Gajapati is a district of Odisha, India. It was created from Ganjam District in October, 1992. Gajapati district was named after Maharaja Sri Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Dev, the Raja Sahib of the Paralakhemundi estate (the first Chief Minister of the state), who is remembered for his contribution in the formation of a separate state, and inclusion of the Paralakhemundi estate in Odisha. The district headquarters at Paralakhemundi, formerly a princely estate, has been clustered within a radius of approximately 5 kilometers around the geometric centre of Paralakhemundi. The District is currently a part of theRed Corridor.
As of 2011 it is the third least populous district of Odisha (out of 30), after Debagarh and Boudh
