Odisha

1.1 Where is Odisha?

Odisha lies on India’s east coast. The Bay of Bengal lies on its east. Chhattisgarh lies on the west. Andhra Pradesh lies on the south. It covers 155,707 square kilometres.

1.2 What is its capital?

The capital is Bhubaneswar. It is a temple city. Kataka (Cuttack) was the capital of the 1936 province. The new capital at Bhubaneswar was built after independence.

1.3 What was it called in the past?

Over the centuries the region had different names. These were Kalinga, Utkal and Odradesha. Each name belongs to an earlier period.

Names as given by the Government of Odisha, listed under the card.

1.4 Who lives there?

Oriya is the mother tongue of the people. Most of them also understand Hindi. More than 22 percent of the people are tribal. Many live in Mayurbhanj, Kendujhar, Sundaragada and Koraput districts.

2.1 What happened in 1936?

In 1936 Odisha became a separate province. Parts of Bihar, Odisha and Madras provinces were carved out to form it. Kataka was its capital. A province was a unit of British Indian rule.

2.2 What happened in 1949?

The state took its present shape only in 1949. Princely states, including Mayurbhanj, merged into it. A princely state was ruled by a local prince under British overlordship.

2.3 Who is called the architect of modern Odisha?

Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das is called the architect of modern Odisha. Later leaders include Nabakrushna Chowdhury, Harekrushna Mahtab and Bijayananda Patnaik.

3.1 How long is the coast?

Odisha has a long coast on the Bay of Bengal. One government page gives about 450 kilometres. Another says 482 kilometres. So use the figure in your question paper, and expect it to be about 450 to 482 kilometres.

3.2 Which rivers drain the state?

Six important rivers drain Odisha. They are the Subarnarekha, Budhabalanga, Baitarani, Brahmani, Mahanadi and Rusikulya. The coastal plain is called the Hexadeltaic region. It is also called the Gift of Six Rivers.

3.3 What are its regions?

Odisha has five major morphological regions. A morphological region is a land area shaped by similar landforms. The five are the coastal plain, the middle mountainous and highlands region, the central plateaus, the western rolling uplands and the major flood plains.

3.4 Where are the minerals?

The rich mineral belts lie in the west and north-west of the state.

4.1 How big is it?

Chilika is the largest brackish water lake of Asia. Brackish water is a mix of fresh and salt water. It covers about 1100 square kilometres. It lies across Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts. It is also the largest coastal lagoon in India.

4.2 Why do birds come here?

Chilika is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian subcontinent. In winter, birds arrive from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal and the Aral Sea.

4.3 Who depends on it?

More than 150,000 fisher folk live in 132 villages on its shores and islands. Satapada is a popular tourist spot. Irrawady dolphins are its main attraction.

5.1 Which temples matter most?

The Ganga rulers were known for temple building. The Parsuramesvara temple at Bhubaneswar is the earliest extant temple. Extant means still standing. The Lingaraj, Jagannath and Sun temples came in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries.

Temples and centuries as given in the sources listed under the card.

5.2 Why is Bhubaneswar a temple city?

Records say about 7000 temples once stood in Ekamra Vana of Bhubaneswar. The Mukteswar Temple is called the finest piece of Kalinga architecture. The Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves date from the 1st century BC.

5.3 What is special about Konark?

King Narasimhadeva built the Sun Temple in the 13th century. It is shaped like a huge chariot for the sun god Surya. Seven horses pull it. The name comes from Kona, meaning corner, and Arka, meaning sun. Many call it the Black Pagoda.

5.4 What is left of it today?

The ruins were excavated in the late 19th century. The tower over the sanctum, the Garbagriha, is missing. The Jagmohana, the hall in front, is intact. UNESCO listed the Sun Temple as a World Heritage Site in 1984.

5.5 What is Puri known for?

Puri is one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage centres of India. Its Ratha Jatra honours Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra. The chariots go from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple.

Read more: The Konark Sun Temple and Festivals of India.

6.1 How old is Kalinga’s story?

Kalinga was a powerful kingdom as early as the Kurukshetra battle. Later, Mahapadmananda of Magadha took it into the Nanda empire. He became king of Magadha in 362 BC.

6.2 What did Asoka do in 261 BC?

Asoka, son of Bindusara, invaded Kalinga in 261 BC. The war was huge. About 1,00,000 people were killed. Another 1,50,000 were taken captive. The bloodshed on the banks of the river Daya moved him deeply.

6.3 What changed after the war?

Asoka turned to Buddhism. He preached peace for the rest of his life. Edicts were engraved on the Dhauli and Jaugada rocks to spread his ideas.

6.4 Who was Kharavela?

Kharavela ruled Kalinga in the 1st century BC. His Hatigumpha inscription at Udayagiri near Bhubaneswar tells his life up to his 13th year as king.

7.1 Who is the Governor?

Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati is the Governor of Odisha. His tenure began on 3 January 2025.

7.2 Who is the Chief Minister?

Mohan Charan Majhi is the 15th Chief Minister of Odisha. He has served since 12 June 2024. He belongs to the Santhal tribal community.

7.3 Who was Harekrushna Mahtab?

Mahtab was Chief Minister of Orissa from 1946 to 1950, and again from 1956. Odisha government sources date the end to 1960. His first term began when the post was called Prime Minister. So do not call him simply the first Chief Minister.

Read more: Harekrushna Mahtab.

8.1 What traps repeat?

• Capital? Bhubaneswar, not Cuttack or Puri.
• Konark builder? King Narasimhadeva, 13th century.
• Ratha Jatra for whom? Lord Jagannath.
• What changed Asoka? The Kalinga War of 261 BC.
• 1936 or 1949? 1936 province, 1949 present shape.

8.2 How should you remember it?

Link each place to one fact. Bhubaneswar is the capital. Konark is the sun chariot. Puri is Jagannath. Chilika is the brackish lagoon. Kalinga is Asoka’s war.