Odisha covers 1,55,707 sq km, about 4.74% of India’s area, and stretches from about 17°47′N to 22°34′N and 81°22′E to 87°29′E on India’s east coast (Forest Survey of India, ISFR 2019). It borders West Bengal and Jharkhand to the north, Chhattisgarh to the west, Andhra Pradesh to the south and the Bay of Bengal to the east, along a coastline of about 575 km.
The state’s relief rises from a low, flat coastal plain in the east to rugged hills and plateaus in the west and south-west. Most of Odisha is low-lying: about 1,19,476 sq km (roughly 77% of the state) lies below 500 m, about 34,706 sq km (22%) between 500 and 1,000 m, and only 1,525 sq km (about 1%) above 1,000 m. The highest point, Deomali in Koraput district, rises to about 1,672 m.
This physiography is the product of Odisha’s geology: ancient hard rocks form the plateaus and the Eastern Ghats, old rift valleys carry its great rivers, and young river sediments have built its deltas. This article describes Odisha’s five morphological regions in turn, then its major peaks and landforms, and how relief shapes its drainage, climate, agriculture and settlement.
Physiographic divisions
On the basis of homogeneity, continuity and physical character, Odisha is divided into five morphological regions:
| Region | Typical elevation | Where | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Odisha Coastal Plains | Below the 75 m contour | East, along the Bay of Bengal, from the Subarnarekha to the Rushikulya | Young depositional plain built by six rivers; deltas, beaches, lagoons, mangroves |
| 2. Middle Mountainous and Highlands Region | Average about 900 m; peaks above 1,500 m | Across the centre of the state; about three-fourths of Odisha | The Eastern Ghats and associated hill ranges, cut by river valleys |
| 3. Central Plateaus | About 305–610 m | Western slopes of the Eastern Ghats | Eroded, flat tablelands interrupted by deep valleys |
| 4. Western Rolling Uplands | About 150–300 m | West and north-west | Undulating, river-shaped uplands suited to paddy |
| 5. River Valleys (floodplains) | About 75–150 m | Along the Mahanadi, Brahmani and Vamsadhara | Broad, fertile floodplains |
The Forest Survey of India uses a simpler four-fold division: Northern Plateau, Eastern Ghats, Central Tableland and Coastal Plains (FSI, ISFR 2019). The two schemes describe the same land. In the five-fold scheme, the hills of the Northern Plateau fall within the Middle Mountainous Region, its eroded tablelands within the Central Plateaus, and its lower parts within the Western Rolling Uplands.
1. The Odisha Coastal Plains
The coastal plains are a young depositional landform of post-Tertiary age. Their western edge is usually drawn at the 75 m contour, which separates them from the hills inland. They run along the Bay of Bengal for about 575 km, from the Subarnarekha on the West Bengal border to the Rushikulya in the south.
The plain is made of the merged deltas of six rivers: the Subarnarekha, Budhabalanga, Baitarani, Brahmani, Mahanadi and Rushikulya. That is why it is called the “Hexadeltaic region” or the “Gift of Six Rivers”. By their contribution to the plain, the rivers rank roughly Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Subarnarekha, Rushikulya and Budhabalanga. Even so, they have not built classic fan-shaped deltas, because a strong longshore current flowing north along the east coast spreads their sediment along the shore.
Sub-regions
| Sub-region | Extent | Features |
|---|---|---|
| North Coastal Plain (Balasore plain) | Deltas of the Subarnarekha and Budhabalanga, up to the Baitarani | Narrower than the middle plain; shows signs of past marine transgressions; long, gently sloping beaches such as Chandipur |
| Middle Coastal Plain (Mahanadi delta) | Compound delta of the Baitarani, Brahmani and Mahanadi | The widest part, reaching more than 100 km inland; old “back bays” and present-day lakes; Bhitarkanika mangroves |
| South Coastal Plain (Ganjam plain) | Rushikulya plain and the plain around Chilika | The narrowest part; the Eastern Ghats come close to the sea |
Configuration of the coastal plain
Across the plain, moving inland from the sea, several belts can be recognised:
- Salt tract: a strip about 4.8–9.6 km wide next to the sea, exposed as the sea retreated. Its saline soils are unfit for farming, and it is crossed by many slow, brackish creeks. Off Paradip and Dhamra, this tract carries dense tidal forests of Sundari and other mangroves, often called the “Little Sundarbans” (Bhitarkanika).
