Garhjat Range

The Garhjat hills of northern Odisha rise between the Baitarani and Brahmani river basins. Wooded ridges and dissected uplands surround the valleys, forming part of the eastern edge of the Indian plateau. The name recalls the many garhs, or fortified seats, from which local chiefs governed their territories. Keonjhar and neighbouring hill states developed in this landscape, distinct from the broad alluvial plains farther east.