Namascara Odisha: OneIndia is proud to launch its 9th portal, this time in Odia

Bhubaneswar, Nov 05: Odisha is arguably one of the best states in terms of development, culture and tradition. To honour the state, OneIndia, India's leading language portal, available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada is proud to launch our ninth portal in Odia.

It would be your one stop shop for news, views, entertainment. In short, it will cover Odisha in its entirety along with national and international news as well in your favourite language Odia. https://odia.oneindia.com.

Odisha formerly known as Orissa is one of the most pristine states in India. Known for its tribal cultures and many ancient Hindu Temples, it is the 8th largest state by area and the 11th largest by population.

The capital city of Bhubaneswar is home to scores of Temples and notable the intricately-carved Mukteshvara. Odisha is known for its rich history and culture. It is located on the eastern coast of India along the Bay of Bengal and is also famous for its national parks.

Odia:

Oldest of the eastern group of the Indo-Aryan family, Odia is derived from Ardhamagadhi Prakrit. Odia language has some 50 million speakers and is officially recognised or scheduled in the Indian Constitution. Odia has several dialects and the standard dialect is Mughalbandi (Coastal Odia). Odia dates back to the 10th Century CE. While the first poetic classic was composed in the 15th Century, the literary prose began to take shape in the 18th century. Odia allows compounding and the use of compounds is more a feature written than spoken.

Naveen Patnaik and governance:

Under the leadership of Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, the state has leaped way ahead of many other states. The current motto of his government is Government machinery must work in cohesion by implementing the 5Ts (Technology, Transparency, Teamwork and Time Leading to Transformation) to bring about transformational changes in the state. Even in the recent fight against COVID-19, the World Health Organisation had heaped praises for the manner in which the pandemic was dealt with in the state.

When it comes to administration and governance, Odisha has been on the top of its game and this is to with the fact that Patnaik has provided a steady government. In March, Patnaik completed 20 years as the Chief Minister and this is a record.

In February Patnaik got a resolution passed in the state assembly which enables the state commission for backward classes to conduct a survey on the social and educational conditions of the OBCs.

One of Patnaik's main thrust has been on citizen-centric governance. In this context, the focus has been on the 5 Ts- technology, transparency, teamwork, time and transformation. Under this programme, the Chief Minister himself, his officers phone the common people. During the call, the common people would be asked if they are getting all the government services property. Patnaik appointed his private secretary V K Pandian as the secretary and he makes surprise visits to different places such as medical colleges of the government to ensure that the government schemes are implemented. Patnaik has also maintained a Mr Clean image and has given a thrust to fighting corruption.

People and tourism:

As a tourist destination, Odisha has some of the most scenic places in the world. Puri, Bhubaneswar, Balasore and Sambalpur are some of the places to visit. The people of the state are extremely warm and this has only gone on to make the state a friendly place to visit.

The Konark Sun Temple, Shri Jagannath Temple, Udayagiri and Khandgiri Caves, Golden Beach, Simpilal National Park, Lingaraj Temple are some of the best places in the state.

Accounts put out by several travellers clearly suggest that the people of the state are the most humble. They are excellent cooks and great hosts. They are religious and have deep faith in God and they can be life-long friends. The people ensure that you have some kind of a homecoming when you visit Odisha.

Many say that the people of Odisha are extremely humble and down to earth and yes the auto drivers do not argue with you. Now that is clearly a benchmark.

Tradition and culinary:

Odisha has had a continuous tradition of dharmic religions, especially Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It was Ashoka's conquest of Kalinga that made Buddhism a principal religion in the state. This led to the establishment of numerous stupas and Buddhist learning centres. Presently the majority of the people in the state are Hindus. Odisha is also the home to several Hindu saints such as Sant Bhima Bhai.

Odissi music is the traditional classical music of the state. With a history of over 2,000 years, Odissi music was born as a seva in the Jagannatha temple of Puri. It was developed by great composers such as Jayadeva, Upendra Bhanja, Dinakrusna Dasa, Banamali Dasa Kabisurjya Baladeba Ratha, Gopalakrusna Pattanayaka and others.

Odisha also has a culinary tradition that spans over centuries. The kitchen in the Jagannath Temple in Puri has the largest kitchen in the world, with over 1,000 chefs working around 752 wood-burning clay hearths known as chills. Every day 10,000 people are fed everyday.

One of the most popular desserts is Rasagolla. Chena Poda is also another popular sweet delicacy.