History
The history of Orissa or Kalinga, as it was called, is layered in time. Once a formidable maritime empire with trade relations with the South East kingdoms of Bali, Sumatra and Java, Orissa’s wealth attracted the attention of the mighty Mauryan Empire. The Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka the Great, conquered Orissa after the bloody battle of Kalinga in 261 BC. The carnage and suffering caused by the war affected him deeply and Ashoka forsook the path of violence vowing never to kill again. He embraced Buddhism and spread Buddha’s message beyond India’s shores to Sri Lanka and the Far East.
Around the 1st century BC, Kalinga came under Jain influence that lasted for a few centuries till the region returned to Hinduism under the kings of the Kesari and Ganga dynasties by the 7th century BC. Assimilating all these cultures, the style of temple architecture evolved into one unique to Kalinga; the caves and temples of Bhubaneshwar, Puri and Konark stand testament to this rich architectural heritage.
Despite the growing numbers of Muslim kingdoms in the north, south and west of India, it took the juggernaut of Mughal armies to subjugate Orissa (16th century). The decline of the Mughal Empire brought the Marathas to Orissa. They continued to exercise sovereignty, till the British gained dominance around 1803. Once India became independence in 1947, Orissa was made a state under the federal Indian Union. more hide
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Economy
Orissa has a predominantly agricultural economy with rice being the major crop cultivated by more than 80% of the rural population. The state has fertile green coastal plains that rise up to the hills of the Eastern Ghats. Other produces of the agricultural sector are pulses (legumes), cotton, tobacco, sugarcane, and turmeric. The state also exports large quantities of fish.
The industrial sector has iron and steel plants, textiles, cement, paper, glass, aluminum, flour, and soap factories, and processing mills for sugar and edible oil. Small scale industries include handloom weaving, making of baskets, wooden articles, hats, nets, and silver filigree (ornamental work). The pace of industrial progress in Orissa has quickened in recent years. Emphasis is being given to leather, ferro alloys, electronics, iron industries and production of tea, coffee, rubber, cashew nuts, spices, plastic and production of energy. Agro-based industries, minerals, steel and mine industries also occupy a place of prominence in the state's economy.
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