- Arable tract: a broad, flat and fertile belt behind the salt tract. Scattered higher ground keeps most of it above floodwater, and it is the main rice-growing land of the coast.
- Submontane tract: the transition to the foothills of the Eastern Ghats. Hill streams have cut ravines here, laterite is exposed, and soil erosion is severe; vegetation ranges from thorny scrub to sal forest.
- Lakes, lagoons and marshes: Chilika, Sar and many smaller water bodies and swamps.
Bays, islands and harbours
- Because it is a prograding (advancing) coast, Odisha has few bays or inlets. Hukitola Bay near the Mahanadi mouth formed behind a large spit.
- Short’s Island and Wheeler Island (now APJ Abdul Kalam Island) off the Dhamra and Maipura mouths are the only islands off the coast. As the delta grows, they may eventually join the mainland.
- Paradip is Odisha’s only natural deep-water harbour, serving a hinterland across Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and beyond.
Coastal landforms
- Chilika Lake: Asia’s largest brackish-water lagoon, about 64 km long, with an area varying from about 900 sq km in summer to 1,165 sq km in the monsoon. It formed behind a sand barrier over roughly the last 3,500–4,000 years, and a new mouth to the sea was opened at Satapada in 2000 (Wikipedia: Chilika Lake).
- Beach ridges and sand dunes parallel to the coast, especially in Puri, Ganjam and Balasore.
- Laterite uplands that rise above the delta around Bhubaneswar and Khordha.
The coastal plain is Odisha’s most densely populated and intensively farmed region, but also the most exposed to cyclones, storm surges, floods and coastal erosion.
2. The Middle Mountainous and Highlands Region
This is Odisha’s largest region, covering roughly three-fourths of the state. Its backbone is the Eastern Ghats, which rise steeply from the coastal plain in the east and slope gently westward into a dissected plateau, with an average height of about 900 m. Many broad and narrow river valleys break the range into separate blocks.
The region’s rivers are older than the uplift of the Eastern Ghats. Before the uplift, this part of the peninsula sloped from west to east, and the rivers flowed down that slope as consequent streams, roughly from north-north-west to south-south-east. As the hills rose, the Mahanadi, Brahmani and others kept cutting through them, which is why they cross the ranges in gorges such as Satkosia.
Second-order regions (after B.N. Sinha)
| Sub-region | Location | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| Similipal and Meghasini mountains | Mayurbhanj | A near-circular, dome-like massif of volcanic origin, about 600–1,050 m high, with radial drainage; Meghasini is the highest point |
| Mankarnacha–Malayagiri–Gandhamardan mountains | Baitarani–Brahmani interfluve (Keonjhar, Angul) | Three high peaks aligned north–south: Malayagiri (Pallahara), Mankarnacha (Bonai) and Gandhamardan (Keonjhar). The Eastern Ghats’ original north-east to south-west trend has been turned by river erosion; a polycyclic landscape |
| Brahmani–Mahanadi watershed | Angul, Dhenkanal, Deogarh, Sambalpur | Similar in origin but more deeply eroded, worn down to about 600 m; trends north-west in the north and north-north-west to south-south-east in the south |
| Mahanadi–Rushikulya–Vamsadhara interfluve | Kandhamal, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada | Deeply eroded watershed, about 600–1,000 m, running north–south, with peaks above 1,200 m such as Mahendragiri and Singaraju (above 1,500 m) and Devagiri (about 1,360 m) |
| Pottangi and Chandragiri ranges | Koraput | The highest ranges in Odisha, averaging about 900–1,350 m, with several peaks above 1,500 m including Deomali (about 1,672 m), the highest point in the Eastern Ghats. They keep the Ghats’ original north-east to south-west trend and form a barrier between the Nagavali and Sabari basins. Valleys are terraced; hilltops are bare from shifting cultivation |
Northern hill country: the Garhjat Hills
The hills of northern Odisha are also grouped as the Garhjat Hills, a belt about 382 km long and 100 km wide across Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Angul and Keonjhar, with Malayagiri as their highest point (Wikipedia: Garhjat Hills). This area is Odisha’s mineral heartland.
