Odisha (), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is a

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

located in

Eastern India East India is a region consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The states of Bihar and West Bengal lie on the Indo-Gangetic plain. Jharkhan ...

. It is the eighth-largest state by area, and the eleventh-largest by population, with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the third-largest population of Scheduled Tribes in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It neighbours the states of

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...

and

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

to the north,

Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...

to the west, and

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

to the south. Odisha has a

coastline A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

of along the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...

in the ''

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

''. The region is also known as Utkaḷa and is mentioned by this name in India's national anthem,

Jana Gana Mana "" is the national anthem of the Republic of India. It was originally composed as " Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata" in Bengali by polymath and activist Rabindranath Tagore on 11 December 1911. The first stanza of the song " Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata" ...

. The language of Odisha is Odia, which is one of the

Classical languages of India The Indian Classical languages, or the Śāstrīya Bhāṣā ''(Hindi)'' or the Dhrupadī Bhāṣā (''Assamese, Bengali'') or the Abhijāta Bhāṣā (''Marathi'') or the Cemmoḻi (''Tamil''), is an umbrella term for the languages of India ha ...

. The ancient kingdom of Kalinga, which was invaded by the

Mauryan The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sourc ...

Emperor

Ashoka Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...

in 261 BCE resulting in the

Kalinga War The Kalinga war (ended )Le Huu Phuoc, Buddhist Architecture, Grafikol 2009, p.30 was fought in ancient India between the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka the Great and Kalinga, an independent feudal kingdom located on the east coast, in the presen ...

, coincides with the borders of modern-day Odisha. The modern boundaries of Odisha were demarcated by the

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

n government, the

Orissa Province Orissa Province was a province of British India created in April 1936 by the partitioning of the Bihar and Orissa Province and adding parts of Madras Presidency and Central Provinces. Its territory corresponds with the present-day state of Odi ...

was established on 1 April 1936, consisting of the Odia-speaking districts of

Bihar and Orissa Province Bihar and Orissa was a province of British India, which included the present-day Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and parts of Odisha. The territories were conquered by the British in the 18th and 19th centuries, and were governed by the then ...

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...

and

Central Provinces The Central Provinces was a province of British India. It comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered parts of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Nagpur was the primary ...

Utkala Dibasa Odisha Day, also Utkal Dibasa, is celebrated on 1 April in the Indian state of Odisha in memory of the formation of the state as a separate state out of Bihar and Orissa Province with addition of undivided Koraput District and Ganjam District fr ...

() is celebrated on 1 April.

Cuttack Cuttack (, or officially Kataka in Odia language, Odia ), is the former capital, deputy capital and the 2nd largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. It is also the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised f ...

was made the capital of the region by

Anantavarman Chodaganga Gangesvara Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva (reigned 17 February 1078 – 1150) was an Eastern Ganga monarch who reigned between 1078 and 1150. He was a great patron of arts and architecture who built many temples, one of them being the magnifi ...

in , after which the city was used as the capital by many rulers, through the British era until 1948. Thereafter,

Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra ...

became the capital of Odisha. The economy of Odisha is the 15th-largest state economy in India with in gross domestic product and a per capita GDP of . Odisha ranks 32nd among Indian states in

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

Etymology

The terms ''Odisha'' and ''Orissa'' (, ''Oṛissa'') derive from the ancient

Prakrit Prakrit ( ) is a group of vernacular classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 5th century BCE to the 12th century CE. The term Prakrit is usually applied to the middle period of Middle Ind ...

word ''"Odda Visaya"'' (also "''Udra Bibhasha''" or "''Odra Bibhasha''") as in the Tirumalai inscription of

Rajendra Chola I Rajendra I (26 July 971 – 1044), often referred to as Rajendra the Great, was a Chola Empire, Chola Emperor who reigned from 1014 to 1044. He was born in Thanjavur to Rajaraja I. His queen was Vanavan Mahadevi and he assumed royal power as ...

, which is dated to 1025. Sarala Das, who translated the ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

'' into the

Odia language Odia (;"Odia"
''Lexico''. , ISO 15919, ISO: , ; formerly rendere ...

in the 15th century, calls the region 'Odra Rashtra' as Odisha. The inscriptions of

Kapilendra Deva Kapilendra Deva (died 1467) was the founder of the Suryavamsa Gajapati dynasty that ruled parts of eastern and southern India with present-day Odisha as the center of the kingdom. He ascended to the throne after staging a military coup agains ...

of the

Gajapati Kingdom The Gajapati dynasty refers to the ruling dynasty from the region of modern Odisha in the Indian subcontinent, whose monarch carries the regnal title of Gajapati. The institution of Gajapati dynasty or lordship was founded by the monarchs of t ...

(1435–67) on the walls of temples in

Puri Puri, also known as Jagannath Puri, () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state ca ...

call the region ''Odisha'' or ''Odisha Rajya''. In 2011, the English rendering of was changed from "Orissa" to "Odisha", and the name of its language from "Oriya" to "Odia", by the passage of the ''Orissa (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2010'' and the ''Constitution (113th Amendment) Bill, 2010'' in the

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. The Hindi rendering () was also modified to (). After a brief debate, the lower house,

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

, passed the bill and amendment on 9 November 2010. On 24 March 2011,

Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is the upper house of the Parliament of India and functions as the institutional representation of India’s federal units — the states and union territories.https://rajyasabha.nic.in/ It is a key component o ...

