RÁYAGADA TALUK.
Ráyagada lies next north of Párvatípur and is in the Agency. It consists of the upper valley of the Nágávali and is a charming country. Along either side of it runs a line of hills, now advancing, now receding, sometimes rocky and bold, but oftener rounded and wooded. Between these, stretches an undulating plain, part woodland, part green fields. Among the latter, tamarind, jack, mango and other shady trees stand up singly or in groups and give the country almost the appearance of some gigantic park, and through them shows now and again the glint of some broad reach of the perennial river. The population, which is denser than in any taluk in the Agency except Jeypore, consists mainly of Khonds of the more civilized kinds, is industrious and frugal, and has an excellent outlet for its produce in the road between the Kálahandi State and Párvatípur, which traverses the taluk from north to south. Three places in Ráyagada may be referred to : —
Páyakapád : An agraháram of 431 people on the bank of the Nágávali which contains the uppermost of the five shrines (see p. 10) built along that river and is the chief place in a mokhása granted by a former Mahárája of Jeypore to Bhuvanésvara Praharázu, an Uriya Bráhman. On the grantee dying and leaving a minor son named Gangádhara Praharázu, the estate was taken under management by the Agent in 1869. Gangádhara was put in possession in 1875, but died in 1881 leaving a childless widow who was incapacitated by age, weak health and deficient intelligence; and the estate was again taken under management. The widow eventually adopted a son, to whom the estate was handed over on 25th March 1901.
Ráyagada ('king's fort') is the head-quarters of the taluk and a thriving trading village of 1,999 inhabitants. It stands 687 feet above the sea on the high red bank of the Kumbikóta-gedda (near its junction with the Nágávali) about 150 feet above the bed of that stream. Consequently, wells are useless and all water has to be carried up from the gedda. The latter flows along a fairly wide valley with steep banks which suddenly contract to form a gorge about 120 feet deep and 70 feet wide with sheer rock sides. The approach to Ráyagada used to be exceedingly difficult for carts, as they had to descend to the bottom of the wider part of this valley and then climb a severe