Other highland features
- Mahendragiri (Gajapati), close to the coast, sacred to Parashurama and a proposed biosphere reserve (Wikipedia: Mahendragiri).
- Kandhamal highlands around Phulbani and Daringbadi, a cool plateau known as the “Kashmir of Odisha”.
- Niyamgiri and Baphlimali hills (Rayagada–Kalahandi), sacred to the Dongria Kondh and capped by bauxite.
The region is the source of rivers such as the Rushikulya, Vamsadhara, Nagavali, Indravati and Kolab (Sabari). Its steep slopes, high rainfall and thin soils support dense forests, shifting cultivation and much of Odisha’s tribal population.
3. The Central Plateaus
The plateaus are eroded flatlands along the western slopes of the Eastern Ghats, at about 305–610 m. Like other peninsular tablelands, they are broadly level, but deep river valleys break their monotony. Two broad plateaus stand out:
| Plateau | Basin | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Panposh–Keonjhar–Pallahara plateau | Upper Baitarani (and upper Brahmani) | Named after its three towns; broad flatlands at the head of the Baitarani; includes the Keonjhar plateau around Gonasika, where the Baitarani rises |
| Nabarangpur–Jeypore plateau | Sabari (Kolab) and Indravati | A similar eroded tableland in the south near the Andhra Pradesh border; drained westward to the Godavari system |
Smaller tablelands such as the Khariar plateau (Nuapada) and the Koraput–Jeypore highland share these features.
4. The Western Rolling Uplands
Lower than the plateaus, the rolling uplands lie at about 150–300 m. Long shaped by river action, they have fertile soils well suited to paddy. They occur in the Koel–Sankh basin of the upper Brahmani, the Ib, Jira, Suktel and Tel basins of the middle Mahanadi, and the Sabari basin.
| Upland | River basin | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rajgangpur–Panposh uplands | Koel and Sankh | Around Rourkela and Rajgangpur; the Brahmani forms at Vedvyas where the two rivers meet |
| Jharsuguda uplands | Ib | Rolling land on the Ib Valley coalfield |
| Bargarh uplands | Jira and Jhaun | Fertile, now irrigated from Hirakud; the “rice bowl” of Odisha |
| Balangir–Titlagarh–Patnagarh uplands | Northern Tel basin | Undulating and drought-prone, with isolated hills such as Gandhamardan on the Bolangir–Bargarh border |
| Bhawanipatna uplands | Southern Tel basin | Agricultural heart of Kalahandi |
| Malkangiri uplands | Sabari basin | Rolling land in the far south |
5. The River Valleys
The major river valleys contain Odisha’s wide floodplains, at about 75–150 m before the rivers reach the coastal plain. Each river has a narrow, deep valley where it cuts through the hills, a broader valley in its middle course, and finally a wide plain as it reaches the coast.
- Mahanadi valley: a gorge through the Eastern Ghats at Satkosia (Angul–Boudh), widening into floodplains around Sonepur and Boudh, before the river spreads into its delta below Naraj near Cuttack.
- Brahmani valley: narrow in the north, then the broad Talcher–Angul valley along the old Gondwana rift, opening into the plains near Jajpur and Kendrapara.
- Vamsadhara valley: in the south, cutting through the hills of Rayagada and Gajapati before entering Andhra Pradesh.
Smaller floodplains at places such as Talcher, Anandapur, Athagarh, Bhuban, Baripada and Sonepur have long been centres of settlement and paddy cultivation. The valleys also serve as natural routes for roads and railways.
Major peaks, plateaus and other landforms
Highest peaks
Deomali (about 1,672 m) in the Chandragiri–Pottangi ranges of Koraput is the highest point of Odisha and of the Eastern Ghats. Published heights vary slightly between sources: PeakVisor gives Deomali as 1,675 m (PeakVisor), and Wikipedia gives Malayagiri as about 1,187 m and Meghasini about 1,166 m. Some high summits of the Pottangi–Chandragiri ranges, such as Galikonda, lie close to the Andhra Pradesh border, so lists of “Odisha’s peaks” differ.
Valleys and gorges
- Mahanadi valley, including the Satkosia gorge (Angul–Boudh), where the river cuts through the Eastern Ghats.
- Brahmani valley around Talcher and Angul, along the old Gondwana rift.