, the upper house of

, also passed the bill and the amendment. The changes in spelling were made with the intention of having the English and Hindi renditions conform to the Odia transliteration. However, the underlying Odia texts were nevertheless transliterated incorrectly as per the Hunterian system, the official national transliteration standard, in which the transliterations would be and instead.

History

Prehistoric

Acheulian Acheulean (; also Acheulian and Mode II), from the French after the type site of Saint-Acheul, is an archaeological industry of stone tool manufacture characterized by the distinctive oval and pear-shaped "hand axes" associated with ''Homo ...

tools dating to

Lower Paleolithic The Lower Paleolithic (or Lower Palaeolithic) is the earliest subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. It spans the time from around 3.3 million years ago when the first evidence for stone tool production and use by hominins appears ...

era have been discovered in various places in the region, implying an early settlement by humans. Kalinga has been mentioned in ancient texts like ''

'', ''

Vayu Purana The ''Vayu Purana'' (, ) is a Sanskrit text and one of the eighteen major Puranas of Hinduism. ''Vayu Purana'' is mentioned in the manuscripts of the Mahabharata and other Hindu texts, which has led scholars to propose that the text is among the ...

'' and ''Mahagovinda Suttanta''. According to political scientist Sudama Misra, the Kalinga

janapada The Janapadas () () (c. 1100–600 BCE) were the realms, republics (ganapada) and kingdoms (sāmarājya) of the Vedic period in the Indian subcontinent. The Vedic period reaches from the late Bronze Age into the Iron Age: from about 1500 BCE to ...

originally comprised the area covered by the

and

Ganjam Ganjam is a town and a notified area council in Ganjam district in the state of Odisha, India. Brahmapur, Odisha, Brahmapur, one of the major city of Odisha, is situated in this district on the eastern coastline. Geography Ganjam is located at ...

districts. The

Sabar people The Sabar people (also Shabar and Saora) are one of the Munda tribes living mainly in northern Odisha and southern West Bengal in India. During the colonial period, they were classed as one of the 'criminal tribes' under Criminal Tribes Act ...

of Odisha have also been mentioned in the Mahabharata.

Baudhayana The (Sanskrit: बौधायन सूत्रस् ) are a group of Vedic Sanskrit texts which cover dharma, daily ritual, mathematics and is one of the oldest Dharma-related texts of Hinduism that have survived into the modern age from th ...

mentions Kalinga as not yet being influenced by

Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed ...

traditions, implying it followed mostly tribal traditions. Hathigumpha

of the

dynasty conquered Kalinga in the bloody

in 261 BCE, which was the eighth year of his reign. According to his own

edicts An edict is a decree or announcement of a law, often associated with monarchies, but it can be under any official authority. Synonyms include "dictum" and "pronouncement". ''Edict'' derives from the Latin edictum. Notable edicts * Telepinu ...

, in that war about 100,000 people were killed, 150,000 were captured and more were affected. The resulting bloodshed and suffering of the war is said to have deeply affected Ashoka. He turned into a pacifist and converted to Buddhism. By c. 150 BCE, Emperor

Kharavela Kharavela was the emperor of Kalinga (present-day eastern coast of India) in the 2nd or 1st century BC. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is undated, only four of its 17 lines are complet ...

, who was possibly a contemporary of

Demetrius I of Bactria Demetrius I Anicetus (, "Demetrius the Unconquered"), also called Dimetriya in Indian sources, was a Greco-Bactrian king and the founder of the Indo-Greek Kingdom, Indo-Greek kingdom, who ruled areas from Bactria to ancient northwestern of Subcon ...

, conquered a major part of the Indian sub-continent. Kharavela was a Jain ruler. He also built the monastery atop the Udayagiri hill. Subsequently, the region was ruled by monarchs, such as

Samudragupta Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', ( 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India. A military genius and a patron of arts, he is regarded among the greatest rulers in Indian history. As a son of th ...

and

Shashanka Shashanka Dev (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Śaśāṅka) was the first independent king of a unified polity in the Bengal region, called the Gauda Kingdom. He reigned in the 7th century, some historians place his r ...

. It was also a part of

Harsha Harshavardhana (Sanskrit: हर्षवर्धन; 4 June 590 – 647) was an emperor of Kannauj from April 606 until his death in 647. He was the king of Thanesar who had defeated the Alchon Huns, and the younger brother of Rajyava ...

's empire. The city of

Brahmapur Brahmapur may refer to the following places: * Brahmaloka, heavenly abode of the Hindu god Brahma * Brahmpur, Bihar, village in Bihar, India * Brahampur, Nepal, municipality ward in Dakneshwori, Nepal * Brahmapur, Odisha, city in Odisha, India * ...

in Odisha is also known to have been the capital of the

Pauravas The Pauravas were an ancient tribe in the northern Indus valley, to which Raja Porus may have belonged. Origins The origins of the Pauravas are still disputed. The Pauravas may be related to the Puru tribe, due to the closeness of the names. ...

during the closing years of 4th century CE. Nothing was heard from the Pauravas from about the 3rd century CE, because they were annexed by the Yaudheya Republic, who in turn submitted to the Mauryans. It was only at the end of 4th century CE, that they established royalty at Brahmapur, after about 700 years. Later, the kings of the Somavamsi dynasty began to unite the region. By the reign of Yayati II, c. 1025 CE, they had integrated the region into a single kingdom. Yayati II is supposed to have built the

Lingaraj temple Lingaraja Temple () is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the Indian state of Odisha, India. The temple is the most prominent landmark of Bhubaneswar city and one of the major touri ...

