Odisha Quiz
Odisha Quiz | QM: Prayag Mohanty | General Quiz | May 2026 | IIT Bombay A quiz covering unique aspects of Odisha's culture, history, art, cuisine, and notable personalities, designed to educate and entertain with lesser-known facts and traditions. Compiled and set by Prayag Mohanty.
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Transcript
Text from the slides — answers included, so no peeking if you're playing along!
- 1
Odisha Quiz
QM: Prayag Mohanty - 2
Rules
This is a quiz on some offbeat topics in Odisha. Some obvious, some
hyper-niche but mostly gettable.
Not your usual, straightforward peters like Konark, Puri, Odissi etc.
Slightly more in-depth yet interesting.
Hopefully you get to learn & have fun!
Let me know what you think about this quiz: topper1728@gmail.com
Reach out, if you want interesting quizzes like this one. - 3
1.
X Island is located 42 km off the coast of Abu Dhabi, UAE. It is known as
a center for pearl trading, with evidence of human settlement dating back
over 7,000 years.
X Garden Mall is a enclosed shopping mall in Yerevan. It was the first mall
to open in Armenia.
X is a traditonal Odia curry made with a mix of lentils (like toor dal) and a
variety of vegetables, often including raw banana, brinjal, green papaya,
and pumpkins. The dish is typically prepared with a special spice blend
known as Y
Y is a whole spice blend consisting of methi, kalonji, jeera, rai, and saunf.
ID X & Y [5+5] - 4
safety slide
- 5
Dalma
- 6
Pancha Phutana
It refers to “five spices” - 7
2.
Orissa was renamed to Odisha in 2011, the last state to be renamed until
another state in 2026. Both changes were intended to correct historical
inaccuracies and reclaim their state's linguistic identity.
Since 2011, all government institutions have updated their names except
for one. This constitutional body still carries Orissa in its name today,
bound by the Government of India Act, 1935, which has never been
amended.
Some claim it symbolizes its location as a historic stronghold.
Which Indian state was renamed? [5]
Which institution still bears the name Orissa? [5] - 8
safety slide
- 9
Keralam
- 10
Orissa High Court
As is the case with Bombay, Madras, Calcutta HC - 11
3.
Pattachitra is one of Odisha's oldest surviving art forms, deeply rooted in
the Jagannath cult and temple traditions. It is traditionally crafted on cloth
or dried palm leaves, using colours derived entirely from natural sources.
Each colour has a distinct origin — black from lamp soot, blue from the
indigo plant etc. But one colour stands apart.
The white used in Pattachitra comes from a single marine product, also
used heavily in religious rituals
What is the source of this white colour? [10] - 12
safety slide
- 13
Powdered conch shells
- 14
4.
Located in Cuttack, B K Industrial Training Center is the only institute in
India, that offers a specialized vocational course in the art of _________
making.
Born in Salepur in 1902, the namesake was named after years of
desperate prayers.
While he went on to build an iconic brand, it was his son’s innovation to
this product - a more denser texture - that increased _________’s shelf life
& widespread appeal.
FITB [5]
Who is B K [5] - 15
safety slide
- 16
Rasagolla
- 17
Bikalananda Kar
- 18
5.
Odisha FC had immediately grown its popularity post its inception which
resulted in the formation of its supporters group
Described as an unstoppable force, the name of the group also alludes to
the deity associated with the region.
What’s the name of the group? [10] - 19
safety slide
- 20
Juggernauts
- 21
6.
Boito is a fashion brand founded by Richa Maheshwari in 2022, known for
blending traditional handwoven textiles from Odisha with modern
designs.
Its name & logo are inspired by an annual festival. Which festival? [4]
At Burning Man 2025, Boito built an 18-foot metal sculpture that
represented a chimeric creature from a 15th-century Odia retelling of the
Mahabharata — one that carries parts of nine different animals and
beings. Which creature? [6]
(Images follow) - 22
(picture slide)
- 23
(picture slide)
- 24
safety slide
- 25
Bali Jatra
- 26
Navagunjara
- 27
7.
