2409:40E2:10C8:C913:C041:6157:5876:8AF at 18:34, 11 August 2025

2025-08-11T18:34:48Z

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{{Short description|Christianity in Indian state}}
[[File:Sacred heart church hamirpur rourkela out old.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Sacred Heart Cathedral, Rourkela|The Cathedral Of The Sacred Heart]] is a Roman Catholic cathedral belonging to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rourkela and one of the oldest church buildings in [[Rourkela]].]]

Followers of [[Christianity]] are a significant minority in [[Odisha]] state of [[India]]. According to the 2011 Census, Christians make up about 2.77% of the population (about 1,160,000 people).<ref name="religion2">{{cite web|publisher=Census Department, Government of India|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/c-01.html|title=Indian Census 2011|access-date=25 August 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913045700/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01.html|archive-date=13 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[Kurukh people|Kurukh]], [[Sora people|Sora]], [[Kharia people|Kharia]] and [[Pano (caste)|Pano]]s are notable ethnic groups with a significant Christian population.

== History ==
{{Expand section|date=November 2024}}

===Bible translations into Odia===
The first version in the [[Odia language]] of India<ref>Subhakanta Behera ''Construction of an identity discourse: Oriya literature and the ...'' 2002 - this work misspells Carey from Odia script back into English as "William Kerry"</ref> was translated by [[William Carey (missionary)|William Carey]] in 1808 and was distributed among pilgrims at [[Puri]] to introduce them to Christianity. Then came the standard version by [[Amos Sutton]] in the 1840s.<ref>Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions - Page 652
Gerald H. Anderson - 1999 The first Odia conversion was recorded in 1828. Sutton devoted himself to grammatical work on the Odia language and Bible translation. In 1841 he began training the first three Odia evangelists at Cuttack. By 1846 there were eight students"</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Historical population
|title = Christianity in Odisha
|source = <ref name=2022OdishaRel>{{Cite web |title=C-01: Population by religious community (2011) |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11387/download/14500/DDW21C-01%20MDDS.XLS |access-date=Sep 9, 2024 |website=Census India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=C-01: Population by religious community (2001) |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/21483/download/24615/PC01_C01_21.xls |access-date=Sep 9, 2024 |website=Census India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=C-9 Religion (1991) |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/35737/download/39400/1991-C09T-0100.xlsx |access-date=Sep 9, 2024 |website=Census India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Portrait of Population - Census 1981 |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/31509/download/34690/52213_1981_POR.pdf |access-date=Sep 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Census Atlas, Vol-XII-Part IX-A, Orissa - Census 1961 |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/28452/download/31634/21487_1961_CEN.pdf |access-date=Sep 13, 2024 |website=Census India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=General Population, Social and Cultural and Land Tables, Part II-A, Tables, Volume-XI, Orissa - Census 1951 |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/30727/download/33908/45683_1971_GPS.pdf |access-date=Sep 13, 2024 |website=Census India}}</ref>
| 1951 | 141,934
| 1961 | 201,017
| 1971 | 378,888
| 1981 | 480,426
| 1991 | 666,220
| 2001 | 897,861
| 2011 | 1,161,708}}

{{Pie chart
|caption= Christianity among social group of Odisha, 2011 census<ref name=2022OdishaRel/><ref name=STReligionOD/>
|value1 = 70.33
|label1 = [[List of Scheduled Tribes in Odisha|Scheduled Tribes]]
|color1= dodgerblue
|other = yes
|other-label = General (incl. converted [[Scheduled Castes]]) population
|other-color = gold
}}

The Christians are mostly from the adivasi or tribal communities of the state with {{number and percent|816981|1161708|2}} Christians among STs. The major tribes are as below with number of Christians and percentage of Christians in each tribe.<ref name=STReligionOD>{{cite web |title=ST-14 Scheduled Tribe Population By Religious Community - Odisha |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11909/download/15022/ST-21-00-014-DDW-2011.XLS |website=census.gov.in |access-date=12 February 2020}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Tribe
! Christians
! Percent
|-
| [[Munda people|Munda]]
| 1,74,119
| 31.1%
|-
| [[Khonds|Khond]]
| 1,59,783
| 9.8%
|-
| [[Kurukh people|Oraon]]
| 1,49,866
| 41.8%
|-
| [[Sora people|Soura]]
| 1,36,369
| 25.5%
|-
| [[Kharia people|Kharia]]
| 87,069
| 39.1%
|-
| [[Sabar people|Sabar]]
| 37,933
| 7.3%
|-
| [[Kisan people|Kisan]]
| 25,675
| 7.7%
|}

=== Places with the largest proportions ===
The figures indicate percentage of Christians within the districts:<ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW21C-01%20MDDS.XLS Census India 2011]</ref>{{Deadlink|date=April 2025}}

* [[Gajapati District|Gajapati]]
** [[Serango]]– 84%
** [[Adava]]– 75%
** [[R.Udayagiri]]– 50%
** [[Damadua]]- 70%
** [[Aligonda]]- 90%

* [[Kandhamal District|Kandhamal]]
** Brahmanigaon– 72%
** [[Daringbadi]]– 64%
** Kotagarh– 58%

* [[Sundargarh District|Sundargarh]]
** Raiboga– 62%

* [[Rayagada District|Rayagada]]
** Puttasing– 80%
** [[Chandrapur]]– 51%

== Denominations ==
[[Church of God (Anderson)]], [[Evangelical Missionary Society in Mayurbhanj]] and [[Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church]] are among the Protestant denominations of Odisha.<ref>World Christian Encyclopedia, Second edition, 2001 Volume 1, p. 369</ref> Christ Church the full Gospel Church, Gospel Outreach Ministries, India Evangelistic Association, [[Orissa Baptist Evangelistic Crusade]] and [[The Pentecostal Mission]] are among the non-Catholic denominations of Odisha as well.<ref>World Christian Encyclopedia, Second edition, 2001 Volume 1, p. 369-370</ref>
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2008/08/26/christians-attacked-throughout-orissa-state-north-india/ |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2012-05-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120722064642/http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2008/08/26/christians-attacked-throughout-orissa-state-north-india/ |archivedate=2012-07-22 }}</ref>
The [[Church of North India]] is present in Odisha as well with the
dioceses of [[Cuttack]], [[Phulbani]], and [[Sambalpur]]. The diocese of [[Chota Nagpur Division|Chota Nagpur]] also serves a small part of
Odisha.<ref name="coni">{{Cite web
| title = The Dioceses - The Church of North India
| publisher = The Church of North India
| url = http://www.cnisynod.org/tehdisc.aspx
| accessdate = 2011-04-02
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100619064902/http://www.cnisynod.org/tehdisc.aspx
| archive-date = 2010-06-19
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

== Roman Catholic Church ==
The archbishop of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar]] is Archbishop [[John Barwa]].
Its suffragan dioceses are:
* [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Balasore|Balasore]]
* [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Berhampur|Berhampur]]
* [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Rourkela|Rourkela]]
* [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Sambalpur|Sambalpur]]
* [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Rayagada|Rayagada]]

== See also ==
* [[Christianity in India]]
*[[Christian Revival Church]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Christianity in India by region}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christianity In Odisha}}
[[Category:Christianity in Odisha| ]]
[[Category:Religion in Odisha]]

Christianity in Odisha - Revision history

2409:40E2:10C8:C913:C041:6157:5876:8AF at 18:34, 11 August 2025