Subarnapur district, also known as Sonepur district, is an administrative district in the western part of the Indian state of Odisha. The district headquarters is located at Sonepur town. The district is named after its principal town, which historically served as the capital of a former princely state.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| State | Odisha |
| Country | India |
| Headquarters | Sonepur |
| Region | Western Odisha |
| Type | District |
| Official language | Odia |
Subarnapur district was carved out of the erstwhile Bolangir district and constituted as a separate district as part of the reorganisation of districts in Odisha during the 1990s, when the state government increased the number of districts to improve administrative reach. Prior to its formation as a district, Sonepur was the capital of a feudatory princely state during the British period, and after the integration of princely states into India in 1948, the area was merged into the Odisha province.
The district lies in the western Odisha plateau region. It is bounded by Bargarh district and Sambalpur district to the north, Boudh district to the east, Balangir district to the west, and parts of the Mahanadi basin to its south-east. The Mahanadi and Tel rivers flow through or along the district, and their confluence near Sonepur is locally significant. The terrain consists largely of alluvial plains interspersed with low hills, supporting paddy cultivation and other agricultural activities.
The district is administered by a District Collector and Magistrate appointed by the Government of Odisha. For revenue administration, the district is divided into sub-divisions, tahasils and revenue blocks. For local self-government, the district has gram panchayats at the village level, panchayat samitis at the block level, and a zilla parishad at the district level. Sonepur town is administered by a municipal body.
The economy of Subarnapur district is predominantly agrarian, with paddy being the principal crop. The district is also well known for handloom weaving, particularly the Bomkai and traditional tie-and-dye Sambalpuri textiles produced by weaver communities, and these handlooms are among the recognised cultural products of western Odisha.
Sonepur town has historically been called the Second Varanasi in regional tradition, owing to the large number of temples within and around it. The district preserves a rich tradition of stone and wooden temple architecture, classical and folk performing arts, and religious festivals associated with Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shaktism. Major fairs and rath yatras are observed annually in Sonepur town.
The district is connected by state highways to neighbouring districts, and rail connectivity is available through stations on lines linking western Odisha to the rest of the state. The nearest major rail junctions and airports lie in adjoining districts.