So I decided to learn Oriya as an Indian? You will have many benefits over it.
Oriya is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Odisha state on the east coast of India by nearly 40 million people. This language has strong influences from the Bengali and Assamese languages and originated from the Bengali script, with its curling letters that are written on palm leaves with a pointed stylus. The cultures of the state are based between the Aryans and Dravidians, and their cultural richness
Now let us see how easy is it to learn Oriya for Indians
Number of speakers
The Oriya language is one of the very ancient languages in India. This language is spoken by 60 Million nearly 6 crore people all over the world. According to the survey, 3.1% of Indians are Oriya speakers and 93% belong to Odisha. Thus with these huge numbers of speakers learning Oriya will be easier if you are an Indian.
Oldest Indian languages
The Oriya language was started nearly 2,500 years ago in India. Among the Indo-Aryan language family, Oriya is one of the oldest Indian languages and also it is recognized as the “classical language” by the Indian government and it is an honor for this language.
Sanskrit origin
The term Oriya originated from ancient Sanskrit Odra. These Odrakas people are the ones who fought in the Mahabharata. Oriya is derived from Indian languages such as Bangla, Sanskrit, Assamese, Maithili, Magahi, and Bhojpuri. Thus if you know any of these languages, then you will understand the language faster than in other countries.
The official language of India
Oriya is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language that is recognized as one of the official languages of India. Indian states such as Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat also have a certain number of Oriya speakers. Due to the immigration of the diamond polishing and textile industries you can find Oriya speakers in the Surat and Gujarat regions.
Other languages
Even Though Oriya is the mother tongue of Oriya, you can find Telugu, Bengali, and Hindi speakers in this state. Oriya has several dialects also spoken in the districts of Sambalpur, Kalahandi, and Bauda Bhatri.
Hindi speakers
Oriya has a huge Hindi-speaking Population. In history, Northern and the Western parts of Odisha were ruled by Hindi-speaking rulers. So many of the population know some level of Hindi. you will find native Odias speaking the Hindi language in Oriya city.
Compulsory subject
With Hindi being a compulsory subject in both Indian and English medium schools, it is very common to find an Oriya person speaking Hindi. If you are a Hindi speaker in India, then you can easily move through the Oriya culture and learn the Oriya language easily.
Thus Indians will find it easier to learn Oriya than the other country people
Not only as an Indian you will be able to read Oriya, but with motivation and interest even you are from a foreign country you could learn the Oriya language easily and you will also find many resources to learn the language. The best platform that you can find online for learning Oriya is Multibashi, you can also set your own schedule of learning. All the best!!!