Orissa is one of the twenty eight states of India, ranking eleventh in population and tenth in area. In respect of age, she occupies the ninth positions, having been carried out as an independent political and geographical entity in 1936 only. Orissa the most picturesque state in eastern India is well known round the globe for its Tribes, Temples and Tigers. It is the land of 62 tribes, including some of the most primitive tribes, is the third tribal concentration in India has long eluded the western tourists. Mostly of proto Australoid stock, many of the Orissa tribes are high land tribes with rich ethnological character and customs, varying language and dialects. The territory conscious different tribes have long been able to reject the mainland influence and have preserved their social customs, living style and theological values. The most primitive among them are Bondas, Gadabas, Koyas, Kondhas, Birhors, Juang, and the Sauras. Not much has changed in the life-style of the tribes since the day Elwin, the British anthropologist visited the high landers in 1943. The unique rituals, Shamanism, sacrifices, housing pattern, wall paintings, handicrafts etc. still intact to be discovered by curious tourists like you. It is bounded by West Bengal and Bihar on the north, Andhra Pradesh on the south, the Bay of Bengal on the east and Madhya Pradesh on the west.

Orissa is a coastal state; five of her thirty districts, vis. Balasore, Kendrapara, Jagatsingh pur, Puri and Ganjam, are situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Her boundaries have influenced her politics, culture, language and civilization. As a maritime state, her people had, in the days of yore, travelled as far as the islands of Java, Bali and Sjumatra which are now components of the Republic of Indonesia.

On account of the cult of Jagannath, Orissa has been a place of pilgrimage for people belonging to all the states of India. Her art and architecture; displayed in the temples of Puri, Konark and Bhubaneswar together called the Golden Triangle have attracted tourist from all over the globe. This is a polyglot state; her annals are characterised by communal harmony.

Orissa has priceless treasures buried under the surface of the earth and her forest and water resources contain in them seeds of great prosperity for the future. If she still remains a poor state inspite of her abundance of natural wealth, this is because she started late in building up her economy and the capital accumulated by the children of the soil has been inadequate to exploit her resources in full. It is said that, it was the phenomenal poverty of Orissa that persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to accept to vow of poverty throughout his life. As a partner in the national endeavor to bring about economic prosperity of the country. Orissa now looks forward to an era of rapid economic and political growth.