Orissa
Orissa has a chequered history which has successfully
assimilated and synthesized the best of Buddhist, Jain
and Hindu cultures. Orissa or Kalinga as it was then called
was a settlement of non-Aryan and Aryan settlers. It was
here that the famous Battle of Kalinga was fought which
made King Ashoka forsake war. He became a follower of
Buddhism and spread the spirit of ahimsa and peace. It
is to the Kharavela period that Orissa owes its Jain art
and architectural tradition. The sophisticated architectural
style of the Jain Monastic caves at Udaygiri and Khandagiri
are a story unto themselves. To understand all that a
Hindu temple stands for one must realize that temples
in India are not merely abodes of deities but a shradhanjali
(offering) to the most sacred. Here a ’darshan’ is a communion
between man and his creator. Hence, Orissan temples are
characterized by profuse decorations,
exquisite carving and ornamentation covering the entire
visible area with Gods & Goddesses, kings and queens,
animals and flower motifs ranged against each other. They
radiate the artist’s inner love and dedication. Orissa
is probably the only state where one can study temple
architecture in all its successive stages of development.
Enchanting
Odissi
Odissi, is the traditional dance form of Orissa and probably
owes its origin to the temple dances of the devadasis
(temple dancers). Possibly the oldest classical dance
form, one must sit through a performance to experience
its sheer lyrical grace. Mentioned in inscriptions, it
is depicted on sculptures, in temples like the Brahmeswara
and the dancing hall of the Sun temple at Konark. In fact
in the 1950’s the entire Odissi dance form was revitalized
with the help of the Abhinaya Chandrika and sculpted dance
poses found in temples. Orissa enjoys a rich tradition
of tribal and folk dances as well. Chhau from Mayurbhanj
District is a martial dance form reminiscent of Orissa’s
earlier maritime tradition. Other folk and tribal dances
include Danda Nata, a daylong performance ending in acrobatic
sequences, Ranapa or dances in which dancers perform balancing
acts on bamboo stilts.
Rare
Artistry
Land of dexterous artists and craftsmen, Orissa possesses
a rich artistic tradition which enjoyed liberal patronage
from the temples as well as the nobility. Diverse and
varied, the craftsmen artists of Orissa still retain their
indigenousness, trying to refine it to suit a changing
sensibility. Be it the appliqué artists of Pipli or the
stone carvers of Orissa, proud descendants of sculptors
whose hands chiseled the unsurpassable designs on Orissa’s
famous temples, the essential conflict between the traditional
and the modern is gradually being resolved. The progressive
attitudes of the Orissan artists coupled with hereditary
skills zealously perpetuated, has given traditional Orissan
arts and crafts like weaving of Ikat, Bomkai and Sambalpuri
Saris, stone carving, appliqué and embroidery, silver
filigree work, patta painting and palm leaf engraving,
brass and bell metal work, lacquered boxes and toys and
basket weaving, a unique place in the connoisseur’s dictionary
the world over. A visit to the Raghurajpur artists village
and Pipli, near Puri, to see the artists at work is quite
a rewarding experience.
Gourmet
Delights
The green coconut with its pure water and the abundant
sea food from Chilika lake and the sea are as Orissan
as pizzas are Italian. Delicious prawns, crabs, sweet
water fish, lamb, chicken and eggs cooked by Orissan cooks
are widely available gourmet fares, while specialty restaurants
serve almost everything. Milk preparations like Rasgulla,
Rasmalai, Khirmohan, Rasabali, Kalakand are delicious.
Pithas, sweet and savoury are served as local snacks.
This is a traditional preparation requiring skill and
care. Pithas like Mandas, Kakara, Chhunchipatra are usually
domestic preparations much loved by the Orissans.
The
Ethnic World of Orissa
Orissa is a modern state with an ethnic past that is still
vibrant. Most of her tribes are to be found in the districts
of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar Phulbani, Sambalpur, Kalahandi
and Koraput. As many as 62 tribes exist in Orissa - Kondhs,
Koyas, Bondas, Gadabas, Santals, Juangs, Oraon, to name
only a few are some important tribes who have retained
their individuality and their close bond with nature.
From the last week of January to early February, the Tribal
Fair at Bhubaneshwar brings together the ethnic world;
their art, craft and culture is on display. For those
desirous of a closer look trips are arranged by many tour
operators from Bhubaneshwar and other cities but it is
a hardier trail and more time consuming.
Bhubaneshwar
Bhubaneshwar is the temple city of the east. The ancient
city of Bhubaneshwar (Bhuban being world and Iswar God)
is a walk down centuries of temple architecture. It is
probably the only city in the world that enables an authentic
over-view of the stages of development of Hindu religious
architecture. In the fast moving world of today these
temples are a gentle reminder of the splendor, the heritage
that was once India. Regular dances by the ’Devadasis’
or divine servant girls, rituals and rites, recital of
hymns were all an integral part of temple culture. Temples in Bhubaneshwar
are built on a common plan as prescribed by Hindu norms.
All visible parts of a temple are sculpted with motifs
of priests, kings, courtiers, pilgrims, celestial dancers,
couples in embrace, birds, animals or scenes from religious
epics and legends.
