Odisha, formerly Orissa, is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the eighth-largest state by area, and the eleventh-largest by population, with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the third-largest population of Scheduled Tribes in India. It neighbours the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the north, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to the south. Odisha has a coastline of 485 kilometres (301 mi) along the Bay of Bengal in Indian Ocean. The region is also known as Utkaḷa and is mentioned by this name in India's national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. The language of Odisha is Odia, which is one of the Classical Languages of India.
Odia is an Indo-Aryan classical spoken in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the official language in Odisha, where native speakers make up 82% of the population, and it is also spoken in parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Odia is one of the many official languages of India; it is the official language of Odisha and the second official language of Jharkhand.
Bhubaneswar is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha, located in the Khordha district. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as Chakra Kshetra and Ekamra Kshetra. Bhubaneswar is dubbed the "Temple City", a nickname earned because of the 700 temples which once stood there. In contemporary times, it has emerged as an education hub and an attractive business destination.
Bijayananda Patnaik was an Indian politician, aviator and businessman. He served as the 3rd Chief Minister of the State of Odisha from 1990 to 1995 and from 1961 to 1963. He was also the 14th Steel and mines and 1st Coal Union Minister of India from 1979 to 1980 and from 1977 to 1979 and a member of Lok Sabha from Kendrapara from 1977 to 1985. He was the father of Naveen Patnaik, who is the current CM of Odisha and currently the longest serving CM of Odisha.
The Odia (ଓଡ଼ିଆ), formerly spelled Oriya, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group native to the Indian state of Odisha who speak the Odia language. They constitute a majority in the eastern coastal state, with significant minority populations existing in the neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Previously a neglected aspect of the Indian Central government, Education in Odisha is witnessing a rapid transformation. Its capital city, Bhubaneswar, is emerging as a knowledge hub in India with several new public and private universities, including the establishment of an Indian Institute of Technology after five decades of demand.
Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) is a public state university located in Rourkela, Odisha, India. It was established on 21 November 2002 and was named after Biju Patnaik, the former Chief Minister of Odisha.
Bāli Jātrā, pronounced[balidʒat̪ɾa], is the major Boita Bandana festival held at Cuttack on Kartik Purnima and lasts for 7 days or more. It is considered to be one of Asia's largest open trade fair. The festival is held in Odisha, in the city of Cuttack at Gadagadia Ghata of the Mahanadi river, to mark the day when ancient Sadhabas would set sail to distant lands of Bali, as well as Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and Sri Lanka for trade and cultural expansion. To commemorate this, the festival is celebrated every year from the day of Kartika Purnima according to the Odia calendar.
Mrinal Chatterjee is an Indian academic and author. He heads the Indian Institute of Dhenkanal. He has authored five academic books on media studies in Odia, including History of Journalism in Odisha and Glossary of Terms for Media Persons. His has authored ten novels and seven short story collections in Odia, including Jagate Thiba Jate Dina published (2010), Kandhei (2013), Eka Sundar Chandini Ratire (2016), Yamraj Chutire (2015), Yamraj Number 5003 (2016), which is translated into Assamese, and a series of columns in Odia
Gourahari Das is a creative writer, journalist and an academician.
Brajanath Ratha was an Indian poet who wrote in Odia. Brajanath Ratha is internationally recognised and is the recipient of many prestigious awards like the Odisha Sahitya Academy Award, Vishuba Award, Gokarnika Award, First Shudramuni Sahitya Award and Honoured by South Korea's Ambassador, from Global Cooperation Society International, Seol, Republic of Korea for Contribution in World welfare, Cooperation and Services.
Soumya Ranjan Patnaik is an Indian politician and the founder-editor of the Odia daily Sambad. He is also a feature film producer as well as a successful business personality. He was elected to 11th Lok Sabha from Bhubaneswar on Indian National Congress ticket. After he was expelled from Congress he floated a new political party 'Aama Odisha Party' (AOP). He is married to Sudatta Patnaik, daughter of Janaki Ballabh Patnaik and Jayanti Patnaik. He is the brother of former OPCC President and former Minister Niranjan Patnaik.
Bhupen Mahapatra is an Odia novelist, columnist, and short story writer.
Dr. Nikhilanand Panigrahy is a popular Indian Science writer and columnist from Odisha. He has been contributing regularly to a variety of prominent Oriya news papers and magazines since 1973.
Namrata Mohanty is an Odia singer based in Cuttack, Odisha, India. She is a B-High grade singer of All India Radio (AIR), Cuttack since 1983. She is a science graduate from Brahmapur University. She was undergoing Masters, but discontinued because of illness.
Āhār Yojanā is a food subsidisation program run by the Ministry of Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare, Co-operation, Government of Odisha to provide cheap lunch to the urban poor at a price of five rupees inspired from the Amma Unavagam of Tamilnadu. It was inaugurated on April 1, 2015 by the Chief Minister of Odisha Navin Patnaik on Utkal Divas. The program provides meals in five major cities of Odisha. The actual cost of the food is around ₹ 20 but is subsidised to ₹ 5 with financial assistance from the Odisha Mining Corporation. It is targeted at more than 60,000 people per day.
Subrat Kumar Prusty is an Indian Odia-language scholar, activist, social entrepreneur, literary critic and author. He is Member Secretary of the Institute of Odia Studies and Research, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He was instrumental in preparing the research documents, advocating the awarding of Classical Language status to Odia, forming Central Institute of Classical Odia, Odia University and implementation of the Odisha Official Language Act, 1954. He was awarded the Presidential Certificate of Honour and Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman – 2019 for Classical Odia.
Sarat Kumar Kar was a politician and writer from Odisha, India. He was a member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) political party.
The Samaya is an Odia daily newspaper which was first published in 1996 in Bhubaneswar. Its editor was S. Hota, and its publisher Ranjib Biswal. It is a popular newspaper which is read around Odisha.
Sakala is an Indian newspaper of Odia language which is published daily from Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It is one of the fastest growing Odia newspapers in Odisha. It is published from the capital city of Bhubaneswar, as well as from Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Balasore, Jajpur, Jeypore, and Angul. The first edition of this newspaper was published on December 1, 2020, in Bhubaneswar. Dr. Umakanta Mishra, joined as editor of the Sakala.
