Odisha will celebrate its 85th foundation day of the state on April 1. The day is also known as ‘Utkal Divas’. The day marks the date when the state became independent in the year 1936.

Key Points

=> Utkal Divas or Utkala Dibasa or Odisha Day is celebrated on April 1 every year.

=> The day is celebrated in the memory of the struggle for achieving a separate identity for the state that was once part of Kalinga ruled by emperor Ashok, and later by Kharavela.

=> Odisha became India’s first independent state on a language basis on April 1, 1936, i.e. 85 years ago.

=> After a long struggle of more than three centuries, Odisha became a separate province.

=> The state was carved out of the combined Bengal-Bihar-Orissa province.

=> The day is usually celebrated through various public events. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the celebrations this year and the day will be celebrated in a low-key manner.

Odisha

As of 2019, the state has 30 districts. It is the 8th largest state of the country by area and 11th largest by population. The neighboring states of Odisha are Andhra Pradesh to the south, Chhattisgarh to the west, and West Bengal and Jharkhand to the north.