Bhubaneswar, April 1: Odisha was declared a separate province on this day 86 years ago on linguistic basis.

The Indian state of Odisha, formerly known as Orissa, came into being on April 1, 1936.

Orissa was renamed as Odisha by the Parliament of India on November 9, 2010 and Oriya language as Odia.

Cuttack was the capital of the state since 1135 till 1948, later it shifted to Bhubaneswar.

Odisha is the third state in India in terms of tribal population.

The day is celebrated as Utkal Divas, the foundation day. It is an occasion for any Odia to rejoice. Odias celebrate this day with great enthusiasm every year. This year special arrangements have been made to celebrate the birthday of the state amid Covid restrictions.

It is a day to remember the great leaders of the state – Madhusudan Das, Gopabandhu Das, Maharaja Ramachandra Bhanjadeo, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati, Fakir Mohan Senapati, Gangadhar Meher, Gourishankar Ray and Ramadevi – who fought all odds for statehood of Odisha.