- Tel and Indravati valleys in Kalahandi and Nabarangpur.
Waterfalls
The plateau edges create many waterfalls, including Duduma (Machkund river, Koraput), Barehipani and Joranda (Similipal), Khandadhar (Sundargarh), Sanaghagara (Keonjhar), Pradhanpat (Deogarh), Phurlijharan (Kalahandi) and Bagra (Koraput).
How physiography shapes Odisha
Drainage
Odisha’s general slope runs from the north-west and west towards the south-east, so most rivers flow east into the Bay of Bengal. The Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani rise beyond or on the Northern Plateau, cross the tableland and build the middle coastal delta. The Subarnarekha and Budhabalanga drain the northern plateau to the Balasore coast, and the Rushikulya, Vamsadhara and Nagavali flow from the Eastern Ghats to the south coast. A few rivers of the south-west, the Indravati, Kolab (Sabari) and Machkund, flow west or south into the Godavari system, because the Eastern Ghats form a watershed there.
Climate
- The Eastern Ghats and northern hills lie across the path of the monsoon winds, so their windward slopes (such as Similipal and parts of Koraput) receive heavy rain, while areas in their lee, like Bolangir and Kalahandi, receive less and are prone to drought.
- Altitude moderates temperature: Koraput, Daringbadi and other highlands are cooler, while the low western plains record some of Odisha’s highest summer temperatures.
- The flat, low coast is exposed to cyclones and storm surges.
Soils and agriculture
- Deltaic alluvium on the coastal plain supports intensive paddy, pulses, vegetables and jute.
- The western tableland’s red and mixed red–black soils support paddy, pulses, oilseeds and cotton, especially under Hirakud irrigation.
- The hills have thin red and lateritic soils, where millets, maize, shifting cultivation and plantation crops like coffee and turmeric are common.
Settlement and economy
- The coastal plains hold most of Odisha’s cities and its highest population densities, along with ports and the main road and rail corridors.
- The plateaus and hills are sparsely populated, forested and mainly tribal, but hold most of the minerals and hydropower sites.
- Steep slopes and river crossings make roads and railways costly in the hills, which has slowed development in the south-west.
Hazards
The coastal plains face cyclones, floods, salinity and coastal erosion; the western uplands face drought; and the Eastern Ghats face landslides and soil erosion during heavy rain.
Conclusion
Odisha’s physiography runs from the hills and highlands of the Middle Mountainous Region, through its eroded central plateaus, western rolling uplands and broad river valleys, down to the young deltas and lagoons of the coast. Each region has its own soils, climate, resources and way of life: minerals and forests in the hills, irrigated farming in the valleys and uplands, and dense population on the coast. Understanding this pattern of relief is the key to understanding almost every other aspect of Odisha’s geography.
Quick facts for exam aspirants
- Area: 1,55,707 sq km (4.74% of India); coastline about 575 km.
- Extent: about 17°47′N–22°34′N and 81°22′E–87°29′E.
- Five morphological regions: Coastal Plains, Middle Mountainous and Highlands, Central Plateaus, Western Rolling Uplands, River Valleys.
- Four-fold division (FSI): Northern Plateau, Eastern Ghats, Central Tableland, Coastal Plains.
- The coastal plain’s western limit is the 75 m contour; it is called the “Hexadeltaic region” or “Gift of Six Rivers”.
- The Middle Coastal Plain (Mahanadi delta) is the widest; the South Coastal Plain (Ganjam) is the narrowest.
- Salt tract: about 4.8–9.6 km wide; “Little Sundarbans” near Paradip and Dhamra (Bhitarkanika).
- Only islands off the coast: Short’s Island and Wheeler (APJ Abdul Kalam) Island.
- Paradip: Odisha’s only natural deep-water harbour.
- The Middle Mountainous Region covers about three-fourths of the state; average height about 900 m.
- Central Plateaus: about 305–610 m; Western Rolling Uplands: about 150–300 m.
- Highest peak: Deomali (about 1,672 m), Koraput, the highest in the Eastern Ghats.
- Similipal–Meghasini mountains: dome-shaped, with radial drainage.
- About 77% of the state lies below 500 m; only about 1% lies above 1,000 m.
- Chilika: Asia’s largest brackish-water lagoon (about 900–1,165 sq km).