The termsOdisha andOrissa (Odia:ଓଡ଼ିଶା,Oṛissa) derive from the ancientPrakrit word"Odda Visaya" (also "Udra Bibhasha" or "Odra Bibhasha") as in theTirumalai inscription ofRajendra Chola I, which is dated to 1025.[29]Sarala Das, who translated theMahabharata into theOdia language in the 15th century, calls the region 'Odra Rashtra' as Odisha. The inscriptions ofKapilendra Deva of theGajapati Kingdom (1435–67) on the walls of temples inPuri call the regionOdisha orOdisha Rajya.[30]
In 2011, the English rendering ofଓଡ଼ିଶା was changed from "Orissa" to "Odisha", and the name of its language from "Oriya" to "Odia", by the passage of theOrissa (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2010 and theConstitution (113th Amendment) Bill, 2010 in theParliament. The Hindi renderingउड़ीसा (uṛīsā) was also modified toओड़िशा (or̥iśā). After a brief debate, the lower house,Lok Sabha, passed the bill and amendment on 9 November 2010.[31] On 24 March 2011,Rajya Sabha, the upper house ofParliament, also passed the bill and the amendment.[32] The changes in spelling were made with the intention of having the English and Hindi renditions conform to the Odia transliteration.[33] However, the underlying Odia texts were nevertheless transliterated incorrectly as per theHunterian system, the official national transliteration standard, in which the transliterations would beOrisha andOria instead.
PrehistoricAcheulian tools dating toLower Paleolithic era have been discovered in various places in the region, implying an early settlement by humans.[34] Kalinga has been mentioned in ancient texts likeMahabharata,Vayu Purana andMahagovinda Suttanta.[35][36]
According to political scientist Sudama Misra, the Kalingajanapada originally comprised the area covered by thePuri andGanjam districts.[37] TheSabar people of Odisha have also been mentioned in the Mahabharata.[38][39]Baudhayana mentions Kalinga as not yet being influenced byVedic traditions, implying it followed mostly tribal traditions.[40]
Ashoka of theMauryan dynasty conquered Kalinga in the bloodyKalinga War in 261 BCE,[41] which was the eighth year of his reign.[42] According to his ownedicts, in that war about 100,000 people were killed, 150,000 were captured and more were affected.[41] The resulting bloodshed and suffering of the war is said to have deeply affected Ashoka. He turned into a pacifist and converted to Buddhism.[42][43]
The city ofBrahmapur in Odisha is also known to have been the capital of thePauravas 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 theYaudheya Republic, who in turn submitted to theMauryans. It was only at the end of 4th century CE, that they established royalty at Brahmapur, after about 700 years.
The Eastern Ganga Dynasty was followed by theGajapati Kingdom. The region resisted integration into theMughal empire until 1568, when it was conquered bySultanate of Bengal.[51] 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 byBayazid Khan Karrani.[52] In 1591,Man Singh I, then governor ofBihar, led an army to take Odisha from theKarranis 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 ofPuri. Man Singh returned in 1592 and pacified the region.[53]
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.[64] In the eastern part of the state lies the coastal plain. It extends from theSubarnarekha River in the north to theRushikulya River in the south. The lakeChilika is part of the coastal plains. The plains are rich in fertilesilt deposited by the six major rivers flowing into theBay of Bengal:Subarnarekha,Budhabalanga,Baitarani,Brahmani,Mahanadi, andRushikulya.[64] TheCentral Rice Research Institute (CRRI), aFood and Agriculture Organization-recognised ricegene bank and research institute, is situated on the banks of Mahanadi inCuttack.[65] The stretch between Puri and Bhadrak in Odisha juts out a little into the sea, making it vulnerable to any cyclonic activity.[66]
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 hasplateaus androlling uplands, which have lower elevation than the plateaus.[64] Thehighest point in the state isDeomali at 1,672 metres inKoraput district. Some other high peaks are: Sinkaram (1,620 m), Golikoda (1,617 m), and Yendrika (1,582 metres).[3]
According to aForest 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 closedcanopy; 20,477 km2) andscrub forest or scrubland (4,734 km2). The state also hasbamboo forests (10,518 km2) and tidal areas ofmangrove swamp (221 km2). The state is gradually losing its wilderness areas totimber smuggling,deforestation, destructive mining, and general urban industrialisation, as well as livestockgrazing. There have been attempts at conservation andreforestation.[68]
Due to the climate and good rainfall, Odisha's evergreen and moist forests are uniquely suitable habitats for wildorchids. Around 130 species have been reported from the state.[69] Around 97 of them are found inMayurbhanj district alone. The Orchid House of theNandankanan Zoological Park maintains some of these species.[70]
TheChandaka 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 ivorypoachers. 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, andAthagad.[72][73] Besides elephants, the sanctuary also has leopards, jungle cats and herds of chital.[74]
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.[89]
According to a census conducted in 2016, there are around 2000 elephants in the state.[90]
The Odisha state has aunicameral legislature.[96] TheOdisha Legislative Assembly consists of 147 elected members,[94] 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.[97]Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by theChief Minister, although the titular head of government is theGovernor of Odisha. The governor is appointed by thePresident 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.[98] The 147 elected representatives are calledMembers of the Legislative Assembly, or MLAs. One MLA may be nominated from theAnglo-Indian community by the governor.[99] The term of the office is for five years, unless the Assembly is dissolved prior to the completion of the term.[97]
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 atSambalpur,Cuttack andBerhampur respectively. Each division consists of ten districts and has as its administrative head a RevenueDivisional Commissioner (RDC).[100] The position of the RDC in the administrative hierarchy is that between that of the district administration and the state secretariat.[101] The RDCs report to the Board of Revenue, which is headed by a senior officer of theIndian Administrative Service.[100]
Each district is governed by a collector and district magistrate, who is appointed from theIndian Administrative Service or a very senior officer from Odisha Administrative Service.[103][104] 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.[102] Blocks consists ofPanchayats (village councils) and town municipalities.
