ORISSA
Odisha (Oriya: ଓଡିଶା), previously known as Orissa (Oriya: ଓଡି଼ଶା), is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal.
It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which
was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Odisha was established
on 1 April 1936 at Kanika Palace, Cuttack, as a
province in India, and consists predominantly of Odia speakers. 1 April is therefore celebrated as Utkal Divas
(Odisha Day).
Odisha is the ninth largest state by area in India, and the
eleventh largest by population. Odia is the official and most widely spoken
language with 93.33% Odia speakers according to Linguistic survey.Odisha has a
relatively unindented coastline (about 480 km long)
and lacks good ports, except for the deepwater facility at Paradip. The
narrow, level coastal strip, including the Mahanadi River
delta supports
the bulk of the population. The interior of the state is mountainous and sparsely populated. Deomali at
1672 m is the highest point of the state. Odisha is subject to intense cyclones. The most
intense one, in October 1999, Tropical Cyclone 05B caused severe damage and some 10,000 deaths.
Odisha is home to the Hirakud Dam,
near Sambalpur
the longest earthen dam in the world. Odisha has several popular tourist destinations. Puri, Konark & Bhubaneswar
are known as Golden triangle of eastern India. Puri, with the Jagannath
temple near the sea (famous for Rath Yatra or the Car Festival), and Konark, with the Sun Temple,
are visited by thousands of tourists every year. The Jagannath Temple of Puri,
the Sun Temple of Konark, the Lingaraja Temple, Khandagiri, Udaygiri,
Dhauligiri of Bhubaneshwar, Ashoka's famous Rock Edict at Jaugada near Berhampur
city and the Barabati Fort of Cuttack are
important in the archaeological history of India.
Sub-divisions
There are 30 districts in Odisha—Angul, Boudh, Bhadrak, Bolangir, Bargarh, Balasore, Cuttack(Kataka), Debagarh, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Jajapur, Jagatsinghpur, Khordha, Keonjhar, Kalahandi,
Kandhamal,
Koraput, Kendrapara, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Nayagarh, Puri, Rayagada, Sambalpur, Subarnapur, Sundargarh. Each district is governed by a district collector or
district magistrate, appointed either by the Indian
Administrative Service or the Odisha Administrative Service. Each district is subdivided into Sub-Divisions, governed
by a sub-divisional magistrate, and again into Blocks. Blocks consists of
panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities.
The capital and largest city of the state is Bhubaneshwar
and its another name is temple city. Other major cities in Odisha are Cuttack, Berhampur,
Rourkela, Sambalpur,
Bhadrak, Jajpur, Balasore & Puri.
Geography
Bhubaneshwar
is the capital of Odisha. It is famed for its magnificent temples, numbering
around a thousand. Cuttack, the former capital of Odisha, is 22 km from
Bhubaneshwar. With the rapid expansion of two cities and better road
connectivity, the two cities are now almost conjoined and considered as twin
cities. The city of Puri is about 60 kilometers from Bhubaneshwar and lies on
the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Puri is considered a holy city and the abode of the deity Lord
Jagannath. It is one of the Char Dhams
(Four holy places) of Hinduism. The world-famous "car festival" (rath yatra) is
celebrated every year in the Hindu month of Ashadha (Mid June to Mid July) in
Puri.
The Chota Nagpur plateau occupies the western and northern portions of the
state, while along the coast are fertile alluvial plains and the valleys of the
Mahanadi, Brahmani, and Baitarani
rivers, which fall into the Bay of Bengal. These alluvial plains are home to
intensive rice cultivation. The Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Asia’s
largest rice research Institute is situated along the bank of Mahanadi in Cuttack. One of
the major nesting grounds for the Olive Ridley sea turtles can be found in the
Beaches of Odisha; in Devi, Gahirmatha and Rushikulya, which are known to be
the nesting sites for the L. olivacea Indian Ocean population. In 2007, around
130,000 turtles nested on the beaches of Gahirmatha. The shore line also acts
as their mating site and has attracted various scientific communities for
research and studies.
Although most of Odisha's forest cover has been denuded
lately, one of the greatest attractions of Odisha is its still vast expanses of
unspoiled natural landscape that offer a protected yet natural habitat to the
state’s incredible wildlife. There are many wildlife sanctuaries in Odisha. The
Simlipal National Park Tiger Reserve is a huge expanse of lush green forest with
waterfalls, inhabited by tigers, elephants, and other wildlife. The Bhitarkanika
Wildlife Sanctuary has been protecting estuarine
crocodiles since 1975.
Chilka Lake,
a brackish water coastal lake on the Bay of Bengal,
south of the mouth of the Mahanadi River,
is the largest coastal lake in India and the second largest in the world.It is
the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent. It is protected by the Chilka Lake
Bird Sanctuary, which harbors over 160 migratory and resident species of birds.
Birds from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea and other remote
parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and southeast Asia,
Ladakh and Himalayas come here. It also has the small area of Satpada which is
a safe sanctuary for the lesser known and endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins.
The highest mountain peak in the state is Deomali
(1672 m), which is situated in Koraput district
in southern Odisha. It is also the tallest peak of the Eastern Ghats.
