OVERVIEW
Odisha lies in the eastern coast of India. With Bhubaneswar as the capital, it is the ninth biggest state in terms of land area and eleventh biggest state in terms of population, in the country. The state was originally called Orissa and later in 2011, it was renamed as Odisha. The official language of the state was called Oriya, which after the renaming of the state, is now called Odiya.
Most parts of Odisha are covered with forests, which makes up of 31.41% of the total area of the state. There are four categories of forests that include dense forest, medium dense forest, open forest, and scrub forest, among which the dense forest occupies the majority area of the state. The state also includes beautiful mangroves and bamboo forests.
Odisha has a stable economic and impressive gross domestic product growth, which is more than that of the national average. The state has abundant natural resources and a large coastline. Furthermore, it is a very popular tourist destination. It manufactures 1/5th of the total coal production of the country, 1/4th of the total iron ore, and one-third of the total bauxite reserves of the country.
Cuisines found in Odisha are tasteful and simple. It’s similar to other neighbouring states lining along the coastline. Rice is the staple food and mostly eaten with a number of vegetables cooked together. Major population practices vegetarianism due to their deep religious beliefs. Most of the population prefers sea-food. Oriya food is spicy and has little to no calorific value, as it is cooked in less oil and is mostly steamed.
The state is known for its rich cultural heritage, the city of Bhubaneshwar is famous for opulent and exquisite temples. The dance form that emerges from Odisha is Odissi. The proud and rich cultural heritage originates from the intermingling of three different religious traditions – Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Along with Odissi, which is a classical dance form that is about the divine love of Lord Krishna and his consort, Radha; there are other rich and fascinating theatre tradition. Prahaladnatak, Jatra, and Danda-natak that is compositions of different elements like dance, music, and mime in their larger than life characters.
