Anandapur

**Anandapur** alternatively spelled as **Anandapoor** is a fictional kingdom which is the setting of Asia in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

## Description

Anandapur is an asian kingdom found at the base of the Forbidden Mountain of the Himalayas. The kingdom was located north of the Bugis Sea which held many mountains, apparently within the authority of the kingdom.

### Notable Locations

#### Districts

* **Anandapur District**: The Anandapur district was located in the centre of the kingdom. Along with holding the city of Anandapur, it held the kingdom's capital city of Nayapur.
	+ **Anandapur**:
	+ **Anandapur Royal Forest**: This forest was originally used as the hunting grounds for the rajahs of Anandapur. In 1544, the Rajah Bhima Disampati had the forest was enclosed to trap his would-be prey and also had a hunting-lodge built in the forest. In 1948, the forest was turned into a nature reserve by the people of Anandapur after British imperialism ended in the region. It was located within the Anandapur District of the kingdom.
	+ **Dakshinran**:
	+ **Nagbhatti**:
	+ **Nayapur**: This was the capital city of the kingdom.
	+ **Padipantai**:
* **Bharatmadesh**:
	+ **Bharatpur**:
	+ **Bharatsima**:
	+ **Nagpul**:
* **Bhotanta Himal**: This was the most North-West district in the kingdom of Anandapur.
	+ **Kar Gesar**:
	+ **Lamalhabdra**:
	+ **Nytagma Lakhang**:
	+ **Serka Zong**:
* **Corkhalidanda**:
* **Drukhimal District**:
	+ **Druk Ozong**:
* **Dvavarati District**: This district was located on the eastern mainland border of Anandapur.
	+ **Indrawat**:
	+ **Pa Phru**:
* **Mughasistan**:
* **Nusa Jayaraja**: This was the name given to a series of islands in the Bugis Sea on the south-east border of the kingdom.
	+ **Fort Clive**:
	+ **Gunun Gajamadah**:
	+ **Kota Basar**:
	+ **Pasarbaru**:
* **Pulao Malaya**:
	+ **Bandar Baru**:
	+ **Bukittinggl**:
	+ **Keta Bugia**:
* **Sinhaladesa**:
	+ **Rohana**:
* **Tamilaya District**:
	+ **Trigopuraguram**:
	+ **Yalaghar**:
	+ **Yalikadur**:
	+ **Yalipur**:

#### Water-bodies

* **Bugia Sea**:
* **Chakranadi River**: The Chakandri River was a rapid river which passed through the Anandapur township. The river here having been created by the snow melts of the and situated in a dense jungle filled with ancient ruins. The river itself lead to the Bugis sea, south of the kingdom. It was frequently used by the Kali Rapids Expeditions company for water-rafting.
* **Kali Madi**: This was a river in the Dvavarati District neighbouring Pa Phru and connecting to the Bugia sea.

#### City of Anandapur

The City of Anandapur was previously the royal city of the kingdom, having been adjacent to the Royal Forest and been home to the kingdom's rajahs. The city was located in the Anandapur district of the kingdom, south-west of the Chakrandi River.

* **Anandapur Theatre**:
* **Bhaktapur Market**:
* **Hotel Bukit**:
* **Kataka Tiger Camp**:
* **Leopard Lodge**:
* **Maharajah's Hunting Palace**: This was a 16th century palace used by the Royal family of Anandapur and constructed along the kingdom's royal forests.
* **Relaxed Tourist House**:
* **Tiger Temple**: The Tiger Temple is the name given to an ancient temple along the Chakranadi River which would be repurposed by the the Kali Rapids Expeditions company as a base-camp.
* **Yak & Yeti Restaurant**:

#### Serka Zong

Serka Zong or Zerka Dzong is a village found on the outskirts of Anadapur, located at the base of the Himalayas in the Bhotanta Himal district. There are no major roads or active railways that are documented to connect the village to the other municipalities of the kingdom. It is yet unclear what district it was located in though it would have been either the Anandapur district, Bhotanta Himal or Drukhimal district.

* **Discovery River Amphitheatre**: This was an amphitheatre located along the Discovery River bordering Serka Zong.
* **Himalayan Escapes Base-Camp**: The base camp for Himalayan Escapes which had open access to the railway passing through the Himalayas. It was previously owned by the Royal Anandapur Tea Company in the 1920s-1930s but abandoned in operation due to accidents.
* **Serka Zong Bazaar**: The Serka Zong Bazaar was a market which largely sold mountaineering equipment, clothes, crafted goods and Himalayan themed souvenirs.
* **Yeti Museum**: This is a museum run by Prof. Pema Dorje, PhD and is dedicated to the study of the Yeti which is said to inhabit the Forbidden Mountain.
* **Yeti Temple**: This was a ruined temple devoted to the yeti in prayers of safe passage through the mountains. It is found near the entry to the Forbidden Mountain with the Anandapur Royal Railway passing through it.