It is part of the Chandragiri-Pottangi mountain system. Location:
18°40'3"N 82°58'59"E (Deomali on Wikimapia).
Physiography
On the basis of homogeneity, continuity and physiographical
characteristics, Odisha has been divided into five major morphological
regions : 1) the Odisha Coastal Plain in the east, 2) the Middle Mountainous
and Highlands Region, 3) the Central plateaus, 4) the western rolling uplands
and 5) the major flood plains.
The Odisha Coastal Plains
The Odisha Coastal Plains are the depositional landforms of
recent origin and geologically belong to the Post-Tertiary Period. The
75 metre contourline delimits their western boundary and differentiates
them from the Middle Mountainous Region. This region stretches from the West
Bengal border, i.e. from the River Subarnarekha in the north to the River Rushikulya
in the south.
This region is the combination of several deltas of varied
sizes and shapes formed by the major rivers of Odisha, such as the
Subarnarekha, the Budhabalanga, the Baitarani, the Brahmani, the Mahanadi, and
the Rushikulya. Therefore, the coastal plain of Odisha is called the
"Hexadeltaic region" or the "Gift of Six Rivers". It
stretches along the coast of the Bay of Bengal having the maximum width in the
Middle Coastal Plain (the Mahanadi Delta), narrow in the Northern Coastal Plain
(Balasore Plain) and narrowest in the Southern Coastal Plain (Ganjam Plain).
The North Coastal Plain comprises the deltas of the Subarnarekha and the
Budhabalanga rivers and bears evidences of marine transgressions. The Middle
Coastal Plain comprises the compound deltas of the Baitarani, Brahmani and
Mahanadi rivers and bears evidences of past 'back bays' and present lakes. The
South Coastal Plain comprises the laccustrine Plain of Chilika Lake and the
smaller delta of the Rushikulya River.
The Middle Mountainous and Highlands Region
The region covers about three-fourth of the entire State.
Geologically it is a part of the Indian Peninsula which as a part of the
ancient landmass of the Gondwanaland. The major rivers of Odisha with their
tributaries have cut deep and narrow valleys. This region mostly comprises the
hills and mountains of the Eastern Ghats which rise abruptly and steeply in the
east and slope gently to a dissected plateau in the west running from
north-west (Mayurbhanj) to south-west (Malkangirig). This region is well marked
by a number of interfluves or watersheds. The Eastern Ghats
is interrupted by a number of broad and narrow river valleys and flood plains.
The average beight of this region is about 900 metres above the mean seal
level.The highest peak is Deomali
The Central Plateaus
The plateaus are mostly eroded plateaus forming the western
slopes of the Eastern Ghats with elevation varying from 305–610 metres.
There are two broad plateaus in Odisha : (i) the Panposh – Keonjhar
-Pallahara plateau comprises the Upper Baitarani catchment basin, and (ii) the
Nabrangpur – Jeypore plateau comprises the Sabari basin.
The Western Rolling Uplands
These are lower in elevation than the plateaus having
heights varying from 153 metres to 305 metres.
Rivers
There are four groups of rivers which flow through Odisha
into the Bay of Bengal (Table-2). They are :
(i) Rivers that have a source outside the State (the Subarnarekha,
the Brahmani the IB
and the Mahanadi).
(ii) Rivers having a source inside the State(the Budhabalanga,
the Baitarani,
the Salandi, and the Rushikulya).
(iii) Rivers having a source inside the Odisha, but flow
through other states (the Bahudu, the Vansadhara, and the Nagavali).
(iv) Rivers having a source inside Odisha, but tributary to
rivers which flow through other states (the Machkund, the Sileru, the Kolab, and the Indravati)
Springs
There are a number of Mountain springs and hotspring in
Odisha. The Badaghagara and Sanaghagara in Keonjhar districts Satpasajya in
Denkanal districts the Chandikhole in Cuttack distrcts the Barunei in Khorda
distrcts, the Narayani and Nirmalajhar in Ganjam district, the Patalaganga in
Kalahandi districts, the Nursinghanath in Bargarh distrcts and the Harisankar
in Bolangir distrcts and some of the importan
Waterfalls
Most of the rivers, either at the point of origin or over
the mountainous bed, have waterfalls. The Barehipani
and Joranda (Similipal
) in Mayurbhanja districts, Sanaghagara and Badaghagara in Keonjhar district,
Pradhanpat in Deogarh district, khandadhar
(Banei) in Sundargarh district, Koilighugar
in Jharsuguda district, Phurlijharan, Khandabaladhar, and Rabandhara in
Kalahandi district, Kentamari and Putudi in Boudh and Phulbani district Duduma in Malkangiri district and Bogra in Koraput district are
some of the major waterfalls of Odisha.
Lakes
- The
Chilika Lake is brackish water lagoon located in the southern part
of the Odisha coastal plane. It areas varies 780 km2 and
144 km2; during the two monsson months it is 71 km
long and 32 km wide. It salinity decleans to a minimum during the
monsson. However in winter, due to the overflow of the tidal water through
the narrow opening from the Bay of Bengal, it is maximum.