. They were replaced by the

Eastern Ganga dynasty The Eastern Ganga dynasty (also known as Purba Gangas, Rudhi Gangas or Prachya Gangas) were a large medieval era Indian royal Hindu dynasty that reigned from Kalinga from as early as the 5th century to the mid 20th century. Eastern Gangas rul ...

. Notable rulers of the dynasty were

, who began reconstruction on the present-day Shri

Jagannath Temple The Jagannath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Jagannath, a form of Vishnu in Hinduism. It is located in Puri in the state of Odisha, situated on the eastern coast of India. As per temple records, King Indradyumna of Avanti (reg ...

(c. 1135), and

Narasimhadeva I Gajapati Langula Narasingha Deva I was an Eastern Ganga Dynasty, Eastern Ganga monarch and a warrior of the Kalinga (historical region), Kalinga region who reigned from 1238 CE to 1264 CE. He defeated the Muslim forces of Bengal who constantl ...

, who constructed the

Konark temple Konark Sun Temple is a Hindu Sun temple at Konark about northeast from Puri city on the coastline in Puri district, Odisha, India. The Eastern Ganga Dynasty was followed by the

. The region resisted integration into the

Mughal empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

until 1568, when it was conquered by

Sultanate of Bengal The Bengal Sultanate ( Middle Bengali: , Classical Persian: ) was a late medieval sultanate based in the Bengal region in the eastern South Asia between the 14th and 16th century. It was the dominant power of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, ...

. Mukunda Deva, who is considered the last independent king of Kalinga, was defeated and was killed in battle by a rebel Ramachandra Bhanja. Ramachandra Bhanja himself was killed by Bayazid Khan Karrani. In 1591,

Man Singh I Mirza Raja Man Singh I (21 December 1550 – 6 July 1614) was the 24th Raja, Kachawaha Rajput ruler of the Kingdom of Amber from 1589 to 1614. He also served as the foremost imperial Subahdar of Bihar Subah from 1587 to 1594, then for Ben ...

, then governor of

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

, led an army to take Odisha from the Karranis of Bengal. They agreed to treaty because their leader Qutlu Khan Lohani had recently died. But they then broke the treaty by attacking the temple town of

. Man Singh returned in 1592 and pacified the region. In 1751, the Nawab of Bengal

Alivardi Khan Alivardi Khan (1671 – 9 April 1756) was the fourth Nawab of Bengal from 1740 to 1756. He toppled the Nasiri dynasty of Nawabs by defeating Sarfaraz Khan in 1740 and assumed power himself. During much of his reign Alivardi encountered frequen ...

ceded the region to the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

. The British India, British had occupied the Northern Circars, comprising the southern coast of Odisha, as a result of the Carnatic Wars, Second Carnatic War by 1760, and incorporated them into the

gradually. In 1803, the British ousted the Marathas from the Puri-Cuttack region of Odisha during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The northern and western districts of Odisha were incorporated into the Bengal Presidency. The Orissa famine of 1866 caused an estimated 1 million deaths. Following this, large-scale irrigation projects were undertaken. In 1903, the Utkal Sammilani organisation was founded to demand the unification of Odia-speaking regions into one state. On 1 April 1912, the

was formed. On 1 April 1936,

and Orissa were split into separate provinces. The new Orissa Province, province of Orissa came into existence on a linguistic basis during the British rule in India, with Sir John Austen Hubback as the first governor. Following India's independence, on 15 August 1947, 27 princely states signed the document to join Orissa. Most of the Orissa Tributary States, a group of princely states, acceded to Orissa in 1948, after the collapse of the Eastern States Union.

Geography

Odisha lies between the latitudes 17.780N and 22.730N, and between longitudes 81.37E and 87.53E. The state has an area of 155,707 km², which is 4.87% of total area of India, and a coastline of 450 km. In the eastern part of the state lies the coastal plain. It extends from the Subarnarekha River in the north to the Rushikulya River in the south. The lake Chilika is part of the coastal plains. The plains are rich in fertile silt deposited by the six major rivers flowing into the

: Subarnarekha river, Subarnarekha, Budhabalanga, Baitarani, Brahmani River, Brahmani, Mahanadi, and Rushikulya. The Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), a Food and Agriculture Organization-recognised rice gene bank and research institute, is situated on the banks of Mahanadi in

. The stretch between Puri and Bhadrak in Odisha juts out a little into the sea, making it vulnerable to any cyclonic activity. Mahanadi-river-delta

Three-quarters of the state is covered in mountain ranges. Deep and broad valleys have been made in them by rivers. These valleys have fertile soil and are densely populated. Odisha also has plateaus and Highland, rolling uplands, which have lower elevation than the plateaus. The List of Indian states and union territories by highest point, highest point in the state is Deomali (mountain), Deomali at 1,672 metres in Koraput district. Some other high peaks are: Sinkaram (1,620 m), Golikoda (1,617 m), and Yendrika (1,582 metres).

