Quick Facts Type Syllabic Alphabetic Genealogy Brahmi Location South Asia Time 12th century CE to Present Direction Left to Right

The Oriya script developed from an early form of the Bengali script, which belongs to the Northern group of South Asian scripts. Oriya is used to write the Oriya language, which is spoken in the modern Indian state of Orissa, located on the east coast of India. While the cursive shape of the Oriya letters appear to suggest influences from Southern scripts, it is thought that the cursive shape evolved from the need to write on palm leaves with a pointed stylus.

The basic signs of the Oriya script.

As in other South Asian scripts, vowels other than the default /a/ are indicated by extra strokes:

Related links:

• Languages and Scripts of India.