On Utkal Diwas 2022, know these 5 interesting, historical facts about Odisha

On the occasion of Utkala Dibasa, take a look at these historical facts about the culturally-rich state of Odisha.

Pic Credit: Pixabay, Twitter

New Delhi: Every year on April 1, the state of Odisha celebrates Odisha Day which is also known as Utkal Diwas and Utkala Dibasa. The day marks the separation of the Odisha from the Bihar and Orissa province in 1936 on April 1, about a decade before the country attained independence. 

Odisha received its autonomy after three decades of revolution headed by the organisaion Utkal Sammilani. At the time in 1936, the state had 6 districts - Cuttack, Puri, Baleswar, Sambalpur, Koraput and Ganjam. In the present day, Odisha has 30 districts.

On this important day, Odia people celebrate by decorating their shops and workplaces. They also hold competitions for families and people get to witness a beautiful firework show.

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik shared a glimpse of his artwork dedicated to Utkal Diwas 2022.

Happy #UtkalaDibasa pic.twitter.com/YfbuJIFniO

— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) April 1, 2022

To celebrate the formation of the culturally-rich state Odisha, let's take a look at a few unknown, historical facts about it:

1. When the Odisha province was established separately, the borders of the state were decided by the British-ruled Indian government and Cuttack became the capital of the state. Cuttack was the captial of Odisha until 1948 when Bhubaneshwar became the captial. 

2. In 1866, Odisha faced a deadly famine which killed almost one-third of its population according to the International Institute of Asian Studies. This led to the prioritisation of development of roads, canals and ports.

3. It is believed that Madala Panji from Puri Temple is the the oldest scripture of Odisha.

4. The popular Odisha's Shri Jagannath Temple has a kitchen called which is often touted to be one of the largest in the world. As per reports, it has approx. 600 cooks and 400 assitants who work tirelessly to serve food to the devotees and deities.

5. Did you know Odissi is believed to be the oldest surviving dance form of India? It has been arouns for over 2,000 years but temporarily went dormant under the British colonial rule. However, it was revived after independence.