Toshali Sands

OrissaNo. of Species 19 110 473 86 124 Al11phibians Reptiles Birds MaI11I11als orchids State Tree : Kadamba (Anthocephalus cadamba) State Flower: Ashoka (Saraca Indica) State Animal: Sambar (Cervus unicolor) State Bird: Roller or Blue Jay (Coracias benghalensis) Sancturies in Wildlife Distance from Orissa status Bhubaneswar Similipal Tiger Project and Tiger, Elephant, Boar, Bison, Biosphere Reserve Deer, Sambar, Panther, Mugger and Snakes White Tiger & Lion Safari Panther, Deer, Monkeys Birds and Reptiles. Pelican and Flamingo Turtle, Crocodile, Deer Snakes, Boar and Panther 225 kms. Panther, Deer, Boar and Monkey 100 kms. Panther, Elephant, Sambar Tiger and Deer.230 kms.

Sambar, Deer, Bear and Boar l00kms. Crocodile and Elephant 220 kms. Sambar, Boar, Panther and Wild Buffalo. Elephant and Wild Boar Black Buck, Deer and Hyena Tiger, Panther, Buffalo and Sambar Tiger, Panther and Elephant. Tiger, Panther, Elephant Bison and Deer. Baishipali near Nayagarh Tiger, Panther and Elephant 270 kms.
II
Nandankanan Zoo 23 kms. 90 kms. Chilika Bird Sanctuary Bhitarkanika via- Chandbali Kapilas Lakhari Valley near Berhampur Saptasajya Tikarapada Sunabeda
I~
515 kms. 26 kms.70 kms. Chandaka Balukhand Balimela 618 kms. 450 kms. Karlapat Kuldiha 230 kms. 195 kms.

LIST OF ZOOS AND DEER PAR:
Name of Zoo Location District Ownership
Deer Park
KapiJas Zoo Kapilas Dhenkanal
Motijharan Zoo Sambalpur Sambalpur

(a) Harishankar Deer Park Harishankar Bolangir

(b) Gandhamarden Deer Park Papadahandi Deer Park Papadahandi Nowarangpur – do Sunabeda Deer Park Sunabeda Koraput Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. Forest Deptt. Berhampur University Ctc. Municipal COrporation Forest Deptt. INS, Chilika Regional Science Centre Sundergarh Rourkela Steel Plant Orissa Tourism Dev. Corp. Forest Deptt. Forest Deptt. - do - do Taptapani Deer Park Bhanja Vihar Deer Park Taptapani Gajapati Rangeilunda Ganjam Cuttack Municipality Deer Park Rajbhavan Deer Park INS Chilika Deer Park Regional Science Centre Deer Park Indira Gandhi Mini Zoo Cuttack Cuttack Bhubaneswar Khurda BarkulKhurda . Bhubaneswar Khurda Rourkela Pantha Nivas Deer Park Chandipur Balasore Kuanria Deer Park

Orissa

Kabibar Radhanath Ray, the architect of modern Oriya Poetry describes Orissa, in a Sanskrit hymn ‘Bharat Gitika’ as Bharata-pankajadalarnidarn Utkala-mandalamiti viditam, that is, this land of Utkal is well-known as a petal of the lotus Bharat. The tone is one of reverent adoration for the symbol of sacred beauty that is Utkal or Orissa.

Kapila Samhita, an epic describes Orissa as the best land in India. It states, Barsanang Bharat Srestha, Desanang UtkalSruti, Utkalasya Sarna Desa, Desa Nasti Mahitale. That mear1s- “Of all countries India is the best and of all states, Orissa”.

The modern state of Orissa, which came to be constituted as such on April I, 1936, is a land with a hoary past. In terms of history, it is the heart-land of ancient and powerful kingdoms as Kalinga, Utkal, Odra, Kosala, Tosali and Kangoda. From the early fifteenth century onwards it has come to be consistently called ‘Odisha’ both in official and private records. Since ‘Kalinga’ is associated with Orissa’s overall prosperity and maritime glary in its early history, and ‘Utkal’ with its rich sculptural and artistic excellence in the subsequent periods, the two names are still evoked honour to designate the whole of Orissa. On similar grounds, ‘Kosala’ too is applied to its western part, while other names have been relegated to the pages of history.

Orissa is surrounded by West Bengal on the north-east, Jharkhand (formerly part of Bihar) on the north, Chhatisgarh (formerly part of Madhya Pradesh) on the west and Andhra Pradesh on the south while the Bay of Bengal washes its shores on the east. It is located between the parallels of 17°49′E and 22°34′N latitudes and the meridians of 81°27′E and 87°29′E longitudes. The geographical area of the state is 1,55,707 sq.km. It got its final shape on January 1, 1949 when Mayurbhanj, the last among the princely states, merged in it.

Owing to its peculiar geographical location and wide range of physical features, Orissa embraces a diversified floristic composition. The extensive ranges of hilly forests, several lofty peaks, long stretch of coastline, excellent riverine system, brackish waters and coastal plains altogether have endowed the state with a wide range of ecological habitats for a diverse and broad spectrum of vegetation. NATURAL REGIONS: The eyecatching beauty of this land is enhanced by the diversity of the natural regions.