### Fauna

* **Asian water buffalo**
* **Blackbuck**:
* **Elds deer**::
* **Komodo Dragon**:
* **Malayan Flying Fox**:
* **Mountain Hawk-Eagle**:
* **Rodrigues Fruit Bat**:
* **Siamang**
* **Sumatran Tiger**:
* **White-cheeked gibbon**
* **Yeti**:

## History

The Kingdom of Anandapur was established at some point during or prior to the 16th century by a man named Ananta. Ananta originally deforested the land and hunted many of its animals until he angered the heavens. Following this, Ananta wished to live in harmony with nature however Anata's successors were not as keen with the ideals of Anata and instead exploited the lands for profit, lodging and sport hunting.

At some point in time the kingdom was put under the subjugation of the British empire. During this colonial era, the kingdom garnered connections with the organization known as the Wilderness Explorers who traveled to the kingdom's royal forests in 1912. C. 1922, the Royal Anandapur Tea Company built a tea train in the Southeast Asian village of Serka Zong to reach distant markets. The Anandapur Rail Services utilized the route throughout the 1920s and 1930s. However, beginning in 1933, the railway experienced difficulties in operating. Some blamed it on Western treks to Mount Everest, taking the train through the Forbidden Mountains and train was forced to close down in 1934.

In 1948, Anandapur regained its independence though would continue its affiliation with the Wilderness Explorers for ecological conservatism purposes. In 2005, the company Himalayan Escapes Tours and Expeditions refurbished the old Anandapur Rail Services track as a way to reach Everest base camp. Instead of a twenty-eight-day trek, staying at different tea shops, explorers took one thirty-hour train ride and they would reach the base camp. To do so, of course, they needed to go through the Forbidden Mountains. Despite warnings from the locals, they successfully rebuilt the train, opening it up to tourists though this would only lead to the yeti tearing up the recently active tracks as a means of attacking guests.

## Appearances and allusions

### Expedition Everest

The attraction of Expedition Everest is initially set in Serka Zong and is tied to the story of Anandapur.

## Connections

### Main Street, U.S.A.

Main Street and the township of Anandapur both are home to the mountaineering group *Seven Summits Expeditions*. This group is an allusion to late Disney president Frank G. Wells.

### Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar

A mask seen in the Serka Zong Bazaar and resembling those from the Yeti Museum is hung on the wall of Trader Sam's bar.

### Jungle Cruise

In 2022, an Anandapur banner was added to the Magic Kingdom's Jungle Cruise queue

### Up

Many stations for the Wilderness Explorers from Up can be found throughout Disney's Animal Kingdom. Most notably story-wise is outside of the Maharaja Jungle Trek where a plaque commemorates the Wilderness Explorers as having traveled through the Anandapur Jungle in 1912 during Anandapur's subjugation at the hands of the British Empire.

## Trivia

* Anandapur, Harambe, Diggs County and the Valley of Mo'araare all fictitious settings in Disney's Animal Kingdom used for the theming of its different, "Lands".

## References

1. ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2008/06/official-school-map-of-kingdom-of.html
2. ↑ https://allears.net/2009/10/16/maharajah-jungle-trek/
3. ↑ https://www.wdwfanzone.com/2017/08/kali-river-rapids-history-and-backstory/
4. ↑ https://www.themeparksandentertainment.com/2020/09/exploring-anandapur-backstory-of-asia.html
5. ↑ http://disneyshawn.blogspot.com/2011/04/maharajahs-hunting-palace.html
6. ↑ https://allears.net/2012/08/06/animal-kingdoms-kali-river-rapids-part-one/
7. ↑ http://www.fromscreentotheme.com/FunFindFriday.aspx
8. ↑ https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2017/02/all-in-the-details-storytelling-at-rivers-of-lights-discovery-river-amphitheater/
9. ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2018/09/laying-out-tea-leaves.html
10. ↑ http://www.fromscreentotheme.com/FunFindFridayAnandapurMap.aspx
11. ↑ https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/04/windows-on-main-street-u-s-a-at-disneyland-park-frank-wells/