Climate

The state experiences four Season#Modern mid-latitude meteorological, meteorological seasons: Climate of India#winter, winter (January to February), Climate of India#Summer, pre-monsoon season (March to May), Climate of India#Monsoon, south-west monsoon season (June to September) and October Heat, north east monsoon season (October–December). However, locally the year is divided into six traditional seasons (or ''Ritu (Indian season), rutus''): ''Grishma'' (summer), ''Barsha'' (rainy season), ''Sharata'' (autumn), ''Hemanta'' (dewy),''Sheeta''(winter season) and ''Basanta'' (spring).

Biodiversity

According to a Forest Survey of India report released in 2012, Odisha has 48,903 km² of wild forest, covering 31.41% of the state's total area. The forests are classified into areas of dense forest (7,060 km²), medium dense forest (21,366 km²), open forest (forest without closed Canopy (biology), canopy; 20,477 km²) and Shrubland, scrub forest or scrubland (4,734 km²). The state also has bamboo forests (10,518 km²) and tidal areas of mangrove swamp (221 km²). The state is gradually losing its wilderness areas to Illegal logging, timber smuggling, deforestation, destructive mining, and general urban industrialisation, as well as livestock grazing. There have been attempts at conservation and reforestation. Due to the climate and good rainfall, Odisha's evergreen and moist forests are uniquely suitable habitats for wild orchids. Around 130 species have been reported from the state. Around 97 of them are found in Mayurbhanj district alone. The Orchid House of the Nandankanan Zoological Park maintains some of these species. Simlipal National Park is a protected wildlife area and Bengal tiger reserve spread over 2,750 km² of the northern part of Mayurbhanj district. The park has around 1,078 species of plants, including 94 of the aforementioned orchids. The sal tree, ''sal'' is the primary tree species. For fauna, the park is home to around 55 species of mammal, including the Bengal tiger, axis deer, chital, chousingha, common langur, gaur, Indian elephant, Indian giant squirrel, jungle cat, Indian leopard, leopard, Indian muntjac, muntjac, sambar deer, sambar, small Indian civet and wild boar. There are over 300 species of birds in the park, such as the common hill myna, as well as Indian grey hornbill, grey, Indian pied hornbill, Indian pied and Malabar pied hornbills. There are also some 60 species of reptiles and amphibians, including the famed king cobra, plus banded krait and tricarinate hill turtle. There is also a mugger crocodile breeding programme in nearby Ramtirtha. The Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary is a 190 km² protected area near the capital city, Bhubaneswar. However, urban expansion and over-grazing have reduced the forests, driving the herds of elephants to migrate away, as well as increasing human-elephant conflicts—which sometimes results in injury and death (on both sides). Some elephants have died in conflicts with villagers, while some have died during migration after being accidentally electrocuted by power lines or even hit by trains. Outside the protected area, they are killed by ivory Poaching, poachers. In 2002, there were about 80 elephants, but by 2012, their numbers had been reduced to 20. Many of the animals have migrated toward the Barbara Reserve forest, Chilika, Nayagarh district, and Athagad. Besides elephants, the sanctuary also has leopards, jungle cats and herds of chital. The Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district covers 650 km², of which 150 km² are mangroves. Gahirmatha Beach, in Bhitarkanika, is the world's largest nesting site for olive ridley sea turtles. In 2013, the Indian Coast Guard initiated Operation Oliver to protect the endangered sea turtle population of the region. Other major nesting grounds for the turtle in the state are Rushikulya, in Ganjam district, and the mouth of the Devi river. The Bhitarkanika sanctuary is also noted for its large population of saltwater crocodiles and Asian water monitors, the second-largest lizard species on earth, in addition to axis deer and rhesus macaques. The coastal mangrove environments are home to several types of mudskippers, including the barred mudskipper, barred, Boleophthalmus boddarti, Boddart's blue-spotted and Boleophthalmus pectinirostris, great blue-spotted mudskippers. In winter, Bhitarkanika is also visited by migratory birds. Among the many species, both resident and migratory, are kingfishers (including black-capped kingfisher, black-capped, collared kingfisher, collared and common kingfishers), herons (such as black-crowned night heron, black-crowned night, grey heron, grey, purple heron, purple and striated herons), Indian cormorants, Asian openbill, openbill storks, Oriental white ibis, pheasant-tailed jacana, sarus cranes, spotted owlets and white-bellied sea-eagles. The possibly endangered horseshoe crab is also found in this region. Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon on the east coast of Odisha with an area of 1,105 km². It is connected to the

