While the literature of the court and the intelligentsia was primarily written in Sanskrit, and included a variety of commentaries and theoretical treatises on religion, politics, art and literature as well as reworks of the epics, popular literature in Oriya initially focused on folk tales, ballades, creation myths, devotional songs, love poetry and erotica.

But in the 15th century, the Gangas who were patrons of many of Orissa's monumental temples were defeated by Kapilendra Deva, who rose from the ranks to found the Surya dynasty. It was in his reign that Sarala Das wrote a popular Oriya version of the Mahabharatha. Sarala Das arose from a peasant family and took his name from the goddess Sarala who was worshipped in his village in the district of Cuttack. He described himself as an unschooled 'Shudra' and became popularly known as Shudra-muni. Although the broad themes his Mahabharatha match other traditional versions, there is much that was original and written with a popular sensibility. His version knitted in local folk tales and ballads, and incorporated the ethical and moral values then embraced by the artisan class and peasantry.

The Chandi Purana, also written by Sarala Das referred to Yoginis as forms of the Devi or the Supreme Goddess illustrating the continued popular appeal of the Yogini cults in Orissa's coastal belt.

Thus what emerged in Orissa from the 9th century on was a heady cocktail of mystical and practical currents that allowed for a certain degree of social mobility and provided space for ordinary peasants to make contributions to popular literature and poetry.

This stimulated the popularity of reading and since there were no taboos against learning Oriya, literacy spread in the villages and such popular literature developed a wide mass following. A network of village libraries housed popular texts in neatly transcribed versions. Illuminated manuscripts and illustrated epics also became popular. By some accounts, literacy in many villages reached 40% or more before the onslaught of colonial rule.

DECLINE OF ORIYA CIVILIZATION

The first signs of decline in Oriya society came as the administrators of the Ganga and Surya kings began to usurp undue privileges and acquire a greater number of hereditary rights. At the same time, religious affairs began to be dominated by the Puri Brahmins who were instrumental in promoting ever increasing ritual and unprecedented ceremonial pomp during religious festivals. Tribal deities were slowly edged out as Brahminical gods acquired supremacy. Social mobility declined and the first concrete appearances of a formalized caste system began to appear. The Patnaiks, Mahapatras, Nayakas and others who had played a major role in the royal administration, along with the Brahmins comprised the upper-caste elite as social stratification crystallized.

The silting up of Orissa's major rivers in the 16th C. led to a severe decline in maritime trade and may have further aggravated socially regressive trends. Orissa also suffered decisive defeats at the hands of Raja Man Singh (Akbar's military general) and the Marathas, leaving it dismembered and particularly vulnerable against the British who colonized it soon after the victory in Bengal.

POETRY

Oriya poetry owes it origin to the Charyapadas, a form of Buddhist mystical verses, composed presumably in tenth century A.D.. Medieval Oriya poetry, composed between 14th & 18th centuries mostly of kavyas, Puranas, Bhajanas, Champus, Chautishas, Chhandas. Medieval poets mostly depend upon the Royal court and the folk performers for popularising their works among the masses.

Radhanath Roy (1848-1908) is the first major modern poet who broke away from medieval tradition. He created a new idiom & form explored new themes. He belonged to the first generation of Oriyas who received western education. Madhusudan Rao (1853-1912), Gangadhar Meher (1862-1924), Nanda Kishore Bal (1875-1928) Fakir Mohan Senapati (1843-1981) were Ray's contemporaries. Rao wrote lyrics on divine love, Meher borrowed his themes from Ramayana & Mahabharata, Senapati wrote about ordinary experience of life. Then  we saw the  emergence of Gopabadhu Das (1877-1928), Mayadhar Mansingh (1905-1973), Radha Mohan Gadanayak (1911), & Godavarish Mohapatra (1900-1938), Ananta Patnaik (1910-1988) and Sachidananda Routray (1919), who belonged to both pre-independence & post-independence periods, are major poets of the twentieth century.

Guru Prasad Mohanty (born 1924), Ramakanta Rath (born 1934), Sitakanta Mohapatra (born 1937), Jagannath Prasad Das (1936), Soubhagya Kumar Mishra (1941), Devdas Chhotray (1946), Rajendra Kishore Panda (1944), and Hara Prasad Das (1945) are some of the major poets of post-independence period.

PROSE

Novel writing started in India as a result of Indian authors exposure to western literature from 19th century onwards. Fakir Mohan Senapati is the first major novelist whose Chha Mana Atha Gunta dealing with exploitation of peasants by a Zamindar, is a classic in Indian literature. Nanda Kishore Bala's Kanaklata supports widow re-marriage, Yugalamatha by Chintamani Mohanty portrays corrupt & lustful life of manhants. In Abdhut Parinam, Mrutunjaya Rath deals with the theme of conversion of young Hindi into Christianity. Kunata Kumari Sabat's Na-Thudi is the first novel by a woman. Upendra Kishore Das's Mala Janha in 1922, Vaishnav Das's Mane Mane, Lakshmikanta Mahapatra's Kana Mamu, Kalindi Charana Panigrahi's Matira Manisha are some major works of Oriya literature.