- Anshupa
is a sweet water lake located in Athagarh of Cuttack district. It is
3 km long and 1.5 km wide. Sara is another sweet water lake
located near Puri. It is 5 km long and 3 km wide. Kanjia is
another sweet water lake with about 134 acres (0.54 km2)
of area located in Nandankanan of Cuttack district near Bhubaneswar.[22]
- Pata
is another sweet water lake located alongside the town of Chatrapur. It is
4 km long and 0.5 km wide.
- Hirakud Dam:
Artificial Lake in Sambalpur and Jharsuguda
largest in Asia.
- Indravati Dam:
Artificial Lake in Kalahandi and Nabarangpur
- Kolab Dam:
Artificial Lake in Koraput
Origin of the name of the State
Orissa was renamed as Odisha and Oriya language as renamed
as Odiya on November 9, 2010 by Parliament of India. The name Odisha is derived from the Sanskrit Odra Vishaya
or Odra Desa. Both Pali and Sanskrit Literatures mention the Odra people as
Oddaka and Odrah, respectively. Greek writers like Pliny and Ptolemy described
the Odra people as Oretes. In the Mahabharata the Odras are mentioned along
with the Paundras, Utkals, Mekalas, Kalingas and Andhras, while according to
Manu the Odras are associated with the Paundrakas, Dravidas, Kambojas, Yavanas,
Sakas, Paradas, Pallhavas, Chinas, Kiratas and Khasas. The location of the Odra
territory has been given in the Natural History of Pliny in which it is
mentioned that the Oretes inhabited the country where stood the Mount Maleus.
The Greek Oretes is probably the Sanskrit Odra and the Mount Maleus has been
identified with Malayagiri near Pala Lahara. Pliny associates the Mount Maleus
with the people called Monedes and Sharis who were probably the same as the
Mundas and the Savaras respectively inhabiting the upland regions of Orissa.
The Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-Tsang who visited Orissa in about
636 A.D. gives an account of the territory named Wu-Che which is very likely
the same as Odra. The pilgrim states that the Wu-Cha (Wu-tu) country was above
7,000 li in circuit and its capital was above 20 li in circuit. The area of the
territory, which was 7,000 li or (2,253 km) in circuit, was very
extensive. General Cunningham who calls this territory as Odra or Odra Desa
writes as follows:
“The ancient province of Odra desa or Or-desa was limited
to the valley of the Mahanadi and to the lower course of the Subarnarekha River.
It comprised the whole of the present districts of Cuttack and Sambalpur and a
portion of Midnapore. It was bounded on the West by Gondwana, on the North by
the wild hill states of Jashpur and Singhbhum, on the East by the sea and on
the South by Ganjam. These also must have been the limits in the time of
Hiuen-Tsang as the measured circuit agrees with his estimate”.
The Muslim
geographer lbn Khurdadhbin who wrote his geography in 846 AD refers to a
territory called Ursfin which is identified by the Russian scholar V. Minorsky
with Odra Desa. In another Persian geography called Hudad-al Alam written
towards the close of the 10 th century A.D. mention has been made of a
territory called Urshin (Odra Desa) which has been associated with the
territories called N. Myas, Harkand, Smnder and Andhras which were more or less
contiguous. The territory called N.Myas may be Mahismati and Harkand is
suggested to be Akarakhand (eastern Malwa). Urshin may be the same as Odra Desa
and Smnder may be the territory bordering the sea. Andhras is without doubt the
same as Andhra Desa. Alberuni has referred to a territory called Udra Vishau
located 50 forsakhs towards the sea in the south from the Tree of Prayaga.
Fifty forsakhs is equal to about 200 miles or 321.86 km. So Udra
Vishau may be the same as Odra Desa.
In the mediaeval Muslim chronicles like Tabaquat-I-Nasiri,
Tabaquat-I-Akbari, Riyadus-Salatin, Tarkh-I-Firuzsahi, etc., the Odra territory
has been referred to as Jajnagar probably after the capital Yayatinagar or
Jajatinagar. The territory of Jajnagar very probably denotes to the Ganga Empire
during the period from Chodagangadeva to Anangabhimdeva III when Jajatinagar
(modern Jagati on the Mahanadi) was the capital of that empire. It was
Anangabhimadeva III who transferred the capital from Jajatinagar to Baranasi
Kataka. And even after the change of capital some Muslim chroniclers continued
to call this territory as Jajnagar. Shams-I-Seraj-Afif called this territory as
Jajnagar-Udisa with its capital city Banaras on the right bank of the Mahanadi.
The word ‘Udisa’ added to Jajnagar appears very significant. It is a developed
form of the word Ursfin or Urshin used by earlier Muslim writers of the 9 th
and 10 th centuries A.D. In Buddhist literature this word is expressed as
Odivisa or Udivisa as found in the works of Lama Taranath and the author of
Pag-Sam-Jon-Zang. In the Tantric literature of the mediaeval period the word
Udisa has been frequently used and in Tantrasara, Jagannath has been referred
to as Udisanatha. Poet Sarala Das mentions both the words Odra Rastra and Odisa
in his famous treatise Mahabharata while Gajapati Kapileswaradeva (1435 –
1467 AD) in his proclamation inscribed on the temple walls of Jagannath
calls his territory as Odisha Rajya or Odisha Rastra. Thus from the 15 th
century AD onward the land of the Oriya people was called Udisa, Odisha, Orissa.
