Jaina Antiquities in Keonjhar District (Introduction)

After the integration of the feudatory states with Odisha on 1^st January 1948 CE, the erstwhile princely state of Keonjhar emerged as one of the districts of Odisha, with its headquarters at Keonjhar. The district is bounded by Mayurbhanj district and Bhadrak district to the east, Jajpur district to the south, Dhenkanal district and Sundargarh district to the west and West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand State to the north. Covering a geographical area of 8240sq.km, the Keonjhar district lies between 21⁰ 1' N to 22⁰ 10' N latitude and 85⁰ 11' E to 86⁰ 22' E longitude. As per the administrative set up is concerned, the Keonjhar district has got three sub-divisions namely Anandpur, Champua and Keonjhar. The district of Keonjhar presents a panorama of millennia, both from the geographical, anthropological and archaeological point of view. The manifold expressions of nature along with rich cultural heritage in this district are unique in Odisha. The district consists of a compact area and divided into two widely dissimilar tracts-the lower Keonjhar and the upper Keonjhar. The former is a region of valleys and low lands, while the latter includes mountainous highlands with a general slope from north to south. The river Baitarani comes out of Gonasika hills become the lifeline of the district from the hoary past. A large number of Jaina antiquarian remains are noticed in different secluded and isolated places of Keonjhar districts, especially in the Anandapur s ub-division. Places such as Podasingidi, Vaidakhia, Anandapur, Banchua, Ana, Thunigaon, Sainkula, Panchupalli and Jambhiria are rich in Jaina antiquities.