Sonpur District is a recently formed district in
Orissa. Located in the western part of Orissa, Sonpur is bounded by
Sambalpur District in the north and east,
Baragarh District in the west,
Balangir District in the south-west and
Boudh District in the south and south-east. Sonpur District also touches
Angul District also. It is spread over an area of 2,284 sq km and supports a population of about 0.6 million. The district headquarters is at
Sonpur.
Archeological excavations unearthed many stone tools and coins that date back to the 1st century. The region had been under British rule from 1803. Sonpur is famous for its handloom and handicraft products. The important festivals of Sonpur are Bali Yatra, Hanuman Podi, Karma, Kalasi and Dhunkel Osha.