ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଲୋକ Odiā Lōka | |
|---|---|
 Dancers performingodissi | |
| Total population | |
| 40 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India | 38,033,000 (2021) |
 United Kingdom | 170,000[1] |
 Australia | 130,000[2] |
 Germany | 80,000[3] |
 New Zealand | 40,000[4] |
| Languages | |
| Odia | |
| Religion | |
Predominantly: HinduismMinorities:
| |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Indo-Aryan people,Bonaz people | |
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TheOdia (ଓଡ଼ିଆ), formerly spelledOriya, are anIndo-Aryanethno-linguistic group native to the Indian state ofOdisha who speak theOdia language. They constitute a majority in the eastern coastal state, with significant minority populations existing in the neighboring states ofAndhra Pradesh,Chhattisgarh,Jharkhand andWest Bengal.[5]
Ancient period
According to political scientist Sudama Misra, the Kalingajanapada originally comprised the area covered by thePuri andGanjam districts.[6]
According to some scriptures (Mahabharata and somePuranas), a king Bali, theVairocana and the son of Sutapa, had no sons. So, he requested the sage, Dirghatamas, to bless him with sons. The sage is said to have begotten five sons through his wife, the queen Sudesna.[7] The princes were namedAnga,Vanga,Kalinga,Sumha andPundra.[8] The princes later founded kingdoms named after themselves. The prince Vanga foundedVanga kingdom, in the current day region ofBangladesh and part ofWest Bengal. The prince Kalinga founded the kingdom ofKalinga, in the current day region of coastal Odisha, including the North Sircars.[9]
The Mahabharata also mentions Kalinga several more times. Srutayudha, the king of Kalinga, son ofVaruna and river Parnasa, had joined theKaurava camp in theKurukshetra War. He had been given a divinemace by his father on request of his mother, which protected him as long he wielded it. But, Varuna had warned his son, that using it on a non-combatant will cause the death of the wielder himself. In the frenzy of battle, harried byArjuna's arrows, he made the mistake of launching it at Krishna, Arjuna's charioteer, who was unarmed. The mace bounced off Krishna and killed Srutayudha. The archer who killedKrishna, Jara Savara, andEkalavya are said to have belonged to theSabar people of Odisha.[10]
In the Buddhist text, Mahagovinda Suttanta, Kalinga and its ruler, Sattabhu, have been mentioned.[11]
In the 6th centurysutrakara (chronicler), Baudhayana, mentions Kalinga as not yet being influenced by Vedic traditions. He also warns his people from visiting Kalinga (among other kingdoms), saying one who visits it must perform penance.[12]
TheShailodbhava dynasty ruled the region from the sixth to the eighth century. They built theParashurameshvara Temple in the 7th century, which is the oldest known temple in Bhubaneswar. The ruled Odisha from the 8th to the 10th century. They built several Buddhist monasteries and temples, includingLalitgiri,Udayagiri andBaitala Deula. TheKeshari dynasty ruled from the 9th to the 12th century. TheLingaraj Temple,Mukteshvara Temple andRajarani Temple in Bhubaneswar were constructed during theBhauma-Kara dynasty.[13] They were introduced as a new style of architecture in Odisha, and the dynasty's rule shifted fromBuddhism toBrahmanism.[14]
Odisha remained an independent regional power until the early 16th century. It was conquered by theMughals underAkbar in 1568 and was thereafter subject to a succession of Mughal andMaratha rule before coming underBritish control in 1803.[15]
In 1817, a combination of high taxes, administrative malpractice by thezamindars and dissatisfaction with the new land laws led to arevolt against Company rule breaking out, which many Odias participated in. The rebels were led by GeneralJagabandhu Bidyadhara Mohapatra Bhramarbara Raya.[16][17]
Under Maratha control, major Odia regions were transferred to the rulers of Bengal that resulted in successive decline of the language over the course of time in vast regions that stretched until today'sMidnapore district of West Bengal.[18][better source needed]
Odisha became a separate province and the first officially recognized language-based state of India in 1936, after the amalgamation of the Odia regions fromBihar and Orissa Province,Madras Presidency andChhattisgarh Division was successfully executed. 26 Odiaprincely states, includingSadheikala-Kharasuan in today'sJharkhand, also signed a merger with the newly formed state, while many major Odia-speaking areas were left out due to political incompetence.[19]
