeypore (1672-76) to an Uriya named Sanyási Dora, with the title of Vairicherla ('a spear against the enemy') which is still borne by its owners.
