Odisha, formerly Orissa, is an Indian state located in eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of Scheduled Tribes in India.. It neighbours the states of West Bengal and Jharkhand to the north, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Andhra Pradesh to the south. Odisha has a coastline of 485 kilometres (301 mi) along the Bay of Bengal. The region is also known as Utkala and is mentioned in India's national anthem, "Jana Gana Mana". The language of Odisha is Odia, which is one of the Classical Languages of India.
Jayadeva, also known as Jaidev, was a Sanskrit poet during the 12th century. He is most known for his epic poem Gita Govinda which concentrates on Krishna's love with the gopi, Radha in a rite of spring. This poem, which presents the view that Radha is greater than Krishna, is considered an important text in the Bhakti movement of Hinduism.
Jayanta Mahapatra is an Indian English poet. He is the first Indian poet to win a Sahitya Akademi award for English poetry. He is the author of poems such as Indian Summer and Hunger, which are regarded as classics in modern Indian English literature. He was awarded a Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour in India in 2009. He returned the award in 2015 to protest against rising intolerance in India.
Capital High School, located in Bhubaneswar, is one of the oldest schools in the Indian state of Odisha and was established in 1951. The school is situated in unit-III near Ram Mandir and is adjacent to St. Joseph's High School and The Blind School. It is affiliated to the Board of Secondary Education, Odisha under State Government of Odisha. Ganesh Chandra Mishra was the first headmaster of the school and he took charge on 16 July 1951. After Mishra, many other teachers such as Laxman Kara and Sarat Chandra Basu have taken over the charge of Headmaster of this school and lead the school to more successes.
Manoj Das is an Indian author who writes in Odia and English. In 2000, Manoj Das was awarded with Saraswati Samman. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2001, the fourth-highest Civilian Award in India, Padma Bhusan in 2020, the third highest Civilian Award in India for his contribution in the field of Literature & Education.
Odia literature is the literature written in the Odia language and predominantly originates in the Indian state of Odisha. The language is also spoken by minority populations of the neighbouring states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The region has been known at different stages of history as Kalinga, Udra, Utkala or Hirakhanda. Odisha was a vast empire in ancient and medieval times, extending from the Ganges in the north to the Godavari in the south. During British rule, however, Odisha lost its political identity and formed parts of the Bengal and Madras Presidencies. The present state of Odisha was formed in 1936. The modern Odia language is formed mostly from Pali words with significant Sanskrit influence. About 28% of modern Odia words have Adivasi origins, and about 2% have Hindustani (Hindi/Urdu), Persian, or Arabic origins. The earliest written texts in the language are about thousand years old. The first Odia newspaper was Utkala Deepika first published on 4 August 1866.
Sitakant Mahapatra is an eminent Indian poet and literary critic in Odia as well as English. He was in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) since 1961 until retiring in 1995, and has held ex officio posts such as the Chairman of National Book Trust, New Delhi since then.
Harekrushna Mahatab was a leader of the Indian National Congress, a notable figure in the Indian independence movement and the Chief Minister of Odisha from 1946 to 1950 and again from 1956 to 1961. He was popularly known by the sobriquet "Utkal Keshari".
Nityananda Mahapatra was an Indian Odia politician, poet and journalist.
Enduri Pitha is a variety of pitha made in the Indian state of Odisha mostly in the northern and central region. Ingredients are turmeric leaves, black gram, rice flour, coconut, jaggery, black pepper. Enduri is mostly prepared during Prathamastami and Manabasa Gurubara. It is a light snack and has laxative effect because of the turmeric leaves that are used to wrap the pitha. Traditionally, enduri used to be made by steaming in large earthen pots. Enduri is one of the many other pithas offered to Jagannath in the Jagannath Temple, Puri for "Sakala dhupa" (breakfast).
Gop is a town and a NAC under jurisdiction of Puri district in the Indian state of Odisha. It is one of the main block covered under Puri district. It is famous for the Sun temple, Kathiawar comprises square sanctum circumscribed by double courtyards. The important villages like Biratunga(Swami Nigamananda's Ashram of Nilachala Saraswata Sangha, Puri is located here), Begunia, Nimapara, Nagapur, Kakatpur, Bhaimapur, Ganeswarpur, Kusabhadra surround Gop.
Jagannath Prasad Das is an Indian writer, poet, playwright and novelist who writes in Odia. He has dominated the Odia literary scene for over forty years. His literary oeuvre comprise poetry, plays, short stories, novel, essays, children’s poems and nonsense verse. He has done translations of literary works from different languages into Odia and English. He has done extensive research into Odia art and has published three works on the pictorial arts of the state. He has also done paintings, acted on stage and in films, and taken an active part in social and cultural movements. His writings have been widely translated into Hindi, English and other Indian languages, bringing him national recognition. He has been honoured with awards for his writings, the important ones being the Central Sahitya Akademi award for his poetry, the Nandikar Award for plays, the Sarala Award for short stories and the Saraswati Samman for his poetry. He has been connected with literary, cultural, and charitable organisations and has been member/office holder of these bodies.
Binod Kanungo is a renowned Odia author, freedom fighter, Gandhian, educator, social reformer and celebrated compiler of the Gyana Mandala, which is the greatest encyclopaedia in the Odia language. He also won the Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award for his travelogue Runa Parishodha (1983). He was also a veteran freedom fighter and notable educationist. He was awarded with India's fourth highest civilian honour "Padmashree". He died on 22 June 1990.
Bidhu Bhusan Das was a revered and legendary public intellectual, educator, professor, and senior government official from India. Das received an A.M. from Columbia University and an M.Litt. from Christ Church, Oxford University. He also studied at Harvard University. Earlier, he earned an M.A. in English from Patna University. He was made a Fellow of the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank,, in 1971.
Keshab Chandra Dash, is a scholar and author from Odisha.
Natabar Samantaray was an Odia writer and literary critic. Some of his known literary historical works are Odia Sahityara Itihasa (1803-1920), Adhunika Odia Sahityara Bhittibhumi and Vyasakabi Fakirmohan. His critical review included works of many noted Odia authors like Fakir Mohan Senapati and Radhanath Ray. His historical research includes all of the major Odia writings published during 1803 until 1920 which accentuate the British Raj and its impact in coastal Odisha, and a critical analysis of the modern Odia literature.
Odia Ramayana also known as Jagamohana Ramayana or Dandi Ramayana popularly across Odisha is an epic poem composed by the 15th-century poet Balarama Dasa. This work is a retelling of the Ramayana though not a direct translation.
Kuntala Kumari Sabat (1901–1938) was an Odia poet during colonial India. She was one of the women poets who came into prominence from Odisha during India's freedom struggle. She was multifaceted personality. She was a physician, writer, poet, editor, leader of nationalist movement and social worker. She was honored with Utkala Bharati in 1925.
Binod Chandra Nayak was an Odia writer. He was known for his writing that was influenced by modern poetry while being romantic. He was awarded the 1970 Kendra Sahitya Akademi award for his poetry collection Sarisrupa.
