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Odisha at 90: How a movement to unify Odia speakers created India’s first linguistic province
Untiring efforts of Odia nationalists for more than three decades finally led to the creation of Orissa as a special province on April 1, 1936.
The Odisha tableau at the 77th Republic Day celebration at the Kartavya Path, New Delhi, on January 26, 2026. Photo: Tashi Tobgyal
Odisha, the first state in India to be formed on a linguistic identity, turned 90 on Wednesday as the state celebrated Utkal Divas (Odisha Day) to commemorate its formation on April 1, 1936.
President Droupadi Murmu, who hails from Odisha, lauded the state’s invaluable contribution to India’s freedom struggle and nation-building. She said this occasion celebrates the state’s rich cultural heritage, timeless traditions, and the resilience of its people.
What is the history behind the formation of Odisha, and who played an instrumental role in it? Here’s what to know.
Fight for a separate Odia-speaking province
Under British rule, the Odia-speaking regions were scattered across different provinces: Bengal, Madras, Central, and Bihar. During the latter half of the 19th century, a movement began for the unification of the regions under a single administration.
Although many small platforms were formed to fight for the cause of the Odia people in different parts, the Utkal Sammilani championed the cause for unification of Odia-speaking regions into a single territory. Formed by “Utkal Gaurav” (Pride of Utkal) Madhusudan Das, it united leaders fighting for Odia nationalism under one platform.
The Utkal Sammilani, formed by Madhusudan Das, championed the cause for unification of Odia-speaking regions into a single territory. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Utkal Sammilani’s first conference was held in Cuttack in December 1903, which was attended by rulers of princely states, zamindars, lawyers, and students. In subsequent annual conferences, resolutions for formation of a separate Odisha province were passed and submitted to British authorities.
In 1928, the British authorities formed a four-member subcommittee headed by Clement Attlee (then a Labour Party MP who later became UK Prime Minister) to look into the demand for creation of a separate province with amalgamation of scattered Odia-speaking regions.
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The demand for a separate province on the basis of language was further advocated by Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati during the Round Table conference on November 16, 1930. A year later, the Britishers formed a boundary select committee headed by Samuel O’Donnel, which submitted its report in 1932 in favour of a separate Odisha province. Although several Odia-speaking regions like Paralakhemundi and Jeypore (both then under the Madras Presidency) were not included initially, Odia leaders forced the Britishers to relent.
Besides Madhusudan Das and Gajapati, the untiring efforts of other Odia nationalists like Gopabandhu Das, Pandit Nilakantha Das, Fakir Mohan Senapati, Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo, and Vikram Dev Burma for more than three decades finally led to the creation of Orissa as a special province on April 1, 1936.
The Utkal Sammilani-led movement also never reported any major violence, and was largely characterised by conferences, seminars, youth sessions, intellectual discourse, and petitions.
From Orissa to Odisha
Until 2011, the state continued to be known as Orissa and its language was called Oriya. After Parliament passed the 113th Constitutional Amendment Bill in March 2011, it was changed to Odisha and Odia.
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This followed a resolution passed by the state Legislative Assembly on August 28, 2008, to facilitate such a change of name.
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