Asika
Town
View of Satya Narayan Temple before Rain
Nickname:  The Sugar City
Asika Location in Odisha, India Show map of Odisha Asika Asika (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 19°36′N 84°39′E / 19.6°N 84.65°E / 19.6; 84.65
Country	India
State	Odisha
District	Ganjam
Government
• Type	Chairman
• Body	Asika Notified Area Council
• Member of Parliament	Pramila Bisoyi (BJD), Aska Parliamentary Assembly
• Member of Legislative Assembly	Manjula swain, (BJD), Aska Legislative Assembly
Area
• Total	8 km2 (3 sq mi)
Elevation	30 m (100 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	21,428 [1]
Languages
• Official	Odia
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	761110
Telephone code	06822
Vehicle registration	OD-07 (Ganjam) OD-32 (Bhanjanagar)

Asika or Aska (ଆସିକା)/(ଆସ୍କା) is a town and a Notified Area Council in Ganjam district in the state of Odisha, India.^[2] Fondly known as the Sugar city of Odisha.

Geography

Asika is located at 19°36′N 84°39′E / 19.6°N 84.65°E / 19.6; 84.65.^[3] It has an average elevation of 30 metres (98 feet). It is situated at a distance of 40 km from Brahmapur on South, 35 km from Bhanjanagar on the North at the confluence of Rivers Rushikulya and Badanadi (Bara River).

Asika Sugar Factory

Asika Sugar Factory is the first sugar factory in Asia, established in 1824. The plant is located in Asika town. Asika Cooperative Sugar Industries is a large scale industry employing more than 35000 families.

It is one of the oldest in India, built by Minchin Saheb in British time. Along with the factory at Nellikuppam near Cuddalore, it was managed by Parry and Co. Due to this factory Asika Town is known as Sugar City.

The jaggery mill was started in 1848 as Asika Sugar Works and Distillery Ltd. by Parry and Co. Madras. It met with huge losses for lack of supervision and other transport bottlenecks. Thereafter, Fredrick Josheph Vivian Minchin, the Book Keeper of Biny & Co. purchased the factory and with the new Sugar Technology obtained from Germany designed and rebuilt the factory in 1856.

Demographics

As of the 2011 Census of India,^[4] Asika had a population of 21,428 (fourth largest city in terms of population Ganjam dist after Brahmapur, Chatrapur and Bhanjanagar). Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Asika has an average literacy rate of 85.76%, higher than the national average of 72.87%; with 56% of the males and 44% of females literate. 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Tourism

There are so many peacock are reserved near Aska at Cheramaria, Nalabanta, Pakidi Hill, Karnoli and Khandadeuli area and a beautiful temple named Karanjei Temple is situated .

Also many blackbucks are lived near the town. Whole west side of this area are full of these animals. And many temples are also situated at the top of small mountains. Maa Kankan Devi temple is one of them. A beautiful peaceful picnic spot.

Aska-Bhanjanagar Highway at Jhadadei Square.

Temples

Durga Puja At Aska Busstand occurred By Aska Private Bus Association.

• Satyanarayan Temple, Binayak Bazar
• Maa Fulakasuni (Odia sahi)
• Rameshwar Temple, KS Patna
• Maa Khambeswari Goddess
• Jagannath Temple (Sunambo Sahi)
• Panchamuki Hanuman Mandir
• Jaganatha Temple (Nuagam)
• Kali Mandir (Nuagam)
• Bhagabat Mandir (Nuagam)
• Radha Krushna Mandir (Nuagam)
• Ram Mandir (Nuagam)
• Pudageswar
• Subarneswar
• Nilakantheswar
• Satyanarayan
• Karanjei Goddess
• Balunkeswar
• Tirupati Balaji
• Ram Mandir
• Hanuman Mandir
• Maa Kali
• Maa Kalimukhi
• Narshinha
• Maa Thakurani near Gondopuli
• Jaganath temple main road Kalasanadh Pur
• Hunuman temple main road Kalasanadh Pur
• Radha Krishna Temple (Banibihar, Aska)
• Sai Mandira
• Maa Kankana Devi Temple, (Bhetanai)
• Ellama Potturaj (Damodarpalli)
• Maa Rajjamma Kanekamma (Dhobapalli)
• Hanuman Temple (Kotibadi)
• Gopinath Temple (Raipalli)
• Radhakrishna Mandir (Chadhiapalli)

Climate and regional setting

Maximum summer temperature is 34 °C; minimum winter temperature is 23 °C. The mean daily temperature varies from 33 °C to 38 °C. May is the hottest month; December is the coldest. The average annual rainfall is 1250 mm and the region receives monsoon and torrential rainfall from July to October.

Education

Aska is a educational hub. Many schools and old colleges are present inside the Town.

Harihar High School is built by Minchin Saheb (Builder of Old Aska Suger Factory). It is there residential area then. Also a central school is present at College Square,Aska.

Odisha Aadarsh Vidyalaya is situated at Nimina.

Aska Science College is present at Kotinada and Nimina Brundaban Chandra College is situated at Kendupadar Grampanchayat.

Niranjan Govt. Women College is situated at Khambeswari Patna infront of Maa Khambeswari Temple and Mc Mitchell Sanskrit College is situated at Niranjan Nagar.

Transport

Politics

Aska (Vidhan Sabha constituency) includes Asika N.A.C, Asika block and 12 GPs (Subalaya, Kaniari, Barida, Paikajamuna, Sunapalli, Sialia, Nandiagada, Borasingi, Ambapua, Baliasara, Bolasara and Sunarijhola) of Kabisuryanagar block. The current MLA from Asika Assembly Constituency is Smt. Manjula Swain of BJD. Previous MLAs from this seat was Sri. Debaraj Mohanty from 2004 to 2014 of BJD, Usharani Panda of the Indian National Congress in 1995, Duti Krushna Panda of CPI in 1990, Raghaba Parida who won representing INC in 1985 and as a candidate of the Indian National Congress in 1980, and Harihar Swain of JNP in 1977.^[6]

Asika is part of Aska (Lok Sabha constituency).^[7]

References