SAMBALPUR, a town in the Central Provinces of British India, on the left bank of the Mahanadi river. It is the headquarters of a district of the satne name, lying between lat. 21° 2' and 21° 57' N., and long. 83° 16' and 84° 21' E. The Bara Pabar Hills are covered with dense jungle. The Mahanadi, near Padrnapur, contains large masses of granular limestone, resembling marble. Gold dust is washed for in the Mahanadi aud the lb, and diamonds are found at the junction of these rivers, near Hirakbuda island.
During native rule, 15 or 20 villages we,re granted rent-free to a elass called Jhira, in consideration of their undertaking the search for diamonds. When the country lapsed in 1850, these villages were resumed ; and though an attempt was made to lease out the right to seek for diamonds, the farm only fetched some Rs. 200 per annum for a short time. TJnder the native government it was the praetiee to give the jhira diamond-seekers a village rent-free, if _they produced a good-sized diamond, land being of little or no value then. The smaller diamonds they used to secrete and sell. So far as can be learned, the best stonea ever found here were thin and flat, with flaws in them, but they were admirably suited for setting in native jewellery.
The most numerous of the aboriginal tribes are the Savara (53,603 in 1872), and the. Gond (43,687), with Kol, Bhil, Binjwal, Khond, etc. In 1872, Brahmans numbered 17,552 ; the mass of the Hindu population consisting of Gaur (60,026) and other cultivating or inferior castes. The Kolta, the Agliaria, and the Brahman are the larg,est cultivators. The labourers are the Pab, Saoura, Ganda, Gond, Mali, and Gaoli races.
The Uriya Brahmans came from Cuttack and l'uri within comparatively recent times, while the Jharwa Brahmans settled here many hundred years ngo. The Uriya will not eat with the Jharwa. The Jharwa or jungle Brahmans are careful, hard-working., and intelligent, cultivating the soil, en,gaging in trade, and turning their hand to anything useful and profitable. The 3fahanti are the clerks of Orissa; they are immigrants from the districts to the east, and take occupation as clerks in govertunent offices, schoolmasters, etc.
They are an intelligent but somewhat effeminate race. The Bhulia are weavers of cotton cloths, not celebrated for fineness of texture, but for brilliancy of colour and variety of pattern they can hardly be excelled among coarse native fabrics. Cotton cloths are also made by the Mehra. The Koshti are wen.vers of tasseh silk cloth. Their manufacture is justly celebrated, the texture is very even, and the silk has a lustre which never fades, however long it may have been in wear. The Sunni. or goldsniith manufacture all the ornaments worn by the women ; these are very peculiar, un like those used in other parts of India. The prettiest ornaments made here are the kanthu, or necklaces of large gold-fluted beads, worn often by Brahman aud Rajput sepoys of the Native army. The Kewat, fishermen and boatmen, are a nutnerous and hardy race, and sometimes engage in small ventures of trade. Ghasi are grass-cutters and grooms ; they will also perform the duties of sweepers. The aboriginal tribes of the Khalsa are Gond, I'ab, Saoura, Binjwal or Binjawar, and Kol or Dhangar ; the latter came from tile Chutia Nagpur direction ; they are, as a, class, hard workine., honest, and light-hearted, and when not eno.age3 in cultivating either for themselves or for °Sens, they will take service of any kind. Road . making,paikee-bearing„ gardening, punkah-pull ing, all cotne alike to them and the women work equally hard with the inen t'liey are fond of strong drink, but apparently ou'ly give way to it on festive occasions. At certain periods of the year, women and men dance all linked togetiter in a circle, pace round in a. monotonous but perfectly regular measure, swaying"at the same time their bodies backwards and forwards, occasionally almost touchieg the ground with their heads ; they aro all decked out in their best, the women ornament ing their hair fantastically with feathers and flowers. Ghes is a chiefship attached to the Sam balpur district, situated some fifty miles west, and a littlo south of the town of Sambalpur. The ,chief's family are Binjwal (Biujawar), and were much mixed up in the Surendra Sai rebellion — C.'entral Province Gazetteer.