Odisha, formerly known as Orissa, is located in northeastern India along the Bay of Bengal. Its early history is documented in ancient texts dating back to the Mahabharata era. In the 16th century, it was conquered by the Sultanate of Bengal and later passed to the British Empire in the 19th century. Odisha is known for its rich cultural heritage showcased through its architecture, arts, dance forms like Odissi and Chhau, and its people who maintain a strong sense of tradition despite challenges. Major tourist attractions include the temples of Lingaraja, Jagannath, and the Sun Temple at Konark.

1. SST
HOLIDAY
HOMEWORK
Topic:- ONODISHA

2. Odisha, formerly called Orissa, state of
India. Located in the northeastern part of
the country, it is bounded by the states of
Jharkhand and West Bengal to the north
and northeast, by the Bay of Bengal to the
east, and by the states of Andhra Pradesh
and Telangana to the south and
Chhattisgarh to the west.
INTRODUCTION

3. HISTORY OF ODISHA
 The early history of Odisha can be traced back to the mentions found in
ancient texts like the Mahabharata, Maha Govinda Sutta and
some Puranas.The region was also known to other kingdoms in region of East
Indies due to maritime trade relations.
 The year 1568 CE is considered a pivotal point in the region's history. In 1568
CE, the region was conquered by the armies of the Sultanate of Bengal led by
the iconoclast general Kalapahad. The region lost its political identity. The
following rulers of the region were more tributary lords than actual kings. After
1751, the Marathas gained control of the region. During the Maratha
administration, literature and poetry flourished. In 1803, the region was passed
onto the British Empire. The British divided the region into parts of other
provinces. In 1936, the province of Odisha was formed on the basis of
populations of Odia-speaking people.

4. KALINGA WAR
 The Kalinga War (ended c. 261 BCE)[1] was fought in
ancient India between the Maurya
Empire under Ashoka and the state of Kalinga, an
independent feudal kingdom located on the east coast, in
the present-day state of Odisha and northern parts
of Andhra Pradesh. It is presumed that the battle was
fought on Dhauli hills in Dhauli which is situated on the
banks of Daya River. The Kalinga War was one of the
largest and deadliest battles in Indian history.[This is the
only major war Ashoka fought after his accession to the
throne, and marked the close of the empire-building and
military conquests of ancient India that began with the
Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.[7] The war cost
nearly 250,000 lives.

5. ‘TSUNAMI-READY’
 India has become the first country in the Indian Ocean region to become home to Tsunami-
Ready villages in Odisha. The two villages, Noliasahi in Jagatsingpur district and Venkatraipur in
Ganjam district have received the UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
(IOC)’s Certificate of Recognition and Certificate of Appreciation. This is the first time that Indian
villages have got such recognition by UNESCO.
The awards were handed in a virtual event held by the Indian National Centre for Oceanic
Information Services (INCOIS) and the Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Center (IOTIC).

6. The distracting tsunami of 2004
 It’s been more than 15 years since the devastating tsunami took place in the
year 2004. On the fateful day of December 26, the Indian Ocean earthquake and
tsunami hit the Sumatra–Andaman region early in the morning. The underneath
of the sea was shaken and resulted in a massive 9.1–9.3 magnitude earthquake.
 The incident shook the world and killed over 10000 people in southern India
alone. Communities along the coasts of the Indian Ocean were hit hard. The
tsunami claimed nearly 227,898 lives in 14 countries, including India, Sri Lanka,
Indonesia, and Thailand. Tamil Nadu in India, Khao Lak in Thailand and Banda
Aceh reported the maximum number of fatalities.
 With such high numbers, the tsunami of 2004 became the deadliest natural
disasters in recorded history.

7. DISTRACTIONTSUNAMI

8. EARTHQUAKE ON ODISHA
 BHUBANESWAR: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 on the Richter Scale hit the
Bay of Bengal on Monday morning. According to the National Centre for
Seismology (NCS), the earthquake occurred at about 8.32 am.
 The depth of the earthquake was 10 km below the sea level, about 370 km
south-southeast of Haldia in West Bengal, 409 km south-southeast of Kolkata,
421 km east of Puri, 434 km east-southeast of Bhubaneswar and 489 km
south-southwest of Belonia in Tripura.