Kanhu Charan Mohanty (1906-1994) is one writer who has written about thirty novels and received Sahitya Academy award for Ka. Some of his other writings include Adekha Hata, Shasti, & Ha Anna. Gopinath Mohanty's Amrutara Santana, Mati Matala, Danapani, Rahura Chhaya, Laya Bilaya are some of nice works during his period. Nityananda Mohapatra and Rajkishore Patnaik, Basanta Kumari Patnaik, Surendra Mohanty, Faturananda, Shantanu Kumar Acharya are also some prolific writers of the times.

Amada Bata by Basanta Kumari Patnaik, Neela Shaila by Surendra Mohanty winner of Sahitya Academy award, Nakta Chitrakara by Faturananda, Nara Kinnara by Shantanu Kumar Acharya,  Satabdira Nachiketa, Tinoti Ratira by Shakuntala Acharya, Sinhasakti by Krushna Prasad Mishra, Jantarudha by Chandra Sekhar Rath, Kharvela by Nrusingha Kumar Panda, Desha Kala Patra by Jagannath Prasad Das, Yajnaseni by Pratibha Ray are some worth mentioning.

SHORT STORIES

Birth of short stories in Oriya literature was on 20th century, and the credit goes to Fakir Mohan Senapati. In 1898 he published Rebati which dealt with the love between Rebati & a school teacher. Bhagabati Charan Panigrahi's Shikar is the story of a poor peasant who has been exploited by landlord, chops of his head & surrenders to police. 

Some of the prominent writers of short stories include Gopinath Mohanty, Surendra Mohanty, Nityananda Mohapatra, Balaram Acharya, Rajkishore Roy, Raj Kishore Patnaik, Ananta Prasad Panda, Mohapatra Neelamani Sahoo, Basant Kumar Satpathy, Kishori Charan Das, Krushna Prasad Mishra, Shantanu Kumar Acharya, Manoj Das, Akhil Mohan Patnaik, & Achyutananda Pati are some of the prolific Short story writers.

At present a lot of writers including Satakadi Hota, Manoj Das, Bibhuti Patnaik, Rabi Patnaik, Paresh Patnaik, Binapani Mohanty, Tarunkanti Mishra, gaurahari Das, Susmita Bagchi, Chandra Sekhar Rath, Uma Shankar Mishra, Jagannath Prasad Das are involved in short story writing.

DRAMA

The first Oriya play was Babaji by Jaganmohan Lala. He was educated in Western System and worked under the British Government. He started a theatre of his own, Radhakanta Rangamancha, named after his family deity. Sati (1886), & Priti are some of his plays. 

Orissa has a rich tradition of folk performances. Jatra, Suanga, Rama lila, Dandanata, Prahalada Nata are some such forms. Murari Mishra, Viswanath Kabiraj, & King Kapilendra Deba wrote & staged plays in Sanskrit. Ray Ramananda, minister of Prataprudra Deva, built a stage in Jagannath Ballav Math at Puri. Even it is said that Hatigumpha of King Kharvela was also used to stage drama performances in 2nd century A.D. 

Ramashankar Roy (1858-1917) was a prolific dramatist. Other playwrights were Bhikari Charan Patnaik, Godavarish Mishra, Vasishnav Pani, Aswini Kumar Ghose (1892-1962), Kali Charan Patnaik, Gopal Chhotray, Balaram Acharya, Bhanja Kishore Patnaik, Pranabandhu Kar were some prominent playwrights of pre & post independence era. 

Some dominated playwrights recently include Manoranjan Das, Kartik Chandra Rath, Bijaya Mishra, Biswajit Das, Harihar Mishra, Ramesh Chandra Panigrahi.

OTHER FORMS

Autobiographies written by a lot of peoples in Orissa is also very popular. The first one being Atmajeevana Charita by Fakir Mohan Senapati. Gopal Chandra Praharaj, Harekrushna Mahatab, Godavarish Mishra, Neelakantha Das, Bairagi Mishra, Lakshmi Narayan Sahoo, Adhiraj Mohan Senapati, Kali Charan Patnaik, Rama Devi, Kalindi Charan Panigrahi have written their autobiographies, which record social events of pre & post-independence periods.

Children Literature in Oriya is not adequately developed. Most of the books published are either poems or stories. Some are on Science & Technology. Translation is an area which mush attention has been paid recently. A lot of books are being tranlated into Oriya from other languages. Almost all Nobel prize winning books are translated into Oriya. Udayanath Sarangi, Lakshmi Narayan Mohanty, Chitta Ranjan Das & Uma Shankar Panda have familiarised a lot of western authors to Oriya readers.