Gajapati district is a district of the state of Odisha in India. It was established on 2 October 1992 in Ganjam district. Gajapati district is named after Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deb, the king of the Paralakhemundi estate and first prime minister of Orissa, remembered for his contribution to the formation of a separate state.and incorporation of his estate in Odisha. The district headquarters of Paralakhemundi, formerly Zamindari, is clustered in a radius of about 5 kilometers around the geometric center of Paralakhemundi. The district is part of the Red Corridor. As of 2011, it is the third least populated district in Odisha (out of 30), after Debagarh and Boudh.
The history of Gajapati district dates back to the kingdom of Paralakhemundi. It was part of the Gajapati kingdom of Odisha. During the 12th century AD, Paralakhemundi was part of the Khemundi state. During the reign of Mukunda Dev, Khemundi was divided into 3 states: Bada Khemundi, Sana Khemundi and Paralakhemundi. After the trifurcation, Subhalinga Bhanu became the ruler of Paralakhemundi. This line of kings continued to rule Paralakhemundi during the Maratha Mughal rule of Odisha. Before the British completed control over Odisha, Parala became a feudal state of the British Raj during the reign of Gajapati Jagannatha Narayanadev in 1767. The state had some conflicts with the British administrators. King Gajapati Jagannatha Narayanadev and his son were arrested by the British. The State was then placed under direct British supervision. There was a revolt among the tribals and paikas of the state against the arrest of the king. As a result, the king was restored to office. Paralakhemundi remained under administration as a feudal state until its unification with Odisha. One of the prominent kings of Parala was Krushna Chandra Gajapati. He was an active member of Utkal Sammilani and was instrumental in creating the separate state of Odisha. Finally, with the efforts of Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati and Utkal Sammilani, the separate state of United Odisha was formed on April 1, 1936. The Paralchemundi state in Vizagapatam district was divided into two: the capital and most of the princely state remained under Odisha and the remaining Telugu-speaking areas under Madras Presidency. In 1937, the first governor of Odisha, Sir John Austin Hubback, invited Krushna Chandra Gajapati Dev to form the cabinet. Shri Gajapati was the first Chief Minister of the state of Odisha from 1 April 1937 to 18 July 1937. From 24 November 1941 to 30 June 1944, he served as Chief Minister of Odisha for the second time.