Aruna Khumbha is a 10 m-tall monolithic black stone pillar with an idol of
Aruna at the top. It is about 6 m away from the Singhdwara of the
Jagannath Temple in Puri.
According to Madala Panji, the Aruna Khumbha was transplanted from
another location to its current location by a Maratha guru, Brahmachari
Gosain, in the 18th century. It was apt, since the main deity of the original
location was considered identical with Vishnu.
The painting (next slide), one of the rare instances, depicts the interiors of
the structure at this location in 1912, which has been closed to the public
since.
Which location/structure? [10] - 28
(picture slide)
- 29
(picture slide)
- 30
safety slide
- 31
Konark Sun Temple
- 32
8.
This Muslim iconoclast camped with his army on the banks of the
Mahanadi, beyond the main temple of a certain goddess, intending to
destroy it.
Before he could begin, a beautiful milk-maid dressed in gold jewellery
arrived at the camp with a basket of milk, curd and butter. The goddess
had come in the guise of a milk woman, sold butter to the general and his
soldiers — who after consuming it, died.
His tomb and those of his soldiers still stand on the outskirts of
Sambalpur.
Who is this goddess, who gives her name to the city of Sambalpur? [5]
Name this general, whose name is associated with a dark history in
Odisha? [5] - 33
safety slide
- 34
Maa Samaleshwari
- 35
Kalapahad
- 36
9.
In 1921, Lord Sinha appointed him as the first Health Minister for the
newly formed province of Bihar and Orissa.
At 73 years, he famously refused to sanction ₹75,000 for a minister’s
house. He lived in a rented house & established India’s first Radium
Institute at Ranchi.
Before getting his title, his colleagues nicknamed him “Cato”, after the
Roman senator, for his sharp wit and moral conscience in the legislature.
These were just a few things, we take pride knowing him for a whole
different reason. Who/what title? [10] - 37
safety slide
- 38
“Kulabruddha” / ”Utkala Gauraba”; Madhusudhan Das
- 39
10.
The world’s largest collection of newspapers (different titles) was
achieved by Shashanka Dash in 2019 - 4,515 titles.
The very first newspaper he collected was ______ , one of the oldest
papers in India started in 1919. It was started to support the freedom
struggle & revive the Odia language, which was under threat at the time.
Based in Cuttack, it is still run by a public service organisation called Lok
Sevak Madal. Which Odia daily? [5]
Who’s the founder, truly a gem of a person? [5] - 40
safety slide
- 41
The Samaja; Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das
- 42
11.
SCB Medical College, Cuttack is Odisha's oldest and largest government
medical institution, started as a roadside dispensary to serve pilgrims
travelling to Puri during the Maratha rule.
It was formally established in 1875, with the support of the then English
Divisional Commissioner, whose name adorns another university.
Who? [5]
When it was upgraded to a full medical college in 1944, the post-war
British government was unable to fully fund the transition. It was a feudal
ruler who stepped in with donations to cover the shortfall.
The college was renamed in his honour. Who/ Expand SCB? [5] - 43
safety slide
- 44
T E Ravenshaw
- 45
Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo
- 46
12.
This palace was built in the 18th century by the Bhanja dynasty as their
royal residence. It essentially means “the fortified place of the wood-
apple tree”.
In 1892, the ertswhile king Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo made major
additions to the front facade - to resemble something built nearly three
centuries earlier, located roughly 8,000 kilometres away.
Today, the palace has been restored as a boutique heritage hotel.
ID the palace? [5]
What is it supposed to resemble? [5] - 47
safety slide
- 48
Belgadia Palace
Bel → wood‑apple, Gadia → palace - 49
Buckingham Palace
- 50
13.
At the arrivals terminal of the Biju Patnaik International Airport, lies a one-
of-a-kind art installation in the world, which changes every fortnight since
the past decade.
