Indian Community • Chicago
Odia Community in Chicago
2,000–4,000 Odia speakers • Schaumburg, Naperville, Lisle • Sri Jagannath Society in Aurora • Annual Rath Yatra since 2006 • Hosted 2023 OSA national convention
Indian Community Guides → Indian Community in Chicago → Odia Community in Chicago
Last updated: March 2026 • Full Indian Community guide for Chicago →
Why Odia Families Choose Chicago
The I-88 Technology and Research Corridor — stretching through Naperville, Lisle, and Schaumburg — houses the same category of technology companies that drove Indian immigration to the Bay Area and Dallas, but with Chicago’s Midwestern cost advantages. Odia engineers and IT professionals from Odisha’s state industries (steel, mining, infrastructure backgrounds from SAIL, NALCO, NTPC) find that Chicago’s tech sector translates their skills directly. The Naperville and Schaumburg school districts — among Illinois’ highest-performing — are a consistent draw for families with school-age children, ranking with Fort Bend ISD in Texas in terms of South Asian parent community investment in academic enrichment programs.
For Odia families specifically, Chicago offers something most cities don’t: a dedicated Lord Jagannath temple and society with Odia community roots, an OSA chapter that has demonstrated its ability to organize national conventions, and the Patel Brothers network with full suburban coverage in Schaumburg and Naperville for East Indian pantry staples. The Schaumburg “Golf Road corridor” functions as a suburban Little India — Indian restaurants, grocery stores, and South Asian businesses concentrated within a few blocks — without the commute of Devon Avenue in the city.
Where Odia Families Live in Chicago
The Odia community is dispersed across Chicago’s western and northwestern suburbs, following the same settlement pattern as the broader South Asian tech professional diaspora. There is no Odia enclave; instead, Odia families are neighbors with Gujarati, Telugu, and Marathi families across the same DuPage and Cook County suburbs.
Schaumburg (Cook County NW — “Little India of the Suburbs”)
Schaumburg has been described by ABC7 Chicago as the suburban Little India of the Chicago area, with 9,000+ South Asians and a Golf Road corridor dense with Indian restaurants, Patel Brothers, Bhagavati Plaza, and other South Asian businesses. For Odia families, Schaumburg is the most service-rich suburban settlement — Indian grocery within walking distance, familiar restaurants, and proximity to major tech employers along the I-90 corridor. PUMA data (Buffalo Grove/Vernon Hills: 1,147 in the Other Indic bucket; Palatine/Arlington Heights: 667) indicates this as a primary Odia concentration zone. Schaumburg Township Elementary and Consolidated High School districts serve the area.
Naperville (DuPage County — School-Driven Settlement)
Naperville has the largest Indian population in Chicago’s suburbs — 13,000+ South Asians by recent estimates — drawn by Community Unit School Districts 203 and 204, which are top-ranked in Illinois. The DuPage PUMA covering Naperville SW records 976 in the Other Indic bucket. Patel Brothers at 1568 W Ogden Ave serves the community directly. The I-88 tech corridor (Bell Labs / Nokia / Lucent heritage, plus current tech employers) makes Naperville practical for Odia IT and engineering professionals. The Sri Jagannath Society in Aurora (next DuPage County municipality over) is easily accessible from Naperville.
Lisle / Woodridge (DuPage County — Quieter Alternative)
Adjacent to Naperville and part of the same South Asian belt, Lisle and Woodridge offer a quieter residential character on the I-88 corridor (PUMA 04 Lisle Township: 597 in the Other Indic bucket). Families who want Naperville school-district quality and I-88 tech access but prefer a less dense suburb often settle here. Odia families in Lisle are effectively within the same community catchment as Naperville — same Patel Brothers, same drive to Aurora for the Sri Jagannath Society.
Bolingbrook / Romeoville (Will County — Affordable Entry Point)
Bolingbrook (PUMA Will County: 608 in Other Indic bucket) attracts Odia families in earlier career stages who want suburban access without Naperville pricing. The community here is smaller and more dispersed but still within driving range of Aurora’s Sri Jagannath Society and Schaumburg’s Indian grocery corridor.
