Orissa officially spelled Odisha, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. Bhubaneswar was officially declared as the new capital of Orissa, replacing Cuttack.Bhubaneswar is the present capital.
Orissa is the ninth largest state by area in India, and the eleventh largest by population. Oriya is the official and most widely spoken language, spoken by three quarters of the population. Orissa has a relatively unindented coastline and lacked good ports, except for the deepwater facility at Paradip. The interior of the state is mountainous and sparsely populated. Deomali at 1672 m is the highest point of the state. Orissa is subject to intense cyclones. Orissa is home to the Hirakud Dam, near Sambalpur the longest earthen dam in the world. Orissa has several popular tourist destinations. Puri, Konark & Bhubaneswar are known as Golden triangle of eastern India. Puri, with the Jagannath temple near the sea (famous for Rath Yatra or the Car Festival), and Konark, with the Sun Temple, are visited by thousands of tourists every year. The Jagannath Temple of Puri, the Konark Sun Temple, the Lingaraj Temple are important in the archaeological history of India.
The name Orissa derives from the ancient Sanskrit words Ora (Ura) or Odra Desa or Sumera or Odra bisaya. According to one writer, Odra means:"The ancient province of Odra desa or Or-desa was limited to the valley of the Mahanadi and to the lower course of the Subarnarekha river. It comprised the whole of the present districts of Cuttack and Sambalpur and a portion of Midnapore. It was bounded on the West by Gondwana, on the North by the wild hill states of Jashpur and Singhbhum, on the East by the sea and on the South by Ganjam. These also must have been the limits in the time of Hiuen-Tsang as the measured circuit agrees with his estimate".
Since prehistoric days the land of Orissahas been inhabited by various people. The earliest settlers of Orissa were primitive hill tribes. Orissa has also been the home of the Kalinga, Utkal, Mahakantara/Kantara and Kosal that played a particularly prominent role in the region's history, and one of the earliest references to the ancient Kalingas appears in the writings of Vedic chroniclers.
Konark Sun Temple built by the Eastern Ganga dynasty is one of the most well renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site. There are 30 districts in Orissa. The capital and largest city of the state is Bhubaneswar and it is also famous by the name "Temple City". Other major cities in Orissa are Cuttack, Brahmapur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Balasore, Kendrapara & Puri.
Bhubaneswar is the capital of Orissa. It is famed for its magnificent temples, numbering around a thousand. Cuttack, the former capital of Orissa, is 22 km from Bhubaneswar. With the rapid expansion of two cities and better road connectivity, the two cities are now almost conjoined and considered as twin cities. The city of Puri is about 60 kilometers from Bhubaneswar and lies on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Puri is considered a holy city and the abode of the deity Lord Jagannath. It is one of the Char Dhams (Four holy places) of Hinduism. The world-famous "car festival" (rath yatra) is celebrated every year in the Hindu month of Ashadha (Mid June to Mid July) in Puri. The Chota Nagpur plateau occupies the western and northern portions of the state, while along the coast are fertile alluvial plains and the valleys of the Mahanadi, Brahmani, and Baitarani rivers, which fall into the Bay of Bengal. These alluvial plains are home to intensive rice cultivation. The Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Asia's largest rice research Institute is situated along the bank of Mahanadi in Cuttack.
Chilka Lake, a brackish water coastal lake on the Bay of Bengal, south of the mouth of the Mahanadi River, is the largest coastal lake in India and the second largest in the world. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent.
On the basis of homogeneity, continuity and physiographical characteristics, Orissa has been divided into five major regions:
River Mahanadi: It is the major river of Orissa and the sixth largest river in India. It originates from the sihawa hills of the Bastar Plateau in Raipur district of [Chhattishgarh]. The Chilika Lake is brackish water lagoon located in the southern part of the Orissa coastal plane. Hirakud Dam: Artificial Lake in Sambalpur and Jharsuguda largest in Asia.
Orissa has abundant natural resources and a large coastline. 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. India's topmost IT consulting firms, including Mahindra Satyam, TCS (Tata Consultancy Services), MindTree Consulting, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Infosys have large branches in Orissa. IBM, Syntel and Wipro are setting up development centers in Orissa. Orissa was also the first state in India to begin to privatise its electricity transmission and distribution businesses. Although Paradip is home to Orissa's only large port, the coastal towns of Dhamra and Gopalpur are also undergoing major port development. The government of India has selected the coastal region of Orissa, stretching from Paradip in the north to Gopalpur in the south, to be developed into one of five or six Special Economic Regions (SERs) of the country. There are many multi-state irrigation projects in development.