Odisha in pre-historic age
Since prehistoric days the land of Odisha has been inhabited
by various people. The earliest settlers of Odisha were primitive hill tribes.
Although prehistoric communities cannot be identified, it is well known that
Orissa had been inhabited by tribes like Saora or Sabar from the Mahabharata
days. Saora in the hills and the Sahara and Sabar of the plains continue to be
an important tribe distributed almost all over Orissa. Most of the tribal
people have been influenced by Hindus and have adopted Hindu manners, customs
and rituals. Bonda Parajas of Koraput district are the best example of these
tribes.
Several Pre-historic sites have been excavated in Orissa
since the arrival of Britishers.Kaliakata of Angul, Kuchai & Kuliana of
Mayurbhanj, Vikramkhol near Jharsuguda,Gudahandi and Yogimath of
Kalahandi,Ushakothi of Sambalpur,Similikhol near Bargarh etc.
History of Ancient Odisha
Odisha has a history spanning a period of over 3,500 years.
Before Kalinga it was named as Udra or "Odra Desa. The Ancient Odra desa
or Ordesa was limited to the valley of Mahanadi and to the lower course of
Subarnarekha River. It comprised the whole of the present districts of Cuttack
and Sambalpur and a portion of Midnapur. Bounded on the west by Gondwana, on
the north by the wild hill states of Jaspur and Singhbhum, on the east by the
sea and on the South by Ganjam, Orissa has a legendary history. The history of Odisha is in many ways atypical from that of the northern
plains, and many of the common generalizations that are made about Indian
history do not seem to apply to the Odia region.[-] The name
Odia originated from Odra or Udra tribes that inhabited the
central coastal belt (Khordha District
and Nayagarh District ) of modern Odisha. Odisha has also been the home of the Kalinga, Utkal, Mahakantara/Kantara and Kosal that
played a particularly prominent role in the region's history, and one of the
earliest references to the ancient Kalingas appears in the writings of Vedic
chroniclers.[-] In the
6th century BC, Vedic Sutrakara Baudhayana mentions Kalinga as being beyond the
Vedic fold, indicating that Brahminical influences had not yet touched the
land.[-] Unlike
some other parts of India, tribal customs and traditions played a significant
role in shaping political structures and cultural practices right up to the
15th century,[-] when
Brahminical influences triumphed over competing traditions and caste
differentiation began to inhibit social mobility and erode what had survived of
the ancient republican tradition.[-]
A major turning point in world history took place in Odisha.[-] The Kalinga War
that led emperor Ashoka to embrace non-violence and the teachings of Buddha was fought
here in 261 BC. Ashoka's military campaign against Kalinga was one
of the bloodiest in Mauryan history on account of the fearless and heroic
resistance offered by the Kalingas to the mighty armies of the expanding Mauryan Empire.
Perhaps on account of their unexpected bravery, emperor Ashoka was compelled to issue two edicts specifically calling for
a just and benign administration in Kalinga. Later on, Ashoka was instrumental
in spreading Buddhist philosophy all over Asia. However, Ativ Land (South Western Orissa)
was unconquered by Ashoka.
Tel river civilization
put light towards a great civilization existing in Kalahandi, Balangir, and
Koraput (KBK) region in the past that is recently getting explored. The discovered archaeological wealth of Tel Valley suggest a well civilized,
urbanized, cultured people inhabited on this land mass around 2000 years ago and Asurgarh was its capital. Kalahandi along with Koraput and Bastar was part
of Kantara referred in Ramayana and Mahabharata .
In 4th century B.C. this region was known as Indravana from where precious
gem-stones and diamond were collected for the imperial Maurya treasury. During the period of Maurya emperor Ashok, Kalahandi along with Koraput and
Bastar region was called Atavi Land. This land was unconquered as per Ashokan record. In the beginning of Chrisitan era probably it was known as Mahavana .
In 4th Century A.D. Vyaghraraja was ruling over Mahakantara comprising
Kalahandi, undivided Koraput and Bastar region. Asurgarh was capital of Mahakantara.
On the other hand in the third century BC, in the eastern
part of Odisha Kalinga flourished as a powerful kingdom under the Jaina king, Kharavela. He ruled all the way down south to include parts of the Tamil country. He built the superb monastic caves at Udayagiri and
Khandagiri. Subsequently, the kingdom was ruled under various monarchs, such as
Samudragupta
and Sasanka. It also was a part of Harsha's empire. In 795 AD, the king Yayati Kesari I of
Kesari or Soma dynasty of Kosala united Kosala and Utkala into a single empire.
He is also supposed to have built the first Jagannath Temple at Puri,[-] although
the current structure of the temple is entirely different and was built by
Kings Choda Gangadeva and Ananga Bhimadeva of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty in the 12th century. The famous Lingaraja temple in Bhubaneshwar
was started by Keshari dynasty king Yayati Keshari III and completed by his son
Lalatendu Keshari in the 10th century. King Narasimha Dev is reputed to have
built the magnificent Sun Temple at Konark. Although now largely in ruins, the temple may have once
rivaled the Taj Mahal in splendour.