Odia Organizations in Chicago
OSA Chicago Chapter — “Odias in Chicago”
National website: odishasociety.org | Facebook: facebook.com/OdiasinChicago | National contact: president@odishasociety.org
The OSA Chicago chapter, operating under the community identity “Odias in Chicago” on Facebook, is the primary social and cultural organization for Chicago-area Odias. The Odisha Society of the Americas was founded in 1969 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 1981; the Chicago chapter is one of its most active among ~20 North American regional chapters. The chapter’s scope includes religious festivals, social gatherings, cultural events, community welfare, and professional programming.
The chapter’s most significant achievement: hosting the 54th OSA International Convention in July 2023 at the Westin Hotel in Lombard, Illinois. Theme: “Aarohi — The Evolving Odias.” Over 1,200 attendees participated across five days of programming including seminars on healthcare, mental health, higher education, Odisha economic development, a budding scientists contest, cultural performances, and Odia food served five times daily. American Kahani described it as “the largest gathering of Odias outside India.” For newcomers arriving in Chicago, the “Odias in Chicago” Facebook page is the community’s real-time event calendar and connection point.
Sri Jagannath Society of Greater Chicago
Address: 2295 Church Rd, Aurora, IL 60502 | Website: srijagannathchicago.org | Facebook: facebook.com/SJSGC | Legal status: 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Religious, Cultural, Educational, and Philanthropic Organization
The Sri Jagannath Society is the spiritual home of the Chicago Odia community. Founded by a group of passionate Odia families, the society held its first Rath Yatra in 2006 (at Hari Om Temple in Aurora before formal registration), was registered as a non-profit in 2007, and performed the first Pratistha (installation of Lord Jagannath deities) in 2008. The Mahapratistha ceremony followed in 2010 when the society received 501(c)(3) status. Deities — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram, and Lady Subhadra — are installed following the worship traditions of the main Jagannath temple in Puri, not the Hare Krishna movement.
A family sponsors a special puja to Lord Jagannath every Sunday — the community is encouraged to attend. This weekly gathering is the most consistent point of community contact outside of major festivals. The annual Rath Yatra (June 28, 2025 at 2295 Church Rd) is the community’s flagship public celebration.
Odia Temples in Chicago
Sri Jagannath Society Temple — Aurora
Address: 2295 Church Rd, Aurora, IL 60502 | Website: srijagannathchicago.org
This is the only known dedicated Lord Jagannath temple and society in greater Chicago with Odia community roots. The deities — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram, and Lady Subhadra — follow the worship traditions of the Puri Jagannath temple, not the Hare Krishna tradition. Aurora’s location at the junction of DuPage and Kane Counties makes it geographically accessible from Naperville, Lisle, Bolingbrook, and the western Schaumburg corridor — effectively equidistant from all major Odia settlement zones. Weekly Sunday puja with family sponsorship is the rhythm of community religious life here.
Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago — Lemont (Shared Community Space)
Address: 10915 Lemont Rd, Lemont, IL | Website: htgc.org
The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont is one of the largest multi-tradition Hindu temples in the Midwest, serving all South Asian communities in Chicagoland. Not Odia-specific, but many Odia families worship here given its comprehensive facilities and accessibility from the western suburbs. Approximately 25 miles southwest of Chicago, it functions as a shared sacred space for the broader Hindu community including Odia families who want access to a larger temple complex for major Hindu festivals.
Odia Festivals in Chicago
Annual Rath Yatra — Sri Jagannath Society (Community-Led)
The Sri Jagannath Society of Greater Chicago has organized an annual Rath Yatra chariot festival every year since 2006 — making it one of the longest-running Odia community Rath Yatras in the Midwest. The 2025 event was held June 28 at 2295 Church Rd, Aurora, IL, free and open to the public. This event follows Puri temple traditions and is the Odia community’s own celebration — distinct from the ISKCON Rath Yatra in Chicago. Check srijagannathchicago.org for current year dates.