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.[105] The central Government's Urban Development Ministry has recently announced the names of 20 cities selected to be developed assmart cities. The state capitalBhubaneswar is the first city in the list ofsmart 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.[106]
Odisha has abundant natural resources and a large coastline. Odisha has emerged as the most preferred destination for overseas investors with investment proposals.[107] It contains a fifth of India's coal, a quarter of its iron ore, a third of itsbauxite reserves and most of thechromite.
Rourkela Steel Plant[108] was the first integrated steel plant in the public sector in India, built with collaboration ofGermany.
Arcelor-Mittal has also announced plans to invest in another mega steel project amounting to $10 billion. Russian majorMagnitogorsk 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.[109]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 inJharsuguda district.[110]
In 2009 Odisha was the second top domestic investment destination withGujarat first andAndhra Pradesh in third place according to an analysis ofASSOCHAM 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₹2.01 trillion (equivalent to₹4.5 trillion or US$53 billion in 2023) in 2010. Steel and power were among the sectors which attracted maximum investments in the state.[111]
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.
Odisha has a network of roads, railways, airports and seaports.Bhubaneswar is well connected by air, rail and road with the rest of India. Some highways are getting expanded to four lanes.[112][113] Odisha Government Plans Mega Metro Rail Project to Connect Puri and Bhubaneswar[114] The metro rail proposal was given to connect trains between Puri- Bhubaneswar – Cuttack.[115] The Odisha government has planned a new Expressway that will connect Biju Patnaik International Airport airport at Bhubaneswar with the proposed Shri Jagannath International Airport at Puri.[116]
Odisha has a total of three operational airports, 16 airstrips and 16 helipads.[117][118][119] 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 buildDhamra Airport 20 km fromDhamra Port.[120]
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 theEast Coast Railway (ECoR) with headquarters atBhubaneswar and some parts underSouth Eastern Railway andSouth East Central Railway.
According to the2011 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 asex ratio of 978 females per 1,000 males. This marked agrowth rate of 13.97% during the 2001-2011 period, a decline from 16.25% in the previous decade (1991-2001). Thepopulation density stood at 269 people per square kilometre, withGanjam 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 (SC) constituted a population of 7.2 million, making up 16.5% of the total population, whileScheduled Tribes (ST) accounted for 9.6 million, representing 22.1% of the population.[5]
According to the 2011 Census, Odisha's overallliteracy 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, withKhordha district having the highest literacy rate at 86.88%, whileNabarangpur has the lowest at 46.43%. In rural areas, the average literacy rate is 70.22%, compared to 85.57% in urban areas. Among theScheduled 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%.[124][125]
Data from 1996–2001 indicated that the state’s life expectancy was 61.64 years, slightly above the national average. Odisha also records abirth rate of 23.2 per 1,000 people annually, adeath rate of 9.1 per 1,000, aninfant mortality rate of 65 per 1,000 live births.[126] 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.[126] TheTotal 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.[127]
With a cumulative score of 67.8, Odisha tops the ranking in fiscal health index 2025.[128]
Based on the 2011 Census, Odisha has a predominantly Hindu population, with 93.63% adhering toHinduism. The state is home to several prominent Hindu pilgrimage sites, includingJagannath Puri, known for theJagannath Temple, and theLingaraj Temple inBhubaneswar, which attract devotees from across India and beyond.Christianity is the second-largest religion at 2.77%, followed byIslam at 2.17%. Smaller communities includeSikhs (0.05%),Jains (0.02%), andBuddhists (0.03%). Additionally, 1.14% of the population practices other religions, withSarna being one of the prominent indigenous faiths,[130] particularly among tribal communities. A small segment, 0.18%, did not state their religious affiliation.[129]
Odia is the official language of Odisha[138] and is spoken by 82.70% of the population according to the2011 census of India.[137] It is also one of theclassical 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 areSambalpuri, Cuttacki, Puri,Baleswari,Ganjami,Desiya,Kalahandia andPhulbani. The standard language is based on the Cuttacki dialect. In addition to Odia, significant populations of people speaking other major Indian languages likeHindi,Telugu,Urdu andBengali are also found in the state, mainly in cities.[139]
