Orissa
(2001 est. pop. 36.7 million). The state of Orissa, with an area of 155,707 square kilometers, is situated on the southeastern part of India. It is surrounded by the states of Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and Chattisgarh and the Bay of Bengal. Bhubaneshwar is the capital city. Located in the tropical zone, the state has an average rainfall of 150 centimeters. The longest earthen dam in the world, the Hirakud Dam, is located in Orissa on the Mahanadi River.
A place of cultural synthesis and racial amalgamation, Orissa has a long tradition of maritime, commercial, and cultural contact with Southeast Asia. Its territory once extended from the Ganges River in the north to the Godavari River in the south. Its decline began in the middle of the sixteenth century, when parts of it were annexed by neighboring powers. It became a separate province on 1 April 1936.
The majority of the people are Hindus and speak the Oriya language. Tribal peoples constitute 22 percent of the population, one of the largest concentrations in India. Some 87 percent of the population is settled in rural areas. There are only 124 urban units, and only eight cities have a population of more than 100,000.
About 73 percent of the people are dependent on farming. Rice, pulses, oilseed, jute, coconuts, turmeric, and sugarcane are some of the important crops. The manufactured products of the state are textiles, paper, leather goods, cement, and steel. In spite of abundance of natural resources such as iron, coal, zinc, and forest goods, poverty is widespread. Orissa has the highest percentage of people in India (48.6 percent) living below the poverty line. The average annual income is only about $100. The literacy rate is 49.1 percent. Natural calamities such as drought, cyclones, heat waves, and floods are recurring features.
The poverty of the state contrasts with its rich cultural traditions. The magnificent temples of Konark, Lingaraj, and Jagannatha show that Orissan artists have remarkable dexterity in creating objects of art. The appliqué handicrafts, elegant sambalpuri clothes, silver filigree works, patachitra (cloth painting), and stone sculptures produced in the state are widely acclaimed.
Further Reading
Jena, B. B. (1981) Orissa: People, Culture, and Polity. New Delhi: Kalyani.
Mishra, P. K., and J. K. Samal, eds. (1997) Comprehensive History and Culture of Orissa. New Delhi: Kaveri.
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