by a 35-km-long narrow channel and is a part of the Mahanadi delta. In the dry season, the tides bring in salt water. In the rainy season, the rivers falling into the lagoon decrease its salinity. Birds from places as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal (and other parts of Russia), Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Ladakh and the Himalayas migrate to the lagoon in winter. Among the waterfowl and wading birds spotted there are Eurasian wigeon, Northern pintail, pintail, bar-headed goose, greylag goose, greater flamingo, common mallard and Goliath heron. The lagoon also has a small population of the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins. The state's coastal region has also had sightings of the rare finless porpoise, as well as the more common bottlenose dolphin, humpback dolphin and spinner dolphins in its waters. Satpada, Satapada is situated close to the northeast cape of Chilika Lake and Bay of Bengal. It is famous for dolphin watching in their natural habitat. There is a tiny island en route for watching dolphins, where tourists often take a short stop. Apart from that, this island is also home for tiny red crabs. According to a census conducted in 2016, there are around 2000 elephants in the state. File:Nandankanan19.jpg, White tiger in the Nandankanan Zoo File:DSC 0764f.jpg, Irrawaddy dolphins can be found in Chilika File:Vanda tessellata Orchi 001.jpg, ''Vanda tessellata'', one of the orchids found in Odisha File:Chilika Bhubaneswar.me.jpg, Migratory birds at Chilika Lake File:Bhitarkanika Mangroves Flora and Fauna 03.JPG, Crocodile in Bhitarkanika National Park

Government and politics

All states in India are governed by a parliamentary system of government based on universal adult franchise. The main parties active in the politics of Odisha are the Biju Janata Dal, the Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. Following the 2019 Odisha Legislative Assembly election, Odisha State Assembly Election in 2019, the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal stayed in power for the sixth consecutive term until 2024. Currently, BJP , who won for the first time, formed the government after winning the majority in 2024 Odisha Legislative Assembly election. Mohan Charan Majhi is the 17th Chief Minister of Odisha.

Legislative assembly

The Odisha state has a unicameral legislature. The Odisha Legislative Assembly consists of 147 elected members, and special office bearers such as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, who are elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker, or by the Deputy Speaker in the Speaker's absence. executive (government), Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister of Odisha, Chief Minister, although the titular head of government is the Governor of Odisha. The governor is appointed by the President of India. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the Chief Minister by the governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly. The 147 elected representatives are called Member of the Legislative Assembly, Members of the Legislative Assembly, or MLAs. One MLA may be nominated from the Anglo-Indian community by the governor. The term of the office is for five years, unless the Assembly is dissolved prior to the completion of the term. The judiciary is composed of the Odisha High Court, located at Cuttack, and a system of lower courts.

Subdivisions

Odisha has been divided into 30 districts. These 30 districts have been placed under three different revenue divisions to streamline their governance. The divisions are North, Central and South, with their headquarters at Sambalpur,

and Berhampur respectively. Each division consists of ten districts and has as its administrative head a Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC). The position of the RDC in the administrative hierarchy is that between that of the district administration and the state secretariat. The RDCs report to the Board of Revenue, which is headed by a senior officer of the Indian Administrative Service. Orissa State map

Each district is governed by a collector and district magistrate, who is appointed from the Indian Administrative Service or a very senior officer from Odisha Administrative Service. The collector and district magistrate is responsible for collecting the revenue and maintaining law and order in the district. Each district is separated into sub-divisions, each governed by a sub-collector and sub-divisional magistrate. The sub-divisions are further divided into tahasils. The tahasils are headed by tahasildar. Odisha has 58 sub-divisions, 317 tahasils and 314 blocks. Blocks consists of Panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities. The capital of the state is

and the largest city is

, which also functions as the deputy capital of the state . The other major cities are, Rourkela, Berhampur and Sambalpur. Municipal Corporations in Odisha include

, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela. Other municipalities of Odisha include Angul, Asika, Balangir, Balasore, Barbil, Bargarh, Baripada, Basudevpur, Belpahar, Bhadrak, Bhanjanagar, Bhawanipatna, Biramitrapur, Boudh, Brajarajnagar, Byasanagar, Chhatrapur, Debagarh, Deogarh, Dhamra,Dhenkanal district, Dhenkanal, Gopalpur, Odisha, Gopalpur, Gunupur, Hinjilicut, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Jeypore, Jharsuguda, Joda, Kendrapara, Kendujhar, Khordha, Konark, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Paradeep, Paralakhemundi, Phulbani,

, Rajgangpur, Rayagada, Sonepur, Odisha, Sonepur, Sundargarh, Talcher, Titilagarh, Karanjia, Chatrapur, Asika, Kantabanji, Nimapada, Baudhgarh, and Umerkote. Auxiliary authorities known as Panchayati raj in India, panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs in rural areas.

Economy

Macro-economic trend

Odisha is experiencing a rapid economic growth post-Covid. The impressive growth in gross domestic product of the state has been reported by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Odisha's growth rate is above the national average. The central Government's Urban Development Ministry has recently announced the names of 20 cities selected to be developed as smart cities. The state capital

is the first city in the list of Smart Cities Mission, smart Cities released in January 2016, a pet project of the Indian Government. The announcement also marked with sanction of Rs 508.02 billion over the five years for development.

