Uḍra (Udra) was the name of an ancient region in India. It was the part of the Utkala state. In the Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) and the Purāṇas (Puranas), Uḍra (Udra) was described as a famous place at the southern part of India-

Tatrāste Bhārate Varṣe dakṣhiṇodadhisaṇsthitah.
Oḍradeśa iti khyatah Swargamokṣapradāyakah.

Here Oḍreswara Jagganāthadeva (Odreswara Jagganathdeva) was worshiped.

In this context, it can be mentioned that in ancient period, the border of Āryāvarta (Aryavarta) was considered as the geographical border of Bhāratvarṣa (Bharatvarsha). In this perspective, Uḍra (Udra) was depicted as the state of southern India as Oḍradeśa (Odradesa) or Utkala was situated in the southern border of Āryāvarta (Aryavarta). The king of Uḍradeśa (Udradesa) surrendered to the Digvijayī (Digvijayi) Sahadeva.

The King of Uḍra deśa (Udra desa) came to Indraprastha to participate in the Rājasuya Yajña (Rajasuya Yajna) of Yudhiṣthīra (Yudhishthira).

From eighth to eleventh centuries, the southern part of Utkala or Udishya was indicated as Uḍra (Udra) or Oḍradeśa (Odradesa). The geographical border of Oḍradeśa (Odradesa) had changed many times. According to the scholar N.L.Dey, in the north, Uḍradeśa (Udradesa) was extended up to Brajamaṇḍala (Brajamandala) or Jaipura region of Udishya.

[GP (S.M. Ali), p.236; GDAMI (Dey) p. 142]

According to the scholar Subodh Kapoor, the flood plains of the rivers Mahānadī (Mahanadi) and Suvarṇa Ṛikṣa (Suvarna Riksha) were known as the ancient state of Oḍradeśa (Odradesa). It means that Katak and Sambalpur of Udishya and some parts of West Midnapur district of West Bengal were parts of the ancient Oḍra deśa (Odra desa). In the north of Uḍradeśa (Udradesa), there was Jashpur and Singbhum and in the southern border, there was Ganjam district. In the eastern side of this region, there was the Bay of Bengal.

(See Utkala)

[EAIG (Kapoor) p.502]