The Mughals conquered Coastal Odisha in 1576.[-] The last
Hindu Emperor of Odisha, Gajapati Mukunda Deva,
was defeated and was killed in the battle of Gohiratikiri. The
coastal plain of Odisha from Medinipur
to Rajahmundry
came under Mughal rule, which was broadly divided into six parts as Jaleswar Sarkar, Bhadrak Sarkar, Cuttack Sarkar, Chicacole
(Srikakulam)
Sarkar, Kalinga Dandapat and Rajamundry
Sarkar or Godavari Province. Odisha's Central, Northern, Western and Southern
hilly areas were ruled independently by Hindu kings. The Nizam of Hyderabad
occupied the area between Rajahmundry
to Srikakulam
in 16th century.Medinipur was attached to Muslim Bengal province in 18th century.The
remaining parts of Coastal Odisha, were subsequently ceded to the Marathas in 1751.
The British occupied the Northern Circars
comprising the southern coast of Odisha as a result of the Carnatic Wars in the
early 1760s and incorporated them into the Madras Presidency
gradually.[-] In 1803,
the British under the British
East India Company annexed the Maratha province of
Odisha after the Second
Anglo-Maratha War. The northern and western districts
of Odisha were incorporated into Bengal Presidency.
Following famine and floods in 1866, large scale irrigation
projects were undertaken in the last half of the 19th century. The coastal
section was separated from Bengal and made into the Province
of Bihar and Orissa in 1912, in response to local
agitation for a separate state for the Odia-speaking
people. In 1936, Bihar and Odisha were split into separate provinces. Thus after a
long period of struggle the Odia people got re-united after centuries of
political separation. On 1 April 1936, the new province of Odisha came into
existence on linguistic basis during the British rule in India with Sir Jhon
Austin Hubbak as the first Governor. A long cherished dream of Odia people and
their leaders like Madhusudan Das,
Maharaja Krushna Chnadra Gajapati, Pandit Nilakantha Das, Bhubanananda Das and
many other came true. The district of Ganjam was transferred from Madras Presidency to the new province
of Orissa on 1 April 1936. From that time onwards people of Odisha celebrate
the day 1 April as Utkal Divas or Orissa Day.
Following Indian independence, the area of Orissa was almost
doubled and the population was increased by a third by the addition of 24
former princely states. In 1950, Orissa became a constituent state in the Union of India.
Politics
The state is governed by a chief minister and cabinet
responsible to an elected unicameral legislature and by a governor appointed by
the president of India. Biju Janata Dal
(BJD) forms the current government with the Indian
National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the main opposition. Naveen Patnaik is the current
ruling Chief Minister of Odisha.
Economy
Macro-economic trend
This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product of
Odisha at market prices estimated
by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in
millions of Indian Rupees.
|
Year
|
Gross State Domestic Product
|
|
1985
|
37,080
|
|
1987
|
68,230
|
|
1990
|
109,040
|
|
1995
|
271,180
|
|
2000
|
387,280
|
|
2005
|
670,900
|
The state's debt is estimated at almost 59 per cent of its
GDP in 2005.
Industrial growth
Odisha has abundant natural resources and a large coastline.
It contains a fifth of India's coal, a quarter of its iron ore, a third
of its bauxite reserves
and most of the chromite. Rourkela Steel Plant[25]
was the first integrated steel plant in the Public Sector in India. It receives
unprecedented investments in steel, aluminium,
power, refineries and ports. India's topmost IT consulting firms, including Mahindra Satyam,
TCS (Tata
Consultancy Services), MindTree Consulting, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Infosys have large branches in Odisha. IBM, Syntel and Wipro are setting up development centers in Odisha. So far, two
of the S&P CNX 500 conglomerates have corporate offices in Odisha,
for example, National Aluminium (2005 gross income
.51,162 million) and Tata Sponge
Iron (2005 gross income
.2,044 million).
Odisha is notable as one of the first Indian states to have
tackled its structural problems during the post-1994 Indian economic reforms.
Odisha was the first state in India to begin to privatise its electricity
transmission and distribution businesses. Over the period between 1994 and 2000
Odisha's former state electricity board (SEB) was restructured to form Gridco.
This corporation was then divided into Transco and a collection of distribution
companies. Attempts were then made to sell the distribution companies to the
private sector. Like many other states, in 1996 Odisha was losing over 50% of the
electricity it was delivered. The scale and importance of these reforms is
notable and an important milestone in India's dramatic economic development.
Performance of Indian states in providing basic social services like
education, healthcare, etc., in 2001. Darker states have done better.
Recently the number of companies who have signed Memoranda
of Understanding (MoUs) to set up steel plants in the state has gone up to 50,
including POSCO of South
Korea which has agreed to construct a mammoth $12 billion steel plant near
Paradip port. It would be the largest single investment in India's history.
