PRESENT RULER: Rani Sulakhyana Gitanjali Devi, Rani Saheb of Dharakote (The Palace, P.O. - Dharakote, Dist. Ganjam, Orissa, India)

born 1996, presently (2011) studying in Class IX at Raipur in Chhattisgarh.

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: The Ruler of Soroda or Khidisingi, divided his kingdom amongst his four sons. Dharakote went to his third son, Raja Hadu Singh. Rulers were .....

• Raja HADU SINGH 1477/1540

• Raja RAI SINGH 1540/1602

• Raja NARAYAN SINGH 1602/1647

• Raja PURUSHOTTAM SINGH 1647/1699

• Raja RAM CHANDRA SINGH 1699/1731

• Raja JAI SINGH 1731/1748

• Raja RAJENDRA SINGH 1748/1780

• Raja DAMODAR SINGH 1780

• Raja KRUSHNA SINGH 1780/1788, married Rani Chandrama Devi, committed sati in 1788, and had issue. He died 1788.

  • Raja Jaganath Singh (qv)

• Raja JAGANATH SINGH 1788/1830, it is said that Raja Jaganath Singh on returning to his Palace after a hunt, saw a ray of light coming from inside a hut. The Raja entered the hut and saw a holy man meditating in front of a fire. The Holy man told the Raja that this was the place where Rani Chandama Devi had committed Sati. The Raja was impressed and immediately ordered the construction of a Math over that place, and later descendants of the Dharakote Royal family have kept the flame burning ever since, with the task of keeping the flame alive being entrusted to the Head Priests of the Math. The fire, known popularly as Sati Chita (Sati's Pyre) is tended to by a Mahant (Head Priest) at Sathi Math which is built on 9 acres of land at the entrance of Dharakote fort.

• Raja RAGHUNATH SINGH 1830/1863

• Raja BRAJA SUNDAR SINGH 1863/1880, married a daughter of Raja Bala Keshwara Singh Marda Raja Deo of Khallikote and Atagada. He died 1880.

• Raja MADAN MOHAN SINGH Deo 1880/1937, born 2nd October 1875 at Dharakote, educated privately, presided over the Utkala Conference in 1904, Member of the Ganjam District Board, Member of the Madras Landholder's Association, married and had issue. He died 1937.

  • Raja Brajkishore Singh Deo (qv)

  • Rani Hari Priya Devi, married Raja Nageshwar Bux Rai of Bishrampur, and had issue, three sons and two daughters.

  • Kumari (name unknown)

  • Kumar Shri Brundaban Chandra Dhir Narendra, adopted to Madhupur and succeded there as the Raja Saheb of Madhupur; married and had issue.

• Raja BRAJKISHORE SINGH DEO 1937/1938, married Rani Brajeswari Devi, daughter of Raja Birabar Narayan Chandra Dhir Narendra Bahadur, Raja of Madhupur, and had issue, two sons. He died 1938.

  • Raja Padmanabh Singh Deo (qv)

  • Raja Anant Narayan Singh Deo (qv)

• Raja PADMANABH SINGH DEO 1946/1974, married a princess of Ratu (Chota Nagpur), and had issue, three daughters. He died 1974.

  • Rajkumari Khirodh Kumari Devi, married.

  • Rajkumari Roma Devi, married in Gangwal (?).

  • Rajkumari Krishna Devi, married to the younger brother of the present Raja of Khajurgaon, and has issue.

• Raja ANANT NARAYAN SINGH Deo B.Sc. 1974/2003, born 5th September 1929, educated at the Doon School, Dehra Dun; joined the Ganatantra Parishad after graduation; President, District Ganatantra Parishad Party, Ganjam, 1955/1960; Sarpanch Dharakote Grama Panchayat; Chairman, Dharakote Panchayat Samiti; Member, Ganjam Zilla Parishad; Convenor, First Panchayat Raj Conference, Berhampur; M.L.A. (Orissa) 1967/1973, 1977/1980 and 1995/2000 (four terms); Member, Executive Committee and Parliamentary Board of Swatantra Party, Orissa, 1970/1974; President, Sugar Co-operative Industries, Aska; Trustee, Utkal Sammilani Trust; Member, Board of Directors of National Federation of Co-operative Sugar Factories; President, A.N. Mahavidyalaya, Dharakote; President, Rushikulya College, Suruda; Vice-President, Swatantra Party, Orissa; General Secretary, Bharatiya Lok Dal, Orissa, 1974/1977; President, District Janata Party, Ganjam, 1977/1980; President, Janata Party, Orissa, 1980/1982; President, Janata Party Working Committee, 1982/1986; Member, Parliamentary Board, Janata Dal, 1990; Member, Public Accounts Committee, Orissa Legislative Assembly, 1995/1996; President, Nehru Seva Sangh, Ranpur; President, Balmikeshwar Anath Ashram; married Rani Shanti Devi [now Rajmata Shanti Devi of Dharakote], M.L.A. (Orissa) 1990/1995, Chairperson of Dharakote Panchayat Samiti, involved in various Womens' Organisations, third daughter of Raja CHANDRA BHANU DEB of Aul, and his wife, Rani Ramraj Kumari Pattamahadei, and has issue, one son and three daughters. He died 1st December 2003.

  • Raja Kishore Chandra Singh Deo (qv)

  • Rajkumari Asha Devi, married Kumar Narendra Shekhar Deo of Gangpur, and has issue.

  • Rajkumari Ratna Kumari, married in Ranka, and has issue. (U.S.A.)

  • Rajkumari (name unknown), married.

• Raja KISHORE CHANDRA SINGH Deo 2003/2010, born 2nd July 1961, M.L.A. (Orissa) 2004/-; Member, Committee on Members' Amenities, 2004/-; Member, Public Undertakings Committee, 2004/2005; Member, Committee on Estimates, 2005/2007; Member, House Committee on Forest Protection, 2005/2006; Member, Standing Committee on Cooperation, Textile & Handloom, FS & CW (No.6), 2005/2007; former Chairman, Dharakote Block; Member, Balmikiswar Ashram, Dharakote; President Rushikulya Mahavidyalaya, Sorada; President A.N. Mahavidyala, Dharakote; married Rani Nandini Devi, and had issue, one daughter. He died of a heart attack on 28th May 2010.

  • Rani Sulakhyana Gitanjali Devi (qv)

• Rani Sulakhyana Gitanjali Devi (see above)

OTHER MEMBERS:

• Raja of Dharakote, married the third daughter of Raja Sahib Mehrban-i-Dostan Shri Raja NARAYANA Marda Raja Deo of Khallikote.