Rayagada district is a district in southern Odisha, a state in India, which became a separate district in October 1992. Its population consists mainly of tribes, primarily the Khonds and the Soras. In addition to Odia, Kui and Sora are spoken by the district's indigenous population. It was founded by Maharajah Biswanatha Deba Gajapati of the Surjyabansha dynasty of Jeypore.
Cuttack, is the former capital and the second largest city in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of the Odia and Sanskrit name Kataka which literally means The Fort, a reference to the ancient Barabati Fort around which the city initially developed. Cuttack is known as the Millennium City as well as the Silver City due to its history of 1000 years and famous silver filigree works. The Orissa High Court is located there. It is the commercial capital of Odisha which hosts many trading and business houses in and around the city. Cuttack is famous for its Durga Puja which is one of the most important festivals of Odisha. Cuttack is also the birthplace of Indian nationalist & freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose from Bengal. The city is categorised as a Tier-II city as per the ranking system used by Government of India.
Kendrapara is a Town and a municipality in the Kendrapara district of the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of Kendrapara district.
Akshaya Mohanty, also known as Khoka Bhai, was an Indian singer, lyricist, composer, musician and writer in Odia. He has contributed Odia bhajans, Odissi songs, folk songs, film and non-film modern light songs in Odisha on contemporary themes and ballads based on popular legends in Odisha.
The Odia cinema, colloquially known as Ollywood, is the Odia language Indian film industry, based in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack in Odisha, India. The name Ollywood is a portmanteau of the words Odia and Hollywood.
Jitendra Nath Mohanty was an Indian philosopher. He served as emeritus professor of philosophy at Temple University. Born in Cuttack, in 1928 in Orissa, India, Mohanty had a distinguished career where he stood first in all public examinations and in B.A. Presidency College, Kolkata and M.A. examination at the University of Calcutta. Subsequently, he did a Ph.D. from University of Göttingen in 1954. In his long academic career, he taught at the University of Burdwan, University of Calcutta, New School for Social Research, University of Oklahoma, Emory University, and Temple University and held visiting professorships at many renowned universities.
Manoranjan Das was an influential Indian dramatist, and pioneer of modernism in Odia Literature. He was known for his experimentalism and deep socio-political awareness, who became most known in the 1960s with his experimental theatre.
Byomakesh Mohanty was an Indian artist and academic. After completing his science studies and graduating from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, he joined as a faculty of visual arts at Banaras Hindu University.
Kamalakanta Jena is an Indian educator, popular science and science text book writer in Odia. He has received awards for his books and articles.
Jagannath Prasad Das is an Indian writer, poet,painter, playwright and novelist who writes in Odia.
Bitti Mohanty, also called Bitihotra Mohanty is a computer engineer and is a high-profile convict sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for raping a German tourist at Alwar, India and was since absconding after he was released on parole on 20 November 2006 to meet his ailing mother at Cuttack, Orissa. He was arrested from Kannur in Kerala, on Saturday, 9 March 2013. His case was one of the quickest rape trials conducted by a fast-track court; the trial was completed within 15 days of lodging the complaint. The parole was granted within 8 months of his conviction. His father, Bidya Bhushan Mohanty, an Indian Police Service officer, stood as surety for his son's 15 days' parole and was subsequently suspended and arrested on the charges of helping, hiding and harbouring his son. He was later reinstated into service in 2009 and retired in 2012. Six years after his son's disappearance, the father expressed ignorance about his son's whereabouts and asserted that his son did not commit any major crime.
Artaballabha Mohanty, was a notable writer and literary critique.
Sailabala Das was a social worker and politician. She was the first woman from Odisha to go to England for higher studies.
Ramesh Chandra Bhanja was a writer, teacher, educationist, linguist, historian, editor and dramatist from Odisha. He has written many short-stories & poetry collections for children of all age groups. For his book Gapa Ganthili, he received the Odisha Sahitya Academy Award.
Birendra Kumar Bhuyan was an Indian writer, poet and lyricist in the Odia literature. Birendra has contributed to Odia literature by writing several national award-winning books and songs in Odisha.
Ashutosh Pattnaik is an Indian filmmaker, director, and lyricist.
Kanhu Charan Mohanty was an Indian Odia language novelist who wrote fifty-six novels in a career spanning over six decades from 1930 to 1985. He is considered "one of the most popular and celebrated novelists of Odisa". Mohanty was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958 for his novel, Kaa, published in 1956, and was one of the fellows of the Sahitya Akademi. Mohanty died on 6 April 1994 at the age of 87.
Pradip Kumar Mohanty is an Indian attorney and Jurist currently serving as a Judicial Member of Lokpal Committee since 23 March 2019. He will retire from the post till 70 years of age. He is former Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
Banamali Maharana was an Indian percussionist who played Mardala.
Birakishore Das, popularly known as "Jatiya KabiBirakishore" was a poet, social activist and politician from Odisha. Best known for the editor of " Mo Desha" a monthly magazine.
