Beyond Borders, Within Roots: How Odisha Is Turning Cultural Identity Into A Development Blueprint

Rooted in a strong sense of identity, Odisha is building its future not in defiance of its past, but because of it.

Under the Majhi government, Odia Asmita, once cherished as cultural pride, is now a guiding force in governance, planning, and economic thinking.

Odia Asmita refers to the collective pride, identity, and cultural consciousness of the Odia people, deeply rooted in the language, heritage, traditions, and civilisational legacy that have shaped Odisha’s distinct place in the Indian imagination. This is not a symbolic gesture but a deliberate strategy where heritage becomes infrastructure, language informs policy, and tradition powers new forms of growth.

In Odisha, culture is not being seen as a museum piece but as public policy. History, art, festivals, and folklore are being reclaimed as everyday tools of empowerment, helping the state write a development story that is inclusive, imaginative, and unmistakably its own.

Legacy Rooted in Language and History

The roots of Odia Asmita run deeper than modern statehood. Long before 1936, Odisha had carved its place in the national imagination, as is evident in Rabindranath Tagore’s reference to Utkala in the national anthem. This was no accident. The region has always been marked by its linguistic distinctiveness, spiritual resilience, and artistic excellence.

The stories are legendary. From King Kharavela reclaiming sacred idols from Magadhan rule to Gajapati Ramachandra Deba preserving the Jagannath cult in the face of Mughal aggression, Odisha’s historical imagination has been one of recovery and assertion.

Sarala Das made the Mahabharata accessible in vernacular Odia. Gopala Chandra Praharaj captured a civilisation in the pages of his encyclopaedic Bhasakosha. Even the mystic poetry of Bhima Bhoi carried messages of universal compassion with spiritual and social urgency.

Culture as Strategy, Not Sentiment

Today, the Mohan Chandra Majhi government is transforming this legacy into statecraft. The ₹200 crore Corpus Fund for Odia Asmita reflects a pivot in cultural policy from passive preservation to active investment. This fund supports language initiatives, heritage restoration, folk art, and architectural conservation.

The global stage, too, is being leveraged to amplify Odisha’s soft power. Cultural showcases at the Surajkund Mela, events like the International Geeta Mahotsav, and participation in diaspora gatherings all serve to elevate Odia culture beyond state borders.

Museums are being reimagined. In January 2025, nine new galleries, including one dedicated to palm-leaf manuscripts of the Ramayana, were inaugurated. UNESCO recognition is being sought for Balijatra and Dhanujatra, underlining Odisha’s commitment to place its intangible heritage on the world map.

Books and publishing have also found new momentum. The 2024 Odisha Book Fair clocked ₹1.5 crore in sales, highlighting public engagement with literature.

A commemorative edition of Barnabodha revived interest in foundational Odia education and literary identity.

A Living Culture, State-Supported

Culture in Odisha, instead of being locked in the past, is being lived and supported in real time. Padma awardees from the state now receive a monthly honorarium of ₹30,000.

The long delayed State Film Awards were revived in November 2024. Plans for a Bhubaneswar branch of the National School of Drama signal the government’s commitment to building artistic institutions, not just events.

Perhaps the most vibrant expression of this new cultural vision is Odia Pakhya, a fortnight-long celebration from April 1 to 14. It included everything from Heritage Runs and Traditional Dress Day to Buy a Book Day and district-level folk art showcases. It culminated in a ceremony at the MS Swaminathan Auditorium, where cultural ambassadors from each district were honoured.

This is not tokenism. It’s structural. It links culture with dignity, identity with opportunity, and festivals with livelihoods.

Identity as Economic Vision

What Odisha is doing is radical in its quietude. It isn’t trying to emulate the development models of others, it’s carving its own path by turning roots into routes.

Cultural identity is being celebrated as well as operationalised, from policy to practice. Odisha is demonstrating that tradition, when anchored in the present, can be one of the strongest levers of inclusive growth.

In choosing to build from within, Odisha is creating more than just a cultural revival—it is laying down a template for how identity, economy, and governance can align. Not as separate streams, but as one integrated vision for the future.