Note for context: ISKCON Chicago also organizes a large Rath Yatra festival (held since 1974 near Loyola University, with 3,000+ attendees) — this is a different event, organized by the Hare Krishna movement rather than the Odia community. Many Odia families attend both; the Sri Jagannath Society event is the community’s home celebration.
Utkal Divas — April 1
Utkal Divas marks the formation of Odisha as a separate state on April 1, 1936 — one of the most emotionally significant dates on the Odia calendar. The OSA Chicago chapter celebrates Utkal Divas annually with cultural programs, Odia dance and music performances, and community speeches honoring Odia identity. Specific event details are announced on the “Odias in Chicago” Facebook page each spring.
Kumar Purnima — October
Kumar Purnima (the full moon of the Hindu month of Ashwini) is one of the most distinctively Odia festivals — celebrated by young women through traditional ceremonies, special foods, games, and prayers. It is a cultural marker that no other Indian community observes in this form, and its celebration by the OSA chapter is a strong signal that you have found your community. Check the “Odias in Chicago” Facebook page for annual event details each October.
Odia Grocery & Food in Chicago
No dedicated Odia restaurant operates in the Chicago area — consistent with the national pattern. Odia cuisine (less spicy and less oily than many Indian regional cuisines) has not yet found standalone commercial representation in any major U.S. metro outside Odisha. Community meals are home-cooked or organized through OSA chapter and Sri Jagannath Society events. The three Patel Brothers locations covering the Odia settlement corridor are the practical grocery solution.
Patel Brothers — Schaumburg
Address: 830 W Golf Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60194 | patelbros.com
The Schaumburg location is the closest major Indian grocery to the northwestern suburban Odia population cluster. It carries East Indian and Bengali pantry staples that Odia households need: mustard oil, panch phutana (five-spice blend), posto (poppy seeds), dried mango, raw papaya, fresh curry leaves, and a wide range of South Asian dry goods, condiments, and frozen snacks. The Golf Road corridor surrounding this store is the hub of Schaumburg’s Indian commercial district.
Patel Brothers — Naperville
Address: 1568 W Ogden Ave Suite 130, Naperville, IL 60540 | patelbros.com
The Naperville location serves the DuPage County Odia community — Naperville, Lisle, Bolingbrook — directly. Same product range as Schaumburg; this is the primary grocery stop for Odia families in the I-88 corridor who don’t want to drive into Chicago for specialty ingredients.
Patel Brothers Devon Avenue — Chicago (Specialty Runs)
Address: 2610 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60659 | patelbros.com — First opened on Devon in 1974 (50 years in business as of 2024)
Devon Avenue is Chicago’s historic South Asian corridor — 15 blocks of Indian restaurants, sari shops, jewelry stores, and grocers in the Rogers Park / West Ridge neighborhood. The flagship Patel Brothers here carries the most comprehensive selection of East Indian pantry items in the region, including specialty Odia staples not always available in the suburban locations. Odia families make occasional trips to Devon Avenue for specialty ingredients and to browse the sari and jewelry shops. Most Odia families do not live on Devon (they settle in the suburbs for schools), but it remains an important destination.
Odia Language & Heritage Programs
No dedicated Odia heritage language school operates in the Chicago area. Odia language transmission happens informally through family, OSA chapter gatherings, and Sri Jagannath Society weekly events — which is the norm for smaller language communities that haven’t yet reached critical mass for a formal Saturday school. Ask the OSA Chicago chapter directly (via Facebook: OdiasinChicago) whether any informal classes currently exist.
For structured learning, online platforms cover the gap:
- IndoLingo (indolingo.com) — one-on-one online Odia lessons with professional tutors; flexible scheduling
- The Languages Academy (thelanguagesacademy.com) — structured Odia language courses at multiple proficiency levels, available online
- OSA Odia Literature and Poetry Team — runs virtual programs on Odia childhood literature and language; accessible to Chicago families via online participation (check odishasociety.org for schedule)
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2022 5-Year Estimates) • Community organization websites and direct verification • Local school district enrollment data • Zillow and Apartments.com (rent estimates) • Glassdoor and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (salary data) • Redfin (home price data). Community population estimates reflect available Census language data combined with organization-reported figures. Read our full research methodology →