If you have ever been to Orissa, you must have wondered, Why Orissa is changed to Odisha! The answer to that question might surprise you. This state is in the east of India, and its name dates back to 1950. The word Orissa was originally pronounced Udisa, but due to phonetic problems with the English letters, the name was changed. In fact, the pronunciation of the name is similar to that of the Japanese language.