Industrial development

One of the iron ore mines in Keonjhar district

Odisha has abundant natural resources and a large coastline. Odisha has emerged as the most preferred destination for overseas investors with investment proposals. It contains a fifth of India's coal, a quarter of its iron ore, a third of its bauxite reserves and most of the chromite. Rourkela Steel Plant was the first integrated steel plant in the public sector in India, built with collaboration of Germany. Arcelor-Mittal has also announced plans to invest in another mega steel project amounting to $10 billion. Russian major Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Company (MMK) plans to set up a 10 MT steel plant in Odisha, too. Nippon Steel Corporation has recently announced to set up their own plants, one of which will be the world's largest and most advanced steel plant in Odisha, with a production capacity of 30 MT annually. Bandhabahal is a major area of open cast coal mines in Odisha. The state is attracting an unprecedented amount of investment in aluminium, coal-based power plants, petrochemicals, and information technology as well. In power generation, Reliance Power (Anil Ambani Group) is putting up the world's largest power plant with an investment of US$13 billion at Hirma in Jharsuguda district. In 2009 Odisha was the second top domestic investment destination with Gujarat first and

in third place according to an analysis of ASSOCHAM Investment Meter (AIM) study on corporate investments. Odisha's share was 12.6 per cent in total investment in the country. It received an investment proposal worth in 2010. Steel and power were among the sectors which attracted maximum investments in the state. The recently concluded Make in Odisha Conclave 2022 saw the state generate investment proposals worth ₹10.5 trillion with an employment potential for 10,37,701 people. Out of the total investment proposals received, the metals, ancillary and downstream sectors fetched ₹5.50 lakhs crore (trillion), power, green energy, and renewable energy sector fetched ₹2.38 trillion, and chemicals-petrochemicals and logistics-infrastructure sector attracted ₹76,000 crores and ₹1.20 trillion, respectively. Odisha has the potential to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2030.

Transportation

Odisha has a network of roads, railways, airports and seaports.

is well connected by air, rail and road with the rest of India. Some highways are getting expanded to four lanes. Odisha Government Plans Mega Metro Rail Project to Connect Puri and Bhubaneswar The metro rail proposal was given to connect trains between Puri- Bhubaneswar – Cuttack. The Odisha government has planned a new Expressway that will connect Biju Patnaik International Airport at Bhubaneswar with the proposed Shri Jagannath International Airport at Puri.

Air

Odisha has a total of three operational airports, 16 airstrips and 16 helipads. The airport at Jharsuguda was upgraded to a full-fledged domestic airport in May 2018. Rourkela Airport became operational in December 2022.The Dhamra Port Company Limited plans to build Dhamra Airport 20 km from Dhamra Port. *

– Biju Patnaik International Airport * Jeypore – Jeypore Airport * Jharsuguda – Jharsuguda Airport, Veer Surendra Sai Airport * Rourkela – Rourkela Airport * Berhampur – Rangeilunda Airport * Bhawanipatna - Utkela Airport

Seaports

Odisha has a coastline of . It has one major port at Paradip and few minor ports. some of them are: * Port of Dhamara * Gopalpur port, Port of Gopalpur * Port of Paradip * Subarnarekha port, Port of Subarnarekha

Railways

Major cities of Odisha are well connected to all the major cities of India by direct daily trains and weekly trains. Most of the railway network in Odisha lies under the jurisdiction of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) with headquarters at

and some parts under South Eastern Railway Zone (India), South Eastern Railway and South East Central Railway.

Demographics

Population

According to the 2011 census of India, 2011 Census of India, Odisha accounted for approximately 3% of India's total population. The state had a population of 41,974,218, with 21,212,136 males (50.54%) and 20,762,082 females (49.46%), resulting in a sex ratio of 978 females per 1,000 males. This marked a Growth rate (group theory), growth rate of 13.97% during the 2001-2011 period, a decline from 16.25% in the previous decade (1991-2001). The population density stood at 269 people per square kilometre, with Ganjam district having the highest population among all districts in Odisha. In contrast, Debagarh district has the lowest population. The population in the age group of 0–6 years comprised 12% of the total population, with a child sex ratio of 934 females for every 1,000 males in this age group. Additionally, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes (SC) constituted a population of 7.2 million, making up 16.5% of the total population, while Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Tribes (ST) accounted for 9.6 million, representing 22.1% of the population.

Literacy and Socioeconomic Indicators

According to the 2011 Census, Odisha's overall Literacy, literacy rate is 72.87%. Male literacy stands at 81.59%, while female literacy is recorded at 64.01%. Odisha's literacy rate is slightly below the national average of 74.04%. Literacy rates vary within the state, with Khordha district having the highest literacy rate at 86.88%, while Nabarangpur district, Nabarangpur has the lowest at 46.43%. In rural areas, the average literacy rate is 70.22%, compared to 85.57% in urban areas. Among the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Tribe population, the literacy rate is 52.24%. In terms of poverty, Odisha had a poverty rate of 57.15% in 2004–2005, nearly double the national average of 26.10% at the time. However, since 2005, the state has made significant progress, reducing the poverty rate by 24.6 percentage points, with the current estimate at 32.6%.