The dominant ethnic group are the Oriya people and Oriya (Oriya) is the official language of Orissa and spoken as a native language by about 73% of the people. Other linguistic minorities in the state are Bengali, Hindi, Telugu, Santali. Odissi (Orissi) dance and music are classical art forms. Odissi is the oldest surviving dance form in India on the basis of archaeological evidence. Ghumura Dance (or Ghumra Dance) is one of the most sought and leading folk dance form in Orissa. It is classified as folk dance. Ghumura dance is depicted in Konark Sun Temple confirming this dance form is since the medieval period. Other cultural attractions include the Jagannatha Temple in Puri, known for its annual Rath Yatra or Car Festival, the unique and beautiful applique artwork of Pipili, silver filigree ornamental works from Cuttack, the Patta chitras (palm leaf paintings), famous stone utensils of Nilgiri (Balasore) and various tribal influenced cultures. The Sun temple at Konark is famous for its architectural splendour and erotic sculpture, while the 'Sambalpuri textiles' equals it in its artistic grandeur. The sari of Orissa is much in demand throughout the entire world. A unique type of art form was developed at Puri but it has spread all over the world. To carve a sand sculpture, the raw material is clean and fine-grained sand mixed with water. With the help of this type of sand and by the magic of fingers, an artist can carve a beautiful and attractive sculpture on the beach.
The majority (over 94% of people in the state of Orissa are Hindu and there is also a rich cultural heritage in the state. For example, Orissa is home to several Hindu figures. About 2.4% of the population is Christian and 2.1% is Muslim.
The famous Indian sweet "rasogolla" has its origin from this state. Rasagollas have become popular throughout India. One of the most famous delicacies of Orissa is Kakara Peetha (made of sooji or finely grained wheat) especially with coconut filling sauteed with pepper, cardamom, sugar and ghee and sometimes cottage cheese (chhena). Orissa food habit is pretty balanced between the non-vegetarian and vegetarian habits. Due to its vast shoreline and number of rivers flowing across, fish is a very important part of the diet. Orissa also expertises in sea food cuisines like Prawn and Crab. The famous Chilika Lake is particularly famous for offering best sea food cuisines that are one of a lifetime experience. Orissa's food habit is actually the horizon between the South Indian food habit and the North Indian food habits.
The Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) is a premier business school of national and international significance. The landscape of Orissa is dotted with a large number of temples. The temples of Orissa conform to the Indo Aryan Nagara style of architecture, with distinctive features specific to this region. The best known of these are the Lingaraja temple at Bhubaneshwar, Jagannath Temple at Puri and the Sun Templeat Konark. The temples of Orissa exhibit a majestic grandeur.
Orissa is the ninth largest state by area in India, and the eleventh largest by population. Oriya is the official and most widely spoken language, spoken by three quarters of the population. Orissa has a relatively unindented coastline and lacked good ports, except for the deepwater facility at Paradip. The interior of the state is mountainous and sparsely populated. Deomali at 1672 m is the highest point of the state. Orissa is subject to intense cyclones. Orissa is home to the Hirakud Dam, near Sambalpur the longest earthen dam in the world. Orissa has several popular tourist destinations. Puri, Konark & Bhubaneswar are known as Golden triangle of eastern India. Puri, with the Jagannath temple near the sea (famous for Rath Yatra or the Car Festival), and Konark, with the Sun Temple, are visited by thousands of tourists every year. The Jagannath Temple of Puri, the Konark Sun Temple, the Lingaraj Temple are important in the archaeological history of India.
The name Orissa derives from the ancient Sanskrit words Ora (Ura) or Odra Desa or Sumera or Odra bisaya. According to one writer, Odra means:"The ancient province of Odra desa or Or-desa was limited to the valley of the Mahanadi and to the lower course of the Subarnarekha river. It comprised the whole of the present districts of Cuttack and Sambalpur and a portion of Midnapore. It was bounded on the West by Gondwana, on the North by the wild hill states of Jashpur and Singhbhum, on the East by the sea and on the South by Ganjam. These also must have been the limits in the time of Hiuen-Tsang as the measured circuit agrees with his estimate".
Since prehistoric days the land of Orissahas been inhabited by various people. The earliest settlers of Orissa were primitive hill tribes. Orissa has also been the home of the Kalinga, Utkal, Mahakantara/Kantara and Kosal that played a particularly prominent role in the region's history, and one of the earliest references to the ancient Kalingas appears in the writings of Vedic chroniclers.
Konark Sun Temple built by the Eastern Ganga dynasty is one of the most well renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site. There are 30 districts in Orissa. The capital and largest city of the state is Bhubaneswar and it is also famous by the name "Temple City". Other major cities in Orissa are Cuttack, Brahmapur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Balasore, Kendrapara & Puri.
