Utkal Divas or Odisha Day

Updated: June 17, 2020

Odisha Day, also known as Odisha Divasa and Utkala Divasa is celebrated on 1st of April in Odisha in the memory of the formation of the state as a separate province on 1st April 1936.

Significance of Utkal Divas:

After demise of the last Odia king Mukund Dev in 1568, this state had been ruled by Mughals, Nawabs, Marathas and British. There was no presence of Odisha state name in political map then. Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das founded a Odia social and cultural organisation named Utkal Sammilani in 1903 to unite all Odia. A revolution was started by them which continued for three decades under the leadership of Utkala Gouraba Madhusudan Das, Utkala Mani Gopabandhu Das, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati, Pandita Nilakantha Das, Fakir Mohan Senapati, Gangadhar Meher, Basudeba Sudhaladeba, Radhanath Ray, Bhubanananda Das, A. P. Patro and many others with the support of the public.
Finally on 1st April 1936, Odisha entered in state list of INDIA with 6 districts only namely Cuttack, Puri, Baleswar, Sambalpur, Koraput and Ganjam with its capital at Cuttack. However at present we have 30 districts.
The ancient kingdom of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in 261 BCE resulting in the Kalinga War, coincides with the borders of modern-day Odisha. So it was known as Kalinga. The region is also known as Utkala and is mentioned in India's national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana'.

Celebration of Utkal Divas:

Utkala Divasa/ Utkala Utsava is celebrated every year on 1 April all over Odisha as well as people living outside Odisha. The Odia families arranges different cultural programs program on that day all across the country. Utkala Divasa the day of remembrance for all Odia helps everybody to be united.
There are competitions arranged by popular local politicians like fireworks competition. One can enjoy these fireworks displays which make the sky all the more stunning.