Oriya culture has a rich heritage of ethnicity and tradition. Being the home of famous temples and religious shrines, the pious and spiritual customs intermingle in the social upbringings of Oriyas. Music and dance compliment the religious rites and rituals. In fact there is hardly any doubt that dancing styles and musical fervor generally reflect the devotional inclinations. Puri is a famous pilgrimage thronged by myriads of people every year; the annual Rath Yatra is celebrated in great fiesta in the Jagannath Temple, adding flavor and splendor to the gala affairs. Cuisine of the Oriya people is at par with their religious customs. Temple premises are examples of the unique and beautiful appliqué artwork. Orissa, being the locale of Kannishka magnifies its historical opulence and also contributes to development of Oriya culture.

Festivals
Festivals are part and parcel of Oriya culture. Every year they wait eagerly to become enthused with festival festivities. All the popular Indian festivals are feted by the Oriyas along with some local festivals, incorporating religious rituals with social norms. Rath yatra is their main festival, held on the second day of `Asadha` or monsoon seasons. Idol of Lord Jagannath , together with Lord Balaram and Subhadra are being brought out in roads in chariots by thousands of devotees. Another popular festival, Dhanu Yatra , is held in the months of December or January to celebrate the occasion of the visit of Lord Krishna to Mathura. The Annual Konark Festival is a jumbo celebration of Indian classical dance. Magha Saptami is feted in the month of `Magha` to rever the Sun God at Konark.The five day long Puri Beach Festival starts from November 5, is observed ion the beautiful coastal beaches with merrymaking and in great vivacity.

Music and Dance
The rhythmic flow of folk melody, along with graceful dancing steps of damsels is what is attributed to exuberant Oriya culture. Keeping in pace with dynamism of Oriya culture, Oriya music can broadly be divided into various genres of folk music, light music, light-classical music and classical music. Folk music like Balipuja Geeta, Kendra Geeta, Jaiphula Geeta depicts the woes and sorrows of the natives. Bhajan, a popular song type of light classical music is famous throughout the nation. Sariman, Champu, Malasri, Vyanjani, Chaturang, Tribhang, are the various sub categories of the conventional Odissi music, fall under the Oriya classical music genre.

Dancing style embellishes Oriya culture. `Odissi`, the traditional dance of Orissa, has gained recognition as important classical Indian dance for its glory and beautiful appeal. Odissi was performed in the Orissa temples as a religious ritual by the Devadasis known as `Maharis. `Among the folk dances of Orissa, `chhau` is reputed worldwide. The Chhau composition is based on stories of Puranas, combining with unique lyrics and fast dancing strides. The Naga dance is a type of war dance, performed with lethal weapons like swords, bows and arrows. Other folk dances like `Humo`, `Bauli`, `Jhulki`, `Jamudali`, `Mayalajar`, `Gunjikata`, Ghumra are also rampant.

Cuisine
The culinary wonders of the Oriya folks make the Oriya culture so robust and exquisite. Oriyas follow the cuisine of its neighbors like West Bengal and Assam. Most of the Oriyas are veggies with rice and vegetables like potatoes, cabbage etc as their staples. Varities of delicacies are prepared from fish. Oriya food is oil- free, yet and has negligible fattening values. Oriyas are fond of sweets; `pancha-phutana` is cooked mixing `cumin`, `mustard`, and `fennel`. `Pithas`, desserts too are savored by the Oriyas.

Lifestyle
Any discussion becomes enlivening if light is thrown on its people and its lifestyle. Oriya culture too follows this tradition. With religious temples and Buddhists monasteries, lush greenery of Simlipal forest, serenity of sea beaches makes Orissa a favorite destination for the tourists. All the wide-ranging hotels and restaurants provide modern amenities to its lodgers, giving them ample scope to excavate the beauty of the region. Oriyas are oriented to religion and spiritualism, which make them to stay aloof from the excitement of nighlife. Pubs, discos, multiplexes are almost unseen in Orissa.

Recently, Orissa underwent an upsurge due to advancement in the fields of research, technology and industries. Rourkela steel Plant, National Aluminum Corporation at Angul, have drawn the attention of the people through out the region. Orissa is the home for different tribes who largely embellished the region with beautiful handiworks, timber products.