Due to its location, this is a more permanent artwork, while the usual work
of this artist doesn’t last beyond a couple of days
Who is the artist, known otherwise for his ephemeral artworks ? [10] - 51
safety slide
- 52
Sudarsan Pattnaik
- 53
14.
It is believed that when the Viceroy Lord Curzon tried entering this
famous temple in 1900, he was denied on grounds for being a non-Hindu.
Unable to enter but unwilling to simply leave, he circumvented this rule by
doing something. It is now named after him & is still used to this day by
tourists & non-Hindus
Which temple, one among the holy trifecta? [3]
What did he do? [7] - 54
safety slide
- 55
Lingaraj Temple
- 56
Curzon instructed his men to construct a viewing platform
It is named as Curzon Mandap - 57
15.
The world's smallest island nation, whose entire national wealth rested on
a single mineral deposited by seabirds, found an unlikely industrial
partner in Odisha in 1981.
The partnership was commercially logical. The island nation sat on some
of the world's richest deposits of a mineral critical to fertiliser production,
and India needed it to feed its agricultural sector. The result was an
alliterative joint venture - a port town combined with its primary product
The Pacific nation sold its stake in 1993, but the plant it helped build one
of Odisha's most significant industrial facilities, processing over a million
metric tonnes of fertiliser annually.
Name the Pacific island nation [5] and the Indian company it co-
founded [5] - 58
safety slide
- 59
Nauru
- 60
Paradeep Phosphates
- 61
16.
These Odia traditional circular playing cards were influenced by Persian
card game Ganjifeh. The game is popular in Puri and Ganjam districts.
The name is derived from set of cards, it has nothing to do with a bald
father or Ganjam.
The making process is similar to Pattachitra (next slide). Very often,
instead of writing numbers of the cards, painters paint something which
fulfils the numeric scale while also validating its mythological theme to
Odisha.
What are these circular cards called? [5]
What are painted on these cards? [5] - 62
(picture slide)
- 63
safety slide
- 64
Ganjapa; Dashavatara
- 65
17.
This brand was founded in Manicktala, North Kolkata, by a skilled halwai
named ________ Chaurasia who had migrated from Varanasi in 1885. They
became globally famous for classics like nolen gurer jolbhara sandesh,
misti doi etc. and became synonymous with quality sweets.
Because of this reason, many Odia shops adopted this name locally,
especially in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Today, the name has become a
generic term.
For many Odias, _________ is simply shorthand for a trusted sweet shop,
usually with no garlic or onion.
What word? [10] - 66
safety slide
- 67
Ganguram
- 68
18.
The logo of this university features a lamp, an open book and a motor, all
divided by a river and it’s tributary- signifying itʼs location.
It also housed the state's first legislative assembly until it was shifted to
Bhubaneswar.
ID the university [5]
ID the river & it’s tributary [3 + 2] - 69
safety slide
- 70
Ravenshaw University
- 71
Mahanadi & Kathajodi
- 72
19.
_______ was declared a Ramsar site in 2021, Odisha’s third after Chilika &
Bhitarkanika.
This lake hosts 104+ species of migratory birds, with over 280,000 birds
recorded in a single season. It stretches about 55 km long, covering 743
km² of water surface - making it Asia’s largest lake, in a certain category.
Birds use the reservoir as a wintering ground, feeding on fish and aquatic
plants. There are submerged structures in the lake create shallow zones
and perches when exposed, which birds sometimes use for resting.
Name this lake, which we know for an entirely different reason? [5]
What are these submerged structures? [5] - 73
safety slide
- 74
Hirakud Reservoir
- 75
Submerged temples in Hirakud
When water level lowers during summer they can be seen - 76
20.
Odisha has developed a tradition of dedicating special days to iconic food
items, celebrating them almost like cultural festivals.
