Every year on the 1st April Utkal Divas or Odisha Foundation Day is celebrated by the people of Odisha. A special program is organized on this day. People from all over the country and abroad come to Odisha to enjoy this day. This day is also very famous globally. The state was originally called Orissa but the Lok Sabha passed the Orissa Bill, and Constitution Bill (113rd amendment), in March 2011 to rename it Odisha.
The History behind Odisha Day
History beckons that the present-day Odisha used to form a major portion of the ancient Kalinga. The region witnessed the epic “Kalinga War” led by King Ashoka who invaded and conquered the region in 260 BC. Later, the state was invaded and taken over by the Mughals till the British took over the administrative powers of the region and divided it into small units in 1803.
The western and northern districts became a part of the state of Bengal while the coastal region formed the basis of Bihar and Odisha (then known as Orissa). The state of Odisha was established on 1 April 1936 by the British Government. It was established as a province by the British Government on 1 April 1936. The state saw another facelift, now in terms of its name being changed from Orissa to Odisha.