Baripada () is a city and a municipality in Mayurbhanj district in the state of Odisha, India. Located along the east bank of the Budhabalanga river, Baripada is the cultural centre of north Odisha. In recent years, it has emerged as an educational hub with the opening of numerous professional colleges. The city is the headquarters of Mayurbhanj district, Odisha's largest district by area. It houses the office of the District collector, the Superintendent of Police and the Court of the District and Sessions Judge. It lends its name to the Baripada Vidhan Sabha constituency of the Odisha state legislative assembly. History Originally the capital of the Mayurbhanj State, Baripada's antiquity is unknown. It was first recorded as Burpuddah by Major James Rennell of the East India Company in his famous Atlas of 1779. Baripada was established as headquarter of the state (now district) in the end of 18th century during the period of Sumitra Devi's ruling, which was earlier in Haripur. However, there was a proposed headquarter in the middle of Baripada and Kaptipada subdivision, which is now know as Puruna Baripada ( Old Baripada) after the headquarter Khiching and Haripur. The origins of the name are doubtful but it appears to be derived from the Bauri tribe that originally inhabited this area. The ruins of an old mud fort in the centre of the town have completely disappeared. A temple dedicated to Ambika Devi is the sole survivor. The chief shrine of the town is a Jagannath temple dating from 1575 AD. It is also the oldest structure in the area. A statue of the Buddhist deity Lokeshvara housed in one of its rooms is even older. However, Baripada developed into a town only under the rule of Maharaja Jadunatha Bhanja who died in 1863. His successors, especially Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo, added many other public buildings to the town. Baripada was linked to Rupsa in Balasore district through a narrow gauge line known as the Mayurbhanj State Railway in the first decade of the 20th century. This provided a major impetus to trade and commerce. The town continued to grow after the merger of Mayurbhanj State with the Union of India in 1949. In contrast to the planned nature of the town centre, the newer areas have tended to adopt a sprawling nature. Geography Baripada is at . It has an average elevation of 36 metres