The differenttribal (Adivasi) communities who mostly reside in western and southern Odisha have their own languages belonging toMunda andDravidian family of languages. Some of these major tribal languages areSantali,Kui,Mundari andHo. 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.[140]
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.[141]
TheOdisha Temple Authorisation Act of 1948 empowered the government of Odisha to open temples for all Hindus, including Dalits.[143]
Perhaps the oldest scripture of Odisha is theMadala Panji from the Puri Temple believed from 1042 AD. Famous Hindu Odia scripture includes the 16th-centuryBhagabata ofJagannatha Dasa.[144] In the modern timesMadhusudan Rao was a major Odia writer, who was aBrahmo Samajist and shaped modern Odia literature at the start of the 20th century.[145]
Odisha has a culinary tradition spanning centuries. The kitchen of theShri Jagannath Temple, Puri is reputed to be the largest in the world, with 1,000 chefs, working around 752 wood-burning clay hearths calledchulas, to feed over 10,000 people each day.[146][147]
The syrupy dessertPahala rasagola made in Odisha is known throughout the world.[148]Chhenapoda is another major Odisha sweet cuisine, which originated inNayagarh.[149] Dalma (a mix of dal and selected vegetables) is widely known cuisine, better served with ghee.[citation needed]
Rasagola, Odisha's special culinary delight made from cottage cheese, which has received GI tag in Geographical Indication Registry.
The "OdishaRasagola" was awarded a GI tag 29 July 2019 after a long battle about the origin of the famous sweet with West Bengal.[150]
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.[151]
"Odissi" A scene from the abhinaya 'Tolagi Gopa Danda' choreographed by Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. The dance was performed under the guidance of Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra.
Odissi dance and music are classical art forms. Odissi is the oldest surviving dance form in India on the basis of archaeological evidence.[152] Odissi has a long, unbroken tradition of 2,000 years, and finds mention in theNatyashastra ofBharatamuni, 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.
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:
The Lingaraja Temple atBhubaneswar has a 150-foot (46 m) high deula while theJagannath Temple,Puri is about 200 feet (61 m) high and dominates the skyline. Only a portion of theKonark Sun Temple atKonark inPuri 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 inJagatsinghpur district. It is also one of the holiest places in Odisha and a major tourist attraction.Maa Tarini Temple situated inKendujhar district is also a famous pilgrimage destination. Every day thousands of coconuts are given to Maa Tarini by devotees for fulfilling their wishes.[158]
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 inKendrapada district is famous for its second largest mangrove ecosystem. The bird sanctuary inChilika Lake (Asia's largest brackish water lake). The tiger reserve and waterfalls inSimlipal National Park,Mayurbhanj district are integral parts of eco-tourism in Odisha, arranged by Odisha Tourism.[159]
Daringbadi is a hill station in theKandhamal district. It is known as "Kashmir of Odisha", for its climatic similarity. Chandipur, inBaleswar 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 inSambalpur district is the longest earthen dam in the World. It also forms the biggest artificial lake in Asia. TheDebrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is situated near Hirakud Dam.Samaleswari Temple is a Hindu temple inSambalpur city, dedicated to the goddess known as 'Samaleswari', the presiding deity of Sambalpur, is a strong religious force in western part of Odisha andChhattisgarh state. TheLeaning Temple of Huma is located near Sambalpur. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Bimaleshwar. Sri SriHarishankar Devasthana, is a temple on the slopes ofGandhamardhan hills,Balangir district. It is popular for its scenes of nature and connection to two Hindu lords,Vishnu andShiva. On the opposite side of the Gandhamardhan hills is the temple of SriNrusinghanath, is situated at the foothills of Gandhamardhan Hill nearPaikmal,Bargarh district.
In the southern part of Odisha, TheTaratarini Temple on the Kumari hills at the bank of the Rushikulya River nearBerhampur city inGanjam 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 andShakti Peethas in India.Deomali is a mountain peak of theEastern Ghats. It is located inKoraput 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.[160]
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