Health and Vital Statistics

Data from 1996–2001 indicated that the state’s life expectancy was 61.64 years, slightly above the national average. Odisha also records a birth rate of 23.2 per 1,000 people annually, a Mortality rate, death rate of 9.1 per 1,000, an Infant mortality, infant mortality rate of 65 per 1,000 live births. In 2011-2013, Odisha recorded a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 222 per 100,000 live births, according to a report by NITI Aayog. As of 2018, Odisha’s Human Development Index (HDI) stands at 0.606. The Total fertility rate, Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in Odisha declined from 2.1 in 2015-16 to 1.8 in 2020-21, paralleling the national trend, which saw a decrease from 2.2 to 2.0 during the same period. With a cumulative score of 67.8, Odisha tops the ranking in fiscal health index 2025.

Religion

Based on the 2011 Census, Odisha has a predominantly Hindu population, with 93.63% adhering to Hinduism. The state is home to several prominent Hindu pilgrimage sites, including Jagannath Puri, known for the Jagannath Temple, and the Lingaraj Temple in

, which attract devotees from across India and beyond. Christianity is the second-largest religion at 2.77%, followed by Islam at 2.17%. Smaller communities include Sikhs (0.05%), Jainism, Jains (0.02%), and Buddhism, Buddhists (0.03%). Additionally, 1.14% of the population practices other religions, with Sarnaism, Sarna being one of the prominent indigenous faiths, particularly among tribal communities. A small segment, 0.18%, did not state their religious affiliation.

Decadal variations among religious groups

Languages

Bilingual signboard for Registration at a Hospital in Bhubaneswar

Odia is the official language of Odisha and is spoken by 82.70% of the population according to the 2011 Census of India, 2011 census of India. It is also one of the Languages of India#Classical languages of India, classical languages of India. English is the official language of correspondence between state and the union of India. Spoken Odia is not homogeneous as one can find different dialects spoken across the state. Some of the major dialects found inside the state are Sambalpuri language, Sambalpuri, Cuttacki, Puri, Baleswari Odia, Baleswari, Ganjami Odia, Ganjami, Desia language, Desiya, Kalahandia Odia, Kalahandia and Phulbani Odia, Phulbani. The standard language is based on the Cuttacki dialect. In addition to Odia, significant populations of people speaking other major Indian languages like Hindi, Telugu language, Telugu, Urdu and Bengali language, Bengali are also found in the state, mainly in cities. The different ''Adivasi, tribal (Adivasi) communities'' who mostly reside in western and southern Odisha have their own languages belonging to Munda languages, Munda and Dravidian languages, Dravidian family of languages. Some of these major tribal languages are Santali language, Santali, Kui language (India), Kui, Mundari language, Mundari and Ho language, Ho. Due to increasing contact with outsiders, migration and socioeconomic reasons many of these indigenous languages are slowly getting extinct or are on the verge of getting extinct. The Odisha Sahitya Academy Award was established in 1957 to actively develop Odia language and literature. The Odisha government launched a portal in 2018 to promote Odia language and literature.

Education

Entry to various institutes of higher education especially into engineering degrees is through a centralised Odisha Joint Entrance Examination, conducted by the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), Rourkela, since 2003, where seats are provided according to order of merit. Few of the engineering institutes enroll students by through Joint Entrance Examination. For medical courses, there is a corresponding National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test.

Culture

Odisha is home to several Hindu figures. Bhima Bhoi, Sant Bhima Bhoi was a leader of the Mahima Dharma, Mahima sect. Sarala Das, a Hindu Khandayat, was the translator of the epic

into Odia. Chaitanya Das was a Vaishnavism, Buddhistic-Vaishnava and writer of the ''Nirguna Mahatmya''. Jayadeva was the author of the ''Gita Govinda''. The ''Odisha Temple Authorisation Act'' of 1948 empowered the government of Odisha to open temples for all Hindus, including Dalits.P. 63 ''Case studies on human rights and fundamental freedoms: a world survey, Volume 4'' By Willem Adriaan Veenhoven Perhaps the oldest scripture of Odisha is the ''Madala Panji'' from the Puri Temple believed from 1042 AD. Famous Hindu Odia scripture includes the 16th-century ''Bhagabata'' of Jagannatha Dasa (Odia poet), Jagannatha Dasa. In the modern times Madhusudan Rao was a major Odia writer, who was a Brahmo Samajist and shaped modern Odia literature at the start of the 20th century. Mayurbhanj Chhau

Cuisine

Odisha has a culinary tradition spanning centuries. The kitchen of the Jagannath Temple, Puri, Shri Jagannath Temple, Puri is reputed to be the largest in the world, with 1,000 chefs, working around 752 wood-burning clay hearths called ''chulas'', to feed over 10,000 people each day. The syrupy dessert rasagola, Pahala rasagola made in Odisha is known throughout the world. Chhenapoda is another major Odisha sweet cuisine, which originated in Nayagarh. Dalma (a mix of dal and selected vegetables) is widely known cuisine, better served with ghee. Odisha ra Rasagola

The "Odisha Rasgulla, Rasagola" was awarded a GI tag 29 July 2019 after a long battle about the origin of the famous sweet with West Bengal. This decision involved a broader interpretation of the law established under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. Section 2(e) of the Act stipulates that a geographical indication can be provided to a product if its quality, characteristics, or reputation are attributable to its geographical origin and are unique. The uniqueness of Odisha’s Rasagola lies in its color, texture, and taste, distinguishing it from the West Bengal variant. Historical references in Odisha’s texts support the geographical origin of the dish.

