Odisha

A Brief Introduction of About Odisha

Introduction

Odisha is an Indian state, situated in the eastern region of India. The state's capital is Bhubaneswar. Bhubaneswar is the largest city. It is the 8th largest state based on area. It comprises 30 districts. It is referred to as the land of Lord Jagganath. In ancient times, it was gradually named Kalinga.

History

During the British Raj, Orissa was administered by the British and the capital was Cuttack. In 1912, Orissa and Bihar separated from Bengal province, and separated from Bihar and Orissa province in 1936. The two districts of Madras presidency i.e Vizagapatam district and Ganjam District transferred to Orissa. On 1st April 1936, Orissa became India's state. Its English name Orissa was changed to Odisha in 2011. Hence, Odisha is administered by the state government. 

Fairs and festivals

The state is a multicultural society. It glorifies various festivals and fairs such as ratha yatra, rajarani music festival, durga puja, gajalakshmi puja, nua khai, raja parba, magha saptami, lanka podi yatra, dhanu yatra, and much more. 

Geography

The state covers an area of 155,707 km². Its boundary is covered by - Chhattisgarh(west), Andhra Pradesh(south), Telangana(southwest), Bengal, and Jharkhand(north). 

Demographics

Odisha is the 11th most highly populated state. There are 41,974,218 in the population of which males and females are 50.54% and 49.46%. The majority of people belong to the Hindu religion. 

Culture

The state's culture is reflected in its lifestyle. There are distinct tribes and diverse cultures. The major occupations are fishing and agriculture. The state's people are mainly devoted to Lord Shiva and Lord Jagganath. It is famous for its artwork like Pattachitra, sand artwork, and rock art painting. The women's traditional attire is the saree and the men's attire is the dhoti, Gamcha, and kurta.

Language

The official language of the state is Odia and almost 81.32% of the population speaks Odia. Another official language is English. There are some people found who speak Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, and Urdu. The Adivasi use Kiu, Ho, and Santali languages.

Education

The state's female and male literacy rate was 82% and 64% and the total literacy rate of the state was 73% as of 2011. 

Tourism

Odisha is a major tourist destination. It contributes to the state's economy. In the state, the major tourist attractions are beaches, monuments, wildlife reserves, festivals, and arts.

Dances and music

The state has a rich heritage of dance and music culture. The popular dances are Chaiti Ghoda, Medha nacha, karma dance, Chhau dance, danda Nata, Changu dance, and Odissi dance. The classical music of Odisha is Odissi music. 

Cuisine

The cuisine of the state is known as Odia cuisine. Odia cuisine is less spicy and oil-free but it is tasty. The food is severe on banana leaves and sal leaves. Fish curry is the most famous and delicious dish in the state, while other popular dishes are Pakhala, Dalma, and Pitha. The popular sweet dishes are Korakhai, chenna Poda, and chana chili.