11 April is celebrated as _________ Dibasa. It all began in Nayagarh, Odisha.
In 1940s, a local named Bidyadhar Sahoo accidentally left some leftover
chenna mixed with sugar and nuts in a wooden oven overnight. What
was thus created? [2]
While 20 March is celebrated globally as Pakhala Dibasa, the Odia
diaspora in North America and Europe delays the celebration to mid-July,
for logical and socio-cultural reasons.
The logical reason is why Pakhala is eaten in the first place and the socio-
cultural reason is to coincide it closer to a 3 km phenomenon that
happens closer home.
What are the two reasons? [4 + 4] - 77
(picture slide)
- 78
safety slide
- 79
Chennapodo
- 80
March was too cold
Weather is warmer in July and the dish feels seasonally appropriate. - 81
Ratha Yatra
- 82
21.
Located inside Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, this High Performance
Centre was built through a three-way collaboration between the Odisha
government, Dalmia Bharat Group, and a federation led by a legendary
Indian coach.
Its structure is an aerodynamic outer shell engineered to withstand
cyclonic wind pressures while naturally cooling the interior to save
energy.
However, the structure's true identity reveals itself after dark, when its
lights transform it into an unmistakable replica of the sport's equipment
(which is also it's namesake)
What does it resemble? [5]
ID the coach? [5] - 83
(picture slide)
- 84
(picture slide)
- 85
safety slide
- 86
Shuttle; Pullela Gopichand
- 87
22.
The first woman Chief Minister of Odisha, Nandini Satpathy was a fierce
advocate for women's rights and girl child welfare throughout her political
career.
Her birthday is celebrated as Nandini Diwas National ________’ (8) Day on
9 June.
FITB [5]
She was also a celebrated novelist in Odia literature. She received the
Sahitya Bharati Samman Award in 1998 for the Odia translation of a highly
controversial book. The book was banned in Bangladesh for the original
author’s critical scrutiny of Islam and their demands for women's equality.
Which banned book / who was the author? [5] - 88
safety slide
- 89
Daughters
- 90
Lajja by Taslima Nasrin
- 91
23.
Orissa Gita was an alternative proposed but it was less tied to specific
political events. It written by the same person, whose other composition
was finalised?
What work & poet? [5 + 5] - 92
safety slide
- 93
Bande Utkala Janani; Kantakabi Laxmikanta Mohapatra
- 94
24.
Chauka is an Odissi stance where the weight of the body is distributed
equally on both the sides. The knees are out-turned and the thighs are
bent.
The posture forces the dancer's body to replicate which geometric
silhouette? [10] - 95
(picture slide)
- 96
safety slide
- 97
Handless torso of Lord Jagannath
- 98
25.
Gotro is a 2019 Bengali family drama film that features a re-rendition of a
certain song in Bengali.
This remake led to a viral social media challenge in West Bengal — daring
participants to recreate the song's signature dance steps and nominating
friends to do the same.
The film's producer noted that Bengalis always talk about two Odia
things: rasagola and __________.
Bilung is a village in Northern Odisha that was renamed as _________
Bilung in 2017, due to Mitrabhanu Gauntia, a former schoolteacher.
Which song? [10] - 99
safety slide
- 100
Rangabati
- 101
26.
Rooted in Odisha’s history of migration, the Odia diaspora abroad keep
their culture alive through festivals while contributing to fields from
industry to IT and healthcare.
One such community is Odias in ____ . Many Odias here have worked with
the petroleum, port and infrastructure industries.
Their logo is cheeky nod to Lord Jagannath while specifying the country
they reside in. Which country? [10] - 102
safety slide
- 103
Oman
- 104
27.
Geologist P.N. Bose retired early from the Geological Survey of India and
took up employment under the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj. It was during his
surveys in 1903 along the slopes of the Gorumahisani hills that he made a
massive discovery of incredibly high-grade iron ore. Realizing the national
industrial implications, Bose sent a historic letter.
The recipient was a visionary, had spent decades exploring unsuitable
sites in MP and Maharashtra. He was on the verge of abandoning his
dream of building a domestic steel plant due to a lack of raw materials.
