The people in this region celebrate the day as Odisha Day, commonly known as Utkal Divas, to foster the remembrance of the struggle in gaining a separate political identity and to encourage the spirit of unity among the inhabitants
File image of historic Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra in Puri. PTI
Odisha, the land of Lord Jagannath, celebrates its 87th foundation day on 1 April, 2022. Around a decade before India’s independence, the Indian state of Odisha came into existence as an independent province in the year 1936.
Under British rule, Odisha was a part of the Bengal Presidency. The state was separated from the Bengal and Bihar province on 1 April, 1936 after a long struggle of three centuries. Since then, 1 April is marked as Odisha’s foundation day as on this day it became a separated state along with some parts of the Madras Presidency.
The people in this region celebrate the day as Odisha Day, commonly known as Utkal Divas, to foster the remembrance of the struggle in gaining a separate political identity and to encourage the spirit of unity among the inhabitants. The state celebrates Odisha day as a restricted holiday and it is also known as Vishuva Milan.
Odisha is famous for its glorious culture and historical significance. There have been repeated mentions of this state in Mahabharata. In ancient history, it has been known by different names like Kalinga, Utakal, Udra, Toshali and Kosala. The state got its new name from the Odra tribe that lived in the central region of Odisha. The state was originally called Orissa but it was renamed after the Lok Sabha passed the Orissa Bill, and Constitution Bill in March 2011.
According to historians, Odisha was ruled by different dynasties during different time periods. It became the core of the famous Kalinga Kingdom as Magadh king Ashoka invaded it in 261 BC to enlarge his Mauryan rule. The state flourished for almost a century under the rule of the famous Mauryan Dynasty. After Mauryan’s rule, King Kharavela began to rule Odisha as he managed to avenge the Mauryan invasion by defeating Magadh.
In 1576, Odisha fell to the Mughal Empire and several parts of the coastal region were taken over by the Marathas in the mid of 17th century. After the Carnatic wars, the southern coast of Odissa was consolidated with the Madras Presidency by the East India Company. In 1912, Bihar and Orissa became separate provinces.
Modern-day Orissa was formed as a province for the people speaking Oriya in 1936. Sir John Hubbak was named the first governor of the state. Notable leaders like Utkala Gouraba, Madhusudan Das, Utkala Mani, Gopabandhu Das, Fakir Mohan Senapati, Pandita Nilakantha Das fought for the movement to achieve an independent identity for the state.
Odisha is a land of religious and spiritual significance for many Hindus as it has several temples. Among them, the Jagannath Temple in Puri is a prominent one and it was built in the year 1078. It is a sacred destination for Hindu pilgrims and is known for the famous festival of ‘Rath yatra’ or ‘Chariot Festival’.
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