Government of Odisha
- Governor – Dr. Senayangba Chubatoshi Jamir
- Chief Minister – Naveen Patnaik (BJD)
- Legislature – Unicameral (147 seats)
- Parliamentary constituency :
- 21 Lok Sabha
- 10 Rajya Sabha
- High Court – Odisha High Court, Cuttack
State symbols of Odisha
- Music – Bande Utkala Janani
- Dance – Odissi
- Animal – Sambar
- Bird – Indian Roller
- Flower – Ashoka
- Tree – Sacred fig
Wildlife Sanctuaries in Odisha
- Badrama Wildlife Sanctuary
- Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary
- Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary
- Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary
- Chandaka Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary
- Chilika (Nalaban) Wildlife Sanctuary
- Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary
- Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary
- Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary
- Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary
- Khalasuni Wildlife Sanctuary
- Kotagarh Wildlife Sanctuary
- Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary
- Lakhari Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
- Nandankanan Wildlife Sanctuary
- Satkosia Gorge Wildlife Sanctuary
- Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary
- Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary
National Parks in Odisha
- Bhitarkanika National Park
- Simlipal National Park
Famous places in Odisha
BHUBANESWAR– The State Capital, is a perfect blend of the past and present. It is dotted with ancient temples and monuments, while also offering the very best in accommodation and entertainment. It is one of the preferred bases for tourists wanting a quick glimpse of Odisha (Formerly Orissa).
- Dhauli
- Sisupalgarh
- Hirapur
- Atri
- Nandankanan
PURI– The Abode of Lord Jagannath, is also famous for its beautiful beach. It attracts both pilgrims and pleasure seekers alike, and it is not surprising that some of the now permanent residents of the enchanting town were originally visitors who decided to stay back.
- Balighai
- Brahmagiri
- Satyabadi
- Baliharachandi
- Raghurajpur
- Satapada
KONARK – Famous for the Sun Temple, this small hamlet plays host to a huge number of visitors who are spell bound by both the size of the temple as well as the delicacy of the erotic sculpture. The beautiful Chandrabhaga beach is an added bonus to visitors to help them relax after the awe inspiring tour of the temple.
- Kuruma
- Chaurasi
- Ramachandi
- Astranga.
Famous Personalities of Odisha
- Sam Pitroda
- Nandita Das
- Sudarshan Patnaik
- Subhas Chandra Bose
Facts and Trivias
- Odisha is very ancient & the oldest rocks (from Mayurbhanj) date back to 3 billion years (Our planet is believed to be 4.5 billion years old)
- Chandragupta Maurya was hesitant for 60 long years to attack Kalinga (old name of Odisha) as the Kalinga army of 60,000 managed to annihilate one lakh enemy soldiers, a quarter of the empire’s army.
- Over 62 distinct tribal groups live in Odisha, each one with its own culture and traditions different from the other
- At Puri Jagannath temple kitchen, 7 pots are kept one on top of another and cooked on firewood. In this process the contents in the top pot get cooked first & then the bottom one.
- The Jagannath temple kitchen is reputed to be the largest kitchen in the world, with 400 cooks working around 200 hearths to feed over 10,000 people each day.
- Odisha became the first state to enact the Lokayukta Bill law after the central act was passed in Parliament.
- Rasagolla, famous sweet originated in Odisha
- The Chandipur Beach is a hide and seek beach of Odisha that appears and disappears with every high and low tide to approximately 5 kms.
- Bhubaneswar, the capital city was the home of over 600 magnificent temples in medieval times. It is called the “temple city” of India. The only city in the world with such highest number of temples inside
- World’s highest electrified track ( at a height of 7.45 metres for running of Double Stack Container (DSC) goods trains) is situated at Odisha in Jakhapura-Daitari section. Constructed by East Coast Railway of Odisha. Second to this is in China is 6.6 metre and 7.1 metre in USA.
- A 23-feet giant Estuarine crocodile in Odisha has been crowned the world’s largest.
- Largest Brackish Water Lagoon, Chilka lake in Odisha, the largest water body in Asia, has an area of 916 sq km now. It used to be 1, 165 sq km.
- Odisha is popular for having 3 mass nesting beaches of rare Olive Ridley Sea Turtles including world’s largest nesting ground of Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, Lepidochelys Olivacea. Largest wetland of Asia (Chilika) now designated as a Ramsar site in Orissa.
- The largest Lion Safari of India, and the only White Tiger Safari in the world, are located in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
- Hirakud Dam, the fourth largest in the world, is situated at Sambalpur Western Odisha.
- Odisha – highest producer of hematite ore. Odisha has 25% of Hematite ore of India.
- Puri Temple is the only Dhama (pilgrimage) in India where Folk, Shaiva, Sakta, Vaishnaba cult of worship is done.
