East India · Odisha
Odisha
Sources: wikimedia
About Odisha
- Coastal
Where it is
Odisha is a state on India's east coast, on the Bay of Bengal between West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, with the Mahanadi delta and Chilika Lake along the sea and the forested Eastern Ghats inland; its capital is Bhubaneswar.
History
Ancient Kalinga was conquered by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the bloody Kalinga War of 261 BCE, which turned him towards Buddhism. The Eastern Ganga kings later built the Jagannath Temple at Puri and the Sun Temple at Konark, and after Afghan, Mughal and Maratha rule the British took the region in 1803. Odisha became a separate province on 1 April 1936.
People
Odia is the state language, and Odisha is home to many Adivasi communities, among them the Santal, Kondh and Bonda, as well as fishing communities along the coast. Its culture is known for Odissi dance, pattachitra painting, silver filigree and the Rath Yatra.
Known for
- The Jagannath Temple and Rath Yatra at Puri
- The Sun Temple at Konark
- Chilika Lake
- Odissi dance and pattachitra painting
- The temples of Bhubaneswar
Did you know?
The English word juggernaut comes from Jagannath, inspired by the huge chariots that carry the deity through Puri during the Rath Yatra.
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