Area	:	1,55,707 sq km		State Government Portal
	Population	:	36,804,660
	Capital	:	Bhubaneswar
	Principal Languages	:	Oriya

History and Geography
Orissa, the land of Oriyas, was known as Kalinga in ancient days. In the third century BC (261 BC), Ashoka the Mauryan emperor sent a powerful force to conquer Kalinga, which offered stubborn resistance. Kalinga was subdued but the carnage, which followed, struck Ashoka with remorse. After the death of Ashoka, Kalinga regained its independence. In the second century BC, it became a powerful country under Kharavela. With the death of Kharavela, Orissa passed into obscurity. In the fourth century AD, Samudragupta invaded Orissa, which lay astride his path and overcame resistance offered by five of its kings. In 610 AD, Orissa came under the sway of King Sasanka. After Sasanka’s death, Harsha conquered Orissa.

Orissa had its own rulers (Ganga dynasty) in the seventh century AD. In 795 AD, Mahasivagupta Yajati II came to the throne and with him began the most brilliant epoch in the history of Orissa. He united Kalinga, Kangoda, Utkal and Koshala in the imperial tradition of Kharavela. Under the kings of Ganga dynasty, Orissa continued to flourish. Narasingha Dev of this dynasty is reputed to have built the unique Sun Temple of Konark. From Mid-16th Century, Orissa was ruled successively by five Muslim kings till 1592, when Akbar annexed it into the Mughal Empire. With the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Marathas occupied Orissa. They continued to hold it till the British took over in 1803.

Orissa was made into a separate province on 1 April, 1936. After Independence, princely states in and around Orissa surrendered their sovereignty to the Government of India. By the States Merger (Governor’s provinces) Order 1949, the princely states of Orissa were completely merged with the state of Orissa in January 1949. Although the state of Orissa had many ancient names like Kalinga, Utkal and Udra, it is widely known as the land of Lord Jagannath. Lord Jagannath is intimately connected with the social, cultural and religious life of Orissa. Jainism, Islam and Christianity have considerable impact on the people of Orissa in different periods.

Orissa is situated in the north-eastern part of the Indian peninsula. It is bound by the Bay of Bengal on the east, West Bengal on the north-east, Jharkhand on the north, Chhattisgarh on the west, and Andhra Pradesh on the south. The state may be broadly divided into four geographical regions-the northern plateau, central river basin, eastern hills and coastal plains.

Agriculture
Agriculture occupies a vital place in the economy and contributes 28 per cent of the net domestic product of the state. 65 per cent of the total work force directly or indirectly is engaged in agriculture. Rice is the principal food grain in the State. Sugarcane cultivation has been widely accepted by the farmers.

Irrigation and Power
Irrigation potential has been created through major, medium, minor irrigation and water harvesting projects. To derive more benefit of irrigation assistance from the Central Government, Biju Krushak Vikas Yojana has been launched by the State Government.

Industry
The Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation Limited, Industrial Development Corporation Limited and Orissa State Electronics Development Corporation are the three nodal agencies for promotion of large and medium industries in the state. The state provides institutional and financial support with various incentives and concessions for promotion of small-scale, village and cottage industries.

Transport

Aviation: Direct link is available from Bhubaneswar to places like Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Nagpur and Hyderabad. There are 13 air strips and 16 helipads at different places of the State.

Ports: Paradeep is the only major port of the state. Gopalpur has been developed as an all-weather port.

Tourist Centres
Bhubaneswar is famous for the Lingaraj Temple, while Puri is famous for the temple of Lord Jagannath and its beautiful sea beach. Other places of tourist interest in the State are Konark, Nandankanan, Chilka Lake, Dhauli Buddhist temple, Udaygiri-Khandagiri ancient caves, Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri and Udaygiri Buddhist images and caves, Saptasajya, Similipal National Park and Tiger Project, Hirakund dam, Duduma Water Falls, Ushakothi Wildlife Sanctuary, Gopalpur Sea beach, Hari Shankar, Narusinghnath, Taratarini, Taptapani, Bhitar Kanika, Bhimkunda, Kapilash, etc.

Sun Temple, Konark

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