Arcelor-Mittal has also announced plans to invest in another mega steel project
amounting to $10 billion. Russian major Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Company
(MMK) plans to set up a 10 MT steel plant in Odisha too. The state is
attracting an unprecedented amount of investment in aluminum, coal-based power
plants, petrochemicals, and information technology as well. In power
generation, Reliance Power (Anil Ambani Group) is putting up the world's
largest[-] power
plant with an investment of US $13 billion at Hirma in Jharsuguda district. Vedanta Resources’ 1.4 million tonne alumina project in Kalahandi
district is the largest investment in aluminium. Vedanta has also announced a
$3.2 billion dollar huge private University project on the lines of the Ivy League
Universities, which is unprecedented in the history of education in India. Bandhabahal
is a major area which consists of Open Cast Coal Mines.
The Central Government has agreed to accord SEZ (Special
Economic Zone) status to eight sites in Odisha, among which are Infocity at
Bhubaneshwar and Paradip. But all these plans are facing massive resistance
from the people of the state who mainly depend on agriculture for livelihood.
Some vested interests are pushing ahead projects of Mittal, Tata, Vedanta, and
Birlas causing many human rights violations. In the year 2009 Odisha was second
top Domestic Investment destination with Gujarat first and Andhra Pradesh in
third place according to an analysis of ASSOCHAM
Investment Meter (AIM) Study on Corporate Investments. Odisha's share was 12.6
percent in total investment in the country. It received investment proposal worth
. 2,00,846 crore during the last
year. Steel and power were among the sectors which attracted maximum
investments in the state.[26]
Flood and cyclone are the major hurdles in Odisha's development as the
important districts are situated near to the Bay of Bengal.
Infrastructure development
Although Paradip is home
to Odisha's only large port, the coastal towns of Dhamra and Gopalpur are also
undergoing major port development. The government of India has selected the
coastal region of Odisha, stretching from Paradip in the
north to Gopalpur in the
south, to be developed into one of five or six Special Economic Regions (SERs)
of the country. The government of India and the state government of Odisha are
working together to erect world-class infrastructure in this region to match
that of Rotterdam, Houston, and Pudong. This is aimed at further private investment in
petrochemicals, steel, and manufacturing. A recent Morgan Stanley report
forecasts that Odisha would be flooded with massive investments for
manufacturing related activities in the same manner that Bangalore
had attracted software investment in the 1990s. The scale of the investments in
Odisha would, however, be much higher. As of July 2006, total planned
investment in the state is $90 billion. This includes investment in research,
education, hospitals, roads, ports, airports, and hotels. There are many
multi-state irrigation projects in development, including the Godavari
River Basin Irrigation Projects.
14 locations have been identified on Odisha coast to be developed as port.
These locations are Gopalpur (Ganjam district), Bahuda Muhan (Sonepur) in Ganjam
district, Palur (Ganjam), Bali Harchandi (Puri), Astaranga (Puri), Jatadhari
Muhan (Jagatsinghpur), Barunei Muhan (Kendrapara), Dhamra (Bhadrak), Chudamani
(Bhadrak), Inchuri (Balasore), Chandipur (Balasore), Bahabalpur (Balasore),
Subarnarekha mouth (Kirtania) in Balasore district and Talsara (Balasore).Most
of the locations among them already been developing as port in the public
private partnership (PPP).
Media
Odisha has a strong media field, one of the best known among
other states.The print newspapers like Samaja, Dharitri, Sambad, Samaya, Anupam
Bharat, Prajatantra updates daily the Odisha people with the news. Other major
dalies are Sambad Kalika, Amari Katha, Pragatibadi, Dinalipi, Odisha Bhaskar,
Khabara etc. Some prominent weekly and fortnighty news papers like Loka
Samachar, Sarkar, Bartta, Saburi Katha, Neta etc. are providing space for
people's aspirations and awareness in the state. Odisha has a strong team of
journalists and media group.
Newspapers and history of journalism
Odisha Berhampur University was first to start Journalism
teaching programme in 1974. Chintamoni Mahapatra, a journalist turned
journalism teacher was the person who ushered journalism education in Odisha.
Besides Berhampur University, till mid-1980s there were not many institutions
that provided journalism teaching in Odisha. Things began to change from late
1980s.
Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) opened a
campus in Dhenkanal in August 1993 and offered Post Graduate Diploma in English
Journalism with 40 seats. IIMC began to attract, train and provide a steady
stream of young professionals to the local papers that were on par with the
best in the country.
Presently there are more than 15 institutes in Odisha both
government and private offering various courses in journalism and mass
communication. Among them Sambad School Of Media and Culture is one. This
school is backed by Sambad media house. Nearly 300 students pass out from such
institutes every year in the State.
The field of Odia journalism does not encompass to the level
achieved by its neighbours. This is because of the reading behavior of the Odia
people and the lack of experiment in journalistic writing. Apart from these
lacunae, there is another problem which posed itself as the wall against the
development of Odia journalism. i.e. those who pursue journalism, lack interest
in the subject, usually deserting their opted profession. Majority of them
prefer to work in PR, HR sector. So, the day long practice of news presentation
style remained unchanged. Still now the stereotype concept is followed by many journalists.