9. CULTURE OF ODISHA
1. Architecture
 The finesse and grandeur of Odisha's architecture is exhibited in its temples that the Aryans left behind. Some of them are among
the finest in the country. Of these, the most important are the Lingaraja Temple, Bhubaneswar (11th century), Jagannath Temple
at Puri (12th century) and the great Sun Temple at Konark (13th century). And hence, the golden triangle of Odisha -
Bhubaneswar, Konark and Puri contributes the maximum amount of tourism goodwill. They are primary temples built in the style of
'Kalinga' architecture.
 Lingaraja Temple
 The largest of all temples that the Temple City of Bhubaneswar boasts of, it is one of the major tourist attractions of the state with
over 6000 visitors on a daily basis. Here, Lord Shiva is worshipped as Harihara, a combined form of Vishnu and Shiva.
Jagannath Temple
 The coastal town of Puri enshrines Lord Jagannath in this colossal temple. It is one of the Char Dham pilgrimages that one is
expected to cover at least once in his lifetime. The temple is world-famous for its annual chariot festival or Rath Yatra.
Sun Temple
 Designed in the silhouette of a gigantic chariot along with seven horses and twenty-four wheels, this entire temple was conceived
as a chariot of the Sun God. It reflects the remarkable genius of architects that envisioned and went through with it. A UNESCO
World Heritage Site, the precision and intricacy of its sculptural work is worth seeing.

10. ArtsCultureof
Odisha
 It is impossible to list every form of visual art and
craft this uber-talented state boasts of but here
are some of the best-known ones:
Pattachitra (Cloth Painting)
 Literally, 'Patta' translates to cloth and 'Chitra'
means picture. The themes and motifs are
mythological, typically revolving around the
Jagannath and Vaishnava sect. Lord Jagannath
and Radha-Krishna paintings are a rage among
buyers. Pattachitra showing Ganesha and Shiva.
Since it is a traditional art-form, the Chitrakara's
(painter) very home is his own studio where his
family members act as helping hands. The final
painting is rendered in the form of a design on a
canvas with decorative borders. Sometimes,
palm-leaves are also used to form the canvas.

11.  Other important dance forms include:
Chhau
 This is a form of tribal martial dance that originated in Mayurbhanj. Two groups
of dancers armed with swords and shields, alternatively attack and defend
themselves with vigorous movements and elegant stances all to a background
music noted for its rhythmic complexities and vigorous percussion.
DANCE
Originally performed by Devadasis, Odissi bears the closest resemblance to
temple culture than any other existing form of dance. It traditionally depicts the
divine love between Lord Krishna and his consort Radha, drawing inspirations
from the lyrical compositions of poet Jayadeva. The dance basically involves a
mythical story, symbolic costumes, abhinaya (expressions), mudras (gestures)
and is extremely graceful.

12. PEOPLE OF ODISHA
 With 95% of the populace following Hinduism and over 62 tribal
communities residing on the same soil, people of Odisha live in harmony
with mutual respect for minorities. The cultural diversity of Odisha is
admirable. It is said that the state stands as a coastal corridor between
the northern and southern parts of the country. As such, it marked the
assimilation of cultures of both Aryans and Dravidians in the days of yore.
Owing to this and being mostly rural, Odias are a religious bunch but
definitely not communal. Odisha is also a state with one of the lowest
crime rates.
 Tribals of Odisha
 Finding joy in the simple pleasures of life, its people are down-to-earth
with minimal needs. The state may be slow in terms of development and
poor in terms of economy, but a bowl of pakhala (water-soaked rice) is all
it takes to put a smile on an Odia's face. Culture and tradition stand as
strengthened pillars of any Odia household's upbringing. With humble and
open arms, the state welcomes any guest as its own. Humane, kind and
helping - you may not speak the same language but you are sure to feel
at home