Dance

Odissi dance and music are classical art forms. Odissi is the oldest surviving dance form in India on the basis of archaeological evidence. Odissi has a long, unbroken tradition of 2,000 years, and finds mention in the ''Natya Shastra, Natyashastra'' of Bharata Muni, Bharatamuni, possibly written c. 200 BC. However, the dance form nearly became extinct during the British period, only to be revived after India's independence by a few gurus. The variety of dances includes Ghumura dance, Chhau dance, Jhumair, Mahari dance, Dalkhai, Dhemsa and Gotipua.

Sports

Barabati Stadium IPL Match Pune Warriors India vs

The state of Odisha has hosted several international sporting events, including the 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup, 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and 2023 Men's Hockey World Cup. Sports stadiums in Odisha include: # Kalinga Stadium # Barabati Stadium # Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium # East Coast Railway Stadium # Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium # KIIT Stadium # Veer Surendra Sai Stadium #Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium There are some High Performance Centres in the state as well which have been set up at Kalinga Stadium for the development of respective sports in Odisha. Some of the HPCs are as follows: * Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance (ABTP) * Dalmia Group, Dalmia Bharat Gopichand Badminton Academy * JSW Steel Ltd, JSW Swimming HPC * Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE) for Athletics, Hockey, and Weightlifting * KJS Ahluwalia and Tenvic Sports HPC for Weightlifting * Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre (ONTHHPC) * Odisha Aditya Vikram Birla, Aditya Birla and Gagan Narang Shooting HPC * Reliance Industries, Reliance Foundation Odisha Athletics HPC *Sports Authority of India, SAI Regional Badminton Academy *Udaan Badminton Academy *All India Football Federation, AIFF High Performance Centre

Tourism

The Lingaraja Temple at

has a high deula while the Jagannath Temple,

is about high and dominates the skyline. Only a portion of the Konark Sun Temple at Konark in Puri district, the largest of the temples of the "Holy Golden Triangle" exists today, and it is still staggering in size. It stands out as a masterpiece in Odisha architecture. Sarala Temple, regarded as one of the most spiritually elevated expressions of Shaktism is in Jagatsinghpur district. It is also one of the holiest places in Odisha and a major tourist attraction. Maa Tarini Temple situated in Kendujhar district is also a famous pilgrimage destination. Every day thousands of coconuts are given to Maa Tarini by devotees for fulfilling their wishes. Odisha's varying topography – from the wooded Eastern Ghats to the fertile river basin – has proven ideal for evolution of compact and unique ecosystems. This creates treasure troves of flora and fauna that are inviting to many migratory species of birds and reptiles. Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapada district is famous for its second largest mangrove ecosystem. The bird sanctuary in Chilika Lake (Asia's largest brackish water lake). The tiger reserve and waterfalls in Simlipal National Park, Mayurbhanj district are integral parts of eco-tourism in Odisha, arranged by Odisha Tourism. Daringbadi is a hill station in the Kandhamal district. It is known as "Kashmir of Odisha", for its climatic similarity. Chandipur, in Baleswar district is a calm and serene site, is mostly unexplored by tourists. The unique speciality of this beach is the ebb tides that recede up to 4 km and tend to disappear rhythmically. In the western part of Odisha, Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur district is the longest earthen dam in the World. It also forms the biggest artificial lake in Asia. The Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is situated near Hirakud Dam. Samaleswari Temple is a Hindu temple in Sambalpur city, dedicated to the goddess known as 'Samaleswari', the presiding deity of Sambalpur, is a strong religious force in western part of Odisha and

state. The Leaning Temple of Huma is located near Sambalpur. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Bimaleshwar. Sri Sri Harishankar Devasthana, is a temple on the slopes of Gandhamardhan hills, Balangir district. It is popular for its scenes of nature and connection to two Hindu lords, Vishnu and Shiva. On the opposite side of the Gandhamardhan hills is the temple of Sri Nrusinghanath, is situated at the foothills of Gandhamardhan Hill near Paikmal, Bargarh district. In the southern part of Odisha, The Taratarini Temple on the Kumari hills at the bank of the Rushikulya River near Berhampur city in Ganjam district. Here worshiped as the Breast Shrine (Sthana Peetha) and manifestations of Adi Shakti. The Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha is one of the oldest pilgrimage centers of the Mother Goddess and is one of four major ancient Tantra Peetha and Shakti Peethas in India. Deomali is a mountain peak of the Eastern Ghats. It is located in Koraput district. This peak with an elevation of about 1,672 m, is the highest peak in Odisha. The share of foreign tourists' arrival in the state is below one per cent of total foreign tourist arrivals at all India level. File:Rath Yatra Puri 07-11027.jpg, The Rath Yatra in Jagannath Temple, Puri File:Tarni temple Gate view.JPG, Maa Tarini Temple, Ghatgaon File:Gundichaghagi Waterfall, Keonjhar During monsoons.png, Keonjhar, Gundichaghagi waterfall Keonjhar during monsoons

References

External links

; Government *
Official tourism site
; General information * * * * {{Authority control Odisha, States and union territories of India States and territories established in 1936 1936 establishments in India