In print media the style of samaj and prjatantra remained unchanged. In
electronic media, the news presentation style is more or less borrowed from
doordarsan and trained at ETV. In print media (esp. regional language) very few
journalists challenged the old style and experimented some thing new. Because,
lack of readership surveys and proper analysis the new styles borrowed form
English and Hindi media and successfully implemented here. But, among the new
generation writers and journalists who dared to change the old, Lambodar Prasad
Dash is one. His news stories on naxlaite activities and crime scene are
excellent. Simple to understand and can draw enthusiasm even in a first time
reader. He is an alumnus of Berhampur University journalism department. In his
13 years career as many as 200 articles published in different news papers,
Magazines. Presently he is serving as Bureau Chief of Aromv, A daily odiya news
papers owned by Chandra Mishra, Another noted journalist from Orissa.
Journalist Lambodar got several opportunities to reform his writing style when
he was working under some of the noted journalists like, Gopal krushna
Mahapatro, Sarat Mishra, Ranjit Guru, Gaourahari das, Prasant Pattanaik, Nabin
das, etc.
Transportation
Odisha is connected to India through roads, railways,
airports, and seaports. Bhubaneshwar
is well connected by air, rail and road with the rest of India. The Biju
Patnaik airport is being expanded to accommodate wide bodied aircraft. Few
highways are getting four lanned.
Regular airports
- Biju
Patnaik Airport
- Jharsuguda Airport under proposal by AAI
Air strips
1.
Barbil, Keonjhar by State Govt.
2.
Baripada (Rajabasa), Mayurbhanj by
Ex-Maharaja
3.
Birsal, Dhenkanal by State Govt.
5.
Jeypore, Koraput by State Govt.
6.
Jharsuguda, Jharsuguda by AAI
7.
Raisuan, Keonjhar by State Govt.
8.
Nuapada (Gotma), Nuapada by State
Govt.
9.
Padampur (Sativata), Bargarh by
State Govt.
10.
Phulbani (Gudari), Kandhamal by
State Govt.
11.
Rairangpur (Dandbose), Mayurbhanj by
State Govt.
12.
Rangeilunda (Gopalpur), Ganjam by
State Govt.
13.
Rourkela, Sundergarh by SAIL
14.
Therubali, Rayagada by IMFA
15.
Tusura, Bolangir by State Govt.
16.
Utkela, Kalahandi by State Govt.
17.
Amarda Road, Mayurbhanj by Defence
Seaports
- Port of Paradip
- Port of Dhamara[6]
- Port
of Gopalpur (Commenced Operation From January 2007 As Seasonal Port)
Districts of Odisha
1:Balasore 2:Bhadrakh 3:Anugul 4:Baragarh 5:Bauda 6:Cuttack
7:Deogarh 8:Dhenkanal 9:Gajapati 10:Ganjam 11:Jagatsinghapur 12:Jajapur
13:Jharsuguda 14:Kalahandi 15:Kandhamal 16:Kendrapara 17:Kendujhar 18:Khordha
19:koraput 20:Malkangiri 21:Mayurbhanj 22:Nabarangpur 23:Nayagarh 24:Nuapara
25:Puri 26:Rayagada 27:Sonepur 28:Sundergarh 29:Balangir 30:Sambalpur
Demographics
|
Religion in Odisha
|
||||
|
Religion
|
Percent
|
|||
|
|
94.6%
|
|||
|
|
2.4%
|
|||
|
|
2.1%
|
|||
|
Others
|
|
0.9%
|
||
According to the 2001 census of India, the total population
of Odisha is 36,706,920, of which 18,612,340 (50.89%) are male and 18,094,580
(49.11%) are female, or 972 females per 1000 males. This represents a 16.25%
increase over the population in 1991. The population density is 236 per km² and
85.01% of the people live in rural areas and 14.99% live in urban areas.
Oriya is the
official language of Odisha and spoken as a native language by about 73% of the
people. Other linguistic minorities in the state are Bengali, Hindi, Telugu, Santali. The
literacy rate is 63.61% with 75.95% of males and 50.97% of females being
literate. The proportion of people living below the poverty line in 1999–2000
was 47.15% which is nearly double the all India average of 26.10%. Scheduled
Castes and Tribes form 16.53% and 22.13% of the state population, constituting
38.66% of the State population. Some of the important tribes are Santhal, Bonda, Munda, Oraon, Kora and Mahali.
Data of 1996–2001 showed the life expectancy in the state
was 61.64 years, higher than the national value of years. The state has a birth
rate of 23.2%, a death rate of 9.1%, an infant mortality rate of 65 per 1000
live birth and a maternal mortality rate of 358 per 1,000,000 live births.
Odisha has a HDI of 0.579 in 2004.
The dominant ethnic groups are the Odia people.
Many other groups are defined as Scheduled Tribes.
Odias comprise 73% of Odisha's population while various tribal groups comprise
most of the rest.
Literature
The history of Odia Literature has been mapped by historians
and linguists along the following stages, Old Odia (900–1300 AD), Early
Middle Odia (1300–1500 AD), Middle Odia (1500–1700 AD), Late Middle
Odia (1700 AD – 1850 AD) and Modern Odia (from 1850 AD till the
present). But this rude categorization could not skillfully draw the real
picture on account of development and growth of Odia Literature. Here, we split
the total periods in different stages such as: Age of Charya Literature, Age of
Sarala Das, Age of Panchasakha, Age of Upendra Bhanja, Age of Radhanath, Age of
Satyabadi, Age of Marxism or Pragati yuga, Age of Romanticism or Sabuja Yuga,
Post Independent Age.