Bose's letter single-handedly solved the resource crisis, prompting the
industrialist to shift their entire operation to the tribal village of Sakchi.
Name this visionary [5]
Identify the township that eventually grew out of the
village of Sakchi [5] - 105
(picture slide)
- 106
safety slide
- 107
Jamshedji Tata (JN Tata)
- 108
Jamshedpur
- 109
28.
In 2023, the Odisha Transport & Commerce Department hired a
contractor to transport a historic thing from one state capital to another.
Weighing over 8 tonnes, it had been abandoned for more than 7 decades
and fallen into disrepair. It was carefully dismantled and then transported
~450km along NH16 in three open trucks.
Upon arrival, it was reassembled and installed on a 1.1-acre site
specifically designated for it, located at a place named after a person
closely associated with its use.
What is this thing? [10] - 110
safety slide
- 111
Biju Patnaik’s Dakota aircraft. The OG Maverick.
He used this to rescue the Indonesian PM and VP in 1947, and the defence of Srinagar in 1948 - 112
artofharsha is an IG page run by contemporary Odia illustrator Harsha, who
posts digital artworks blending modern art with an Odia spin.
The next 5 questions are related to his digital creations. - 113
29.
This artwork reimagines one of Western art history's most recognizable
images — a Renaissance fresco depicting the moment of divine creation
— by replacing its figures entirely with those from an Odia festival, when
a sacred drink made from raw mango, water, and spices is offered to the
Sun God before being consumed.
The reaching hands remain, but the life force being transferred is
contained in a glass. The traditional drink gives the festival its most
popular colloquial name
Name the Renaissance art being referenced? [5]
Which Odia festival is reimagined? [5] - 114
(picture slide)
- 115
safety slide
- 116
Pana Sankranti / Odia New Year
- 117
Creation of Adam
- 118
30.
This artwork pays tribute to the
very object by turning its
contents into its subject by
reconstructing the dancer on
the lid entirely through the
instruments within, replacing
every curve and form with
triangles, lines, and angles, the
only shapes the box ever knew.
What object is it paying tribute
to, which dominated the
childhoods of millions of Indian
school students? [10] - 119
safety slide
- 120
Geometry Box
- 121
31.
When Brahma and Vishnu disputed who among them was supreme,
Shiva resolved the argument by transforming into an endless column
of light with no origin and no end.
Brahma (Hamsa) flew upward to find the summit. Vishnu (Varaha)
burrowed downward to find the base. Neither succeeded. Vishnu
returned and admitted defeat honestly — and was blessed for his
humility. Brahma, unable to find the top, encountered the Ketaki flower
drifting downward and convinced it to falsely testify that he had
reached the summit. He was cursed.
That revelation gave rise to one of Hinduism’s most sacred forms, and
its first appearance is commemorated each year as a major festival.
What is this form called, and which festival marks its origin? [5 + 5] - 122
(picture slide)
- 123
safety slide
- 124
Jyotirlingam
- 125
Mahashivaratri
- 126
32.
This artwork is a tribute to a legendary Indian singer who has sung many
Odia songs, among others. Her last song was a collaboration with
Britain's most celebrated animated music acts. In that song, “In the
Shadow Light,” she sings of a boatman to carry her across deep waters to
the other side. In retrospect, it feels less like a lyric and more like a leave-
taking.
A tribute to whom? Who are her co-passengers? [4 +4]
What is the inspiration of the sky, overlooking the ghats of Varanasi? [2] - 127
(picture slide)
- 128
safety slide
- 129
Asha Bhonsle
- 130
Gorillaz
- 131
Starry Night by Van Gogh
- 132
33.
Which festival is the
inspiration? [10]
It’s the only Indian festival
that celebrates
menstruation. The belief
is that Goddess Bhudevi
undergoes her menstrual
cycle ahead of the
monsoon rains. - 133
safety slide
- 134
Raja
- 135
fin.