Bhubaneswar is the capital of Orissa. It is famed for its magnificent temples, numbering around a thousand. Cuttack, the former capital of Orissa, is 22 km from Bhubaneswar. With the rapid expansion of two cities and better road connectivity, the two cities are now almost conjoined and considered as twin cities. The city of Puri is about 60 kilometers from Bhubaneswar and lies on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Puri is considered a holy city and the abode of the deity Lord Jagannath. It is one of the Char Dhams (Four holy places) of Hinduism. The world-famous "car festival" (rath yatra) is celebrated every year in the Hindu month of Ashadha (Mid June to Mid July) in Puri. The Chota Nagpur plateau occupies the western and northern portions of the state, while along the coast are fertile alluvial plains and the valleys of the Mahanadi, Brahmani, and Baitarani rivers, which fall into the Bay of Bengal. These alluvial plains are home to intensive rice cultivation. The Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Asia's largest rice research Institute is situated along the bank of Mahanadi in Cuttack.
Chilka Lake, a brackish water coastal lake on the Bay of Bengal, south of the mouth of the Mahanadi River, is the largest coastal lake in India and the second largest in the world. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent.
On the basis of homogeneity, continuity and physiographical characteristics, Orissa has been divided into five major regions:
- The coastal plains in the east
- The middle mountainous and highlands region
- The central plateaus
- The western rolling uplands, and
- The major flood plains
River Mahanadi: It is the major river of Orissa and the sixth largest river in India. It originates from the sihawa hills of the Bastar Plateau in Raipur district of [Chhattishgarh]. The Chilika Lake is brackish water lagoon located in the southern part of the Orissa coastal plane. Hirakud Dam: Artificial Lake in Sambalpur and Jharsuguda largest in Asia.
Orissa has abundant natural resources and a large coastline. 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. India's topmost IT consulting firms, including Mahindra Satyam, TCS (Tata Consultancy Services), MindTree Consulting, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Infosys have large branches in Orissa. IBM, Syntel and Wipro are setting up development centers in Orissa. Orissa was also the first state in India to begin to privatise its electricity transmission and distribution businesses. Although Paradip is home to Orissa's only large port, the coastal towns of Dhamra and Gopalpur are also undergoing major port development. The government of India has selected the coastal region of Orissa, stretching from Paradip in the north to Gopalpur in the south, to be developed into one of five or six Special Economic Regions (SERs) of the country. There are many multi-state irrigation projects in development.
The dominant ethnic group are the Oriya people and Oriya (Oriya) is the official language of Orissa and spoken as a native language by about 73% of the people. Other linguistic minorities in the state are Bengali, Hindi, Telugu, Santali. Odissi (Orissi) dance and music are classical art forms. Odissi is the oldest surviving dance form in India on the basis of archaeological evidence. Ghumura Dance (or Ghumra Dance) is one of the most sought and leading folk dance form in Orissa. It is classified as folk dance. Ghumura dance is depicted in Konark Sun Temple confirming this dance form is since the medieval period. Other cultural attractions include the Jagannatha Temple in Puri, known for its annual Rath Yatra or Car Festival, the unique and beautiful applique artwork of Pipili, silver filigree ornamental works from Cuttack, the Patta chitras (palm leaf paintings), famous stone utensils of Nilgiri (Balasore) and various tribal influenced cultures. The Sun temple at Konark is famous for its architectural splendour and erotic sculpture, while the 'Sambalpuri textiles' equals it in its artistic grandeur. The sari of Orissa is much in demand throughout the entire world. A unique type of art form was developed at Puri but it has spread all over the world. To carve a sand sculpture, the raw material is clean and fine-grained sand mixed with water. With the help of this type of sand and by the magic of fingers, an artist can carve a beautiful and attractive sculpture on the beach.
The majority (over 94% of people in the state of Orissa are Hindu and there is also a rich cultural heritage in the state. For example, Orissa is home to several Hindu figures. About 2.4% of the population is Christian and 2.1% is Muslim.
The famous Indian sweet "rasogolla" has its origin from this state. Rasagollas have become popular throughout India. One of the most famous delicacies of Orissa is Kakara Peetha (made of sooji or finely grained wheat) especially with coconut filling sauteed with pepper, cardamom, sugar and ghee and sometimes cottage cheese (chhena). Orissa food habit is pretty balanced between the non-vegetarian and vegetarian habits. Due to its vast shoreline and number of rivers flowing across, fish is a very important part of the diet. Orissa also expertises in sea food cuisines like Prawn and Crab. The famous Chilika Lake is particularly famous for offering best sea food cuisines that are one of a lifetime experience. Orissa's food habit is actually the horizon between the South Indian food habit and the North Indian food habits.
The Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) is a premier business school of national and international significance. The landscape of Orissa is dotted with a large number of temples. The temples of Orissa conform to the Indo Aryan Nagara style of architecture, with distinctive features specific to this region. The best known of these are the Lingaraja temple at Bhubaneshwar, Jagannath Temple at Puri and the Sun Templeat Konark. The temples of Orissa exhibit a majestic grandeur.