The coastline is largely smooth and lacks good ports. The coastal strip is narrow, level, and extremely fertile. Other natural regions in Orissa include the inland northern plateau and the Eastern Ghats. Orissa's climate is warm, with average December temperatures ranging from 16° to 28° C. In May the average temperatures range from 27° to 38° C. The state's average annual rainfall is about 1800 mm, with most rain falling in the north and over the Eastern Ghats.

Bhubaneshwar is the capital. The population of Orissa consists mainly of Oriya-speaking people, although Munda and Dravidian languages are also spoken. The overwhelming majority of residents are Hindu, but there are small minorities of Christians and Muslims. Important Hindutemples located in Orissa include Jagannath Temple in Puri and Sun Temple in Konarak.

Orissa's economy is predominantly agricultural with most of the population engaged in raising rice. Other agricultural products are pulses (legumes), cotton, tobacco, sugarcane, and turmeric. Among the livestock raised are buffalo and other cattle, sheep, and goats. Fish is largely exported. Industries include the production of pig iron and steel, the manufacture of textiles, cement, paper, glass, aluminum, flour, and soap, and the processing of sugar and oil. Hand-loom weaving and the making of baskets, wooden articles, hats, nets, and silver filigree (ornamental work) are carried on.

Orissa has a rich tradition in handloms and it’s products, especially "Ikat" or tie and dye fabrics, known as "bandhas" in Orissa are recognized all over the country and abroad for their highly artistic designs, colour combinations and durability. The art of weaving in the state is highly evolved and its fabrics bear testimony to the unique and artistic ability and tradition of the weavers of this state.

Traditionally the women of Orissa dress in sarees of blue, red and magenta and other deep colours, with ikat (known as bandha in Orissa) patterning. These beautiful and eye catching saris are made within the state, mainly at Nuapatna, near Cuttack on the coastal plain, or in the weaving centers inland around Sambalpur, Bargarh and Sonepur and Boudh districts. Of late, however, there has been a diversification in designs and products and new centres of production have gained popularity and the acceptance of the consumer. Notable amongst these are "Bomkai" and "Habaspuri" sarees and also cotton sarees produced in Berhampur and Jagatsingpur Districts.

The charm of silk and cotton handloom fabrics and sarees of Orissa is well known. Sambalpur and Cuttack Sarees are unique. Fabrics for dresses, furnishings, bedspreads and table-cloth are also available. Orissan paintings are also done on tussar silk.The Sambhalpur, Bomkai, Katki and tussar saris and yardage are eye-catching. The ikat sarees have typical motifs and borders in striking combinations.'

Exquisite sarees, painstakingly woven on looms, in earthy shades of cream, maroon, brown, rust and white reflect the rich cultural heritage of Orissa. The intricate motifs that unfold through a complex process of tie-and-dye give a distinct character to the Orissa sarees that have shot into the limelight following the resurgence of traditional handlooms. Orissa saris have a close relation with the Jagannath cult.

Originally, the four basic colours which are found on Jagannath—black, white, red and yellow—were extensively used. Even the motifs such as the temple border, lotus, conch and wheel, signify the affinity with the reigning deity. The orissa bomkai sari have undergone vast changes as weavers try to adapt the designs to popular taste. Vegetable dyes have been replaced by chemical dyes, though the former is still available, but the prices are significantly higher. New shades and patterns have also been added. Although handloom sarees are woven in different parts of the State, somehow the adage "Cuttacki sarees" has remained with people outside Orissa, especially in West Bengal. Orissa handloom saris can be broadly classified into four groups. ‘Bandha’ or tie-and-dye from Sambalpur is one of the finest examples of double ikat; ‘Khandua pata’ from Nuapatna in Cuttack district is relatively cheaper than Sambalpuri because the yarn used is the cheaper Malda variety; ‘Bomkai’ is a recent adaptation from tribal sarees and is named after a tribal village in southern Orissa and has an embroidery-like work on the border and pallav; Berhampuri silks which are usually heavy with narrow borders are slightly plain, without the intricate designs generally found in Sambalpuri sarees. The bandha or tie-and-dye technique used in Orissa is much different from that of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Here, the yarn is first tied in portions, and each section is dyed in a different colour according to the design. When woven, the designs emerge, and the special feature is that the design is prominent on both sides of the fabric. This is a very complicated process and it is rather amazing to find that the traditional weavers do not use any graphic designs on paper. The common motifs are borrowed from nature. Flowers, creepers, birds, animals are abundantly woven in myriad colours, all lending a distinct feature to the nine yards of woven wonder. The "pasapalli" saree with its distinctive black-and-white squares is a replica of the chessboard.Equally fascinating are the names—Vichitrapuri, Chandrika, Nabagunja, Asman Tara and Krishnapriya. The earlier yarns of coarse cotton have been replaced with fine cotton, silks, tussar and a cotton-silk mix called ‘bapta’. Gold thread and tissues are also used to enhance the patterns.

While the State Government encourages weavers’co-operatives, several private enterprises are also doing a flourishing business. In Sambalpur, the Sambalpuri Vastralaya founded by Padmashree Kruthartha Acharya is a well-known handloom society.