The Odia people are subdivided into several communities such as theUtkala Brahmin,Karan,Khandayat,Kayastha,Gopal,Kumuti (Kalinga Vysya),Chasa,Bania,Bhulia,Kansari,Kuilta,Gudia,Patara,Tanti,Teli,Badhei,Kamara,Barika,Mali,Kumbhar,Siyal,[20]Sundhi,Keuta,Dhoba,Bauri,Kandara,Domba,Pano,Hadi.[21]
Religion
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In its long history, Odisha has had a continuous tradition ofdharmic religions especiallyHinduism,Buddhism andJainism.Ashoka's conquest ofKalinga (India) made Buddhism a principal religion in the state which led to the establishment of numerousStupas and non religion learning centres. DuringKharavela's reignJainism found prominence. However, by the middle of the 9th century CE there was a revival ofHinduism as attested by numerous temples such as Mukteshwara, Lingaraja, Jagannath and Konark, which were erected starting from the late 7th century CE. Part of the revival in Hinduism was due toAdi Shankaracharya who proclaimedPuri to be one of the four holiest places orChar Dham for Hinduism. Odisha has, therefore, a syncretic mixture of the three dharmic religions as attested by the fact that theJagannath Temple in Puri is considered to be holy byHindus, Buddhists andJains.
Presently, the majority of people in the state of Odisha areHindus. As per the census of 2001, Odisha is the third largest Hindu-populated state (as a percentage of population) in India. However, while Odisha is predominantly Hindu it is not monolithic. There is a rich cultural heritage in the state owing to the Hindu faith. For example, Odisha is home to several Hindu saints.Sant Bhima Bhoi was a leader of theMahima sect movement,Sarala Dasa, was the translator of the epicMahabharata in Odia, Chaitanya Dasa was aBuddhistic-Vaishnava and writer of theNirguna Mahatmya,Jayadeva was the author of theGita Govinda and is recognized by the Sikhs as one of their most important bhagats. Swami Laxmananda Saraswati is a modern-day Hindu saint ofAdivasi heritage.
TheKaḷinga architectural style is a style ofHindu architecture which flourished in the ancientKalinga previously known asUtkal and in present eastern Indian state ofOdisha. The style consists of three distinct types of temples: Rekha Deula, Pidha Deula and Khakhara Deula. The former two are associated withVishnu,Surya andShiva temples while the third is mainly withChamunda andDurga temples. The Rekha Deula and Khakhara Deula houses are thesanctum sanctorum while the Pidha Deula constitutes outer dancing and offering halls.
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Seafood and sweets dominate Odia cuisine. Rice is the staple cereal and is eaten throughout the day. Popular Odia dishes arerasagolla,rasabali,chhena poda,chhena kheeri,chhena jalebi, chenna jhilli,chhenagaja,khira sagara,dalma, tanka torani andpakhala.[22][23]
Ratha yatra
A stunning example of Kalinga architecture is the Jagannath Temple, which was constructed in the twelfth century by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva. The goddesses Subhadra, Balabhadra, and Lord Jagannath reside in this hallowed shrine. The festival of Ratha Yatra, which draws pilgrims and visitors from all over the world, is closely linked to the history of the Jagannath Temple.
A wide variety of festivals are celebrated throughout the year; There is a saying in Odia, ‘Baarah maase, terah parba’, that there are 13 festivals in a year. Well known festivals that are popular among the Odia people include theRatha Yatra,Durga Puja,Rajo,Maha Shivratri,Kartika Purnima,Dola Purnima,Ganesh Puja,Chandan Yatra,Snana Yatra,Makar Mela,Chhau Festival, andNuakhai.[24]
Odisha is one of the most religiously and ethnically homogeneous states in India. More than 94% of the people are followers of Hinduism.[25] Hinduism in Odisha is more significant due to the specific Jagannath culture followed by Odia Hindus due to independent rule of OdiaHindu kings. Hinduism flourished in the eastern coastal region under patronage of the Hindu kings: arts, literature, maritime trade, vedic rituals were given importance. The practices of theJagannath sect is popular in the state and the annual Ratha Yatra in Puri draws pilgrims from across India.[26]
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