Area: 65.03 sq km. Altitude: 45 meters (146
ft.) Temperature (deg C): Summer - Max.38,
Min.27.1. Winter - Max.28.2, Min.15.2. Rainfall: Mid June-September 60 inches (152 cms). Languages
Spoken: Oriya, Bengali, Hindi, English. Best
season: October to March.
Excursions:
Dhauligiri- 8 kms, Udaygiri Khandagiri- 8 kms, Nandan
Kanan Zoo- 25 kms, Chandipur- 16 kms, Pipli- 29 kms, Atri
Springs- 42 kms, Sun Temple, Konark- 65 kms.
Reach -
By Air: Connected with Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi,
Hyderabad, Nagpur, Varanasi, Raipur and Vishakhapatnam.
By Rail: Directly connected with Calcutta, Puri,
Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore, Guwahati, Hyderabad,
Tirupati, Trivandrum.
By Road: Calcutta- 480
kms, Chilka Lake (Barkul)- 130 kms, Cuttack- 32 kms, Gopalpur-
184 kms, Konark- 64 kms, Madras- 1225 kms, Puri- 62 kms.
Udaygiri
Khandagiri
7 kms from
Bhubaneshwar are the twin hills of Udaygiri and Khandagiri.
Built by Kharavela around 1st - 2nd Century BC for Jain
monks, they are excellent examples of Jain Cave art. The
famous caves of Hathigumpha (elephant cave) in Udaygiri,
RaniGumpha (Queen’s cave) also in Udaygiri, with upper
and lower stories, spacious courtyards and extremely delicately
designed friezes bear witness to the sophistication the
architectural styles had attained as early as the first
Century BC.
Dhauli
Driving down the Puri-Konark Highway from Bhubaneshwar
one comes across Dhauli hill on the banks of the River
Daya. Surrounded by the soothing greenery of paddy fields,
lies the 3rd Century BC Ashokan Rock Edict, a memory of
the gruesome war that transformed Ashoka, the great Warrior
into a Buddhist missionary. The Peace Pagoda built in
collaboration with the Kalinga – Japanese Buddhist Sangha,
on the opposite hill, is completely modern and is an excellent
foil.
Puri
The seat of Lord Jagannath, Site of Renowned Rathyatra
Festival and one of the most popular sea side resorts
on the Bay of Bengal, Puri is an ideal travel destination
all the year round.
Places Of Interest:
Shri Jagannath Temple, Daria Hanuman and Sonar Gouranga
Temple, Gundicha Char, Indradyumma Tank, Narendra/Chandan
Tank, Loknath Temple, Swarga Dwar, Sea Beach at Puri.
Excursions:
Sakshigopal- 19 kms, Konark- 31 kms, Bhubaneshwar- 63
kms.
Reach -
By Air: The Nearest Airport is Bhubaneswar- 65
kms.
By Rail: Well connected to Berhampore
(Orissa), Bhubaneswar, Calcutta, Cochin, Delhi, Guwahati,
Hyderabad, Madras, Tirupati, Trivandrum, Varanasi.
By Road: Bhubaneshwar- 62 kms, Calcutta- 541 kms,
Chilika- 167 kms, Konark- 31 kms, Madras- 1285 kms, Sambalpur-
362 kms, Vishakhapatnam- 486 kms.
Konark
Renowned for its magnificent sun temple, Konark is also
a lovely beach resort. In Konark, the "Natya Mandir",
the dance hall of the Sun Temple probably remains as the
last remnant of the glorious temples of Orissa an extant
example of the architectural excellence of the times.
Built in the 13th Century, here a colossal image of the
chariot of the Sun, drawn by seven horses and 24 wheels
symbolizes the divisions of time. The Konark Sun Temple
also houses a Natamandira or dancing hall. Only two subsidiary
temples out of the 22 exist today. The Vaishnadevi Mayadevi
Temple stand to the West it. The Sun temple of Narasimhadeva
is a depiction in stone of the life of those times – royal,
social, religious and military. The intricate carvings
on the walls and wheels of the chariot are unprecedented
in history. The fine sculptures depicting
Court life, hunting, scenes, celestial deities are epitomes
of precision and grace. Graceful sculptures from the world
of the Kamasutra, epic of eroticism also adorn the structures.
The Sun Temple standing in solitary splendor is the relic
of a great past
Area: 2.5 sq km. Altitude: Sea level. Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max. 43, Min. 32.2. Winter- 26.7, Min.
10.6. Rainfall: 152.4 cms (July to September). Clothing: Summer- Light tropical &
cottons, Winter- light woolens. Languages spoken: Oriya, Bengali, Hindi, English. Best season: Throughout the year, but preferably October to March.
Reach -
By Air: Nearest airport Bhubaneshwar- 64 kms is
connected with Calcutta, Delhi, Hyderabad, Madras and
Nagpur.
By Rail: Nearest railheads Puri- 31
kms and Bhubaneshwar- 64 kms are connected with the major
places.
By Road: Konark is well-connected with
Bhubaneshwar as well as the major places.
