Odia people

The Odia (ଓଡ଼ିଆ), formerly spelled Oriya, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group native to the Indian state of Odisha who speak the Odia language. They constitute a majority in the eastern coastal state, with significant minority populations existing in the neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Odia is the 9th most spoken language in India. Modern-day Odisha was made from the Odia-speaking part of then–Bihar and Orissa Province, Odia-speaking areas of Madras Presidency, Odia-speaking areas of Central Provinces and Berar and Odia-speaking Gadajats (Odia Princely states). The first linguistic movement started in 1886 and with the successful efforts of Madhusudan Das, the Father of Odia nationalism, Odisha became the first state to be created on a linguistic basis.