The beginnings of Odia poetry coincide with the development
of Charya Sahitya, the literature thus started by Mahayana Buddhist poets. This literature was written in a specific metaphor named "Sandhya
Bhasha" and the poets like Luipa, Kanhupa are from the territory of
Odisha. The language of Charya was considered as Prakrita.
The first great poet of Odisha is the famous Sarala-Das who
wrote the Mahabharata, not an exact translation from the Sanskrit original,
rather an imitation of the same. Among many of his poems and epics, he is best
remembered for his Mahabharata. Chandi Purana and the Vilanka Ramayana are also
two of his famous creations. Arjuna Das, a contemporary to Sarala Dasa, wrote Rama-Bibha,
a significant long poem in Odia.
Towards the 16th century, five poets emerged, though there
are hundreds year gap in between them. But they are known as Panchashakhas as
they believed to same school of thought, Utkaliya Vaishnavism. The poets are:
Balaram Das, Jagannath Das, Achyutananada Das, Ananta Das and Jasobanta Das.
The Panchasakhas are very much Vaishnavas by thought. In 1509 Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Odisha with his Vaishnava message of love. Before
him Jaydev had
prepared the ground by heralding the cult of Vaishnavism through his
Geetagovinda. Chaitanya’s path of devotion was known as Raganuga Bhakti Marga,
but the Panchasakhas differed from Chaitanyas and believed in Gyana Mishra
Bhakti Marga, which has similarities with the Buddhist philosophy of Charya
Literature stated above.
The Panchashakhas, however, are the direct disciples of Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu. Along with another seer Shri Arakhsita Das, they are called also as
sada-goswami (six Lords). These five saints primarily believed in Vaishnavism
and also additionally cultured and developed Gyana Mishra Bhakti Marga as
stated earlier (beliefs about the body, the mind, the soul, and the
Parambrahm). They have composed numerous manuscripts, mâlikas, devotional
poems, Sadhana descriptions, and other religious scriptures. Also, many
prophecies are described by these seers in there numerous literature. Most of
the literatures were written in hand on palm-leaves using the Devanagari or the
Oriya script.
The two prime works from the five writers are the Bhâgavata
by Jagannath Das and the Jagamohana Râmâyana by Balarâm Das. Till today
Jagannath Das’s Bhâgavata is the most valued book in Oriya literature. Besides
this great work he (Jagannath Das) also composed Artha Koili, Darubrahma Geetâ,
Shunya Bhâgabata, Dhruba Stuti etc. Balaram Das, apart from Jagamohana
Râmâyana, has also composed various works such as the Lakshmi Purâna,
Vendântasâra Guptagitâ, Nâma-mâhatmya, Bhâva samudra, Sisu Veda, Kamalalochana
Chautisâ, and Kânta Koili. Shri Ananta Das, also known as Shishu Ananta Das has
composed various devotional literatures, e.g., Chumbaka malikâ, Nilagiri
charita, Hetu Udaya Bhâgabata, Artha Târeni Prasnottara, Anâkâra Samhitâ, and
Bhaktimuktipradâyaka Geetâ. Similarly, Shri Jasovanta Das composed Shiba
Shirodaya, Premabhaktibrahma Geetâ, Âtmaparatey Geetâ, and Gobindachandra.
Acyutananda
was the most prolific writer of the Panchasakhas and has written numerous books
(called as pothi's), believed not in one life but in many successive lives. He
is known as the Mahapurusha, which means - a great man. A few works of him are:
Shunya Samhita, Chaurashi Yantra, Gurubhakti Geeta, Khila Haribamsa, Gupta
Bhagabata, Kaivarta Geeta, Kaala Nirghanta, Tera Janma Sharana, Brahma
Ekahshara Geeta, Gopala Ogâla, Bhava Samudra, Garuda Geeta, Brahma Shankuli,
Ananta Bata Geeta, Kali Kalkpa Geeta, Asta Gujjari, Gujjari Raasa, Brahma
Kundali, Mahagupta Padmakalpa, Chausathi Patala, Chayalisha Patala, Chabisa
Patala, Dasa Patala, Neetya Raasa, Manmatha Chandrika, Shiva Kalpa, Achyutananda
Janma Sharana, Chitta Bodha, Raasa Maala, and Panchasakhaa Bhajana. The Shunya
Samhita dealt with spiritual knowledge as well as physical sciences like solar
science, atomic and molecular concepts, and aerospace concepts. The term
Chauraashi Yantra describes '84 yantras' embedded within the human body, the
later itself is ~84 fingers in length and each Yantra is located for each
finger-length space. However, the most popular one seems to be an "Oracle
of Prophecies" named as Bhavishya Malika. Among prophecies also are Aagata
bhabishya lekhanaa and Bhavishya Paraardha. About the Identification of his
disciple and the primary devotees, he had composed the Jaiphula Malika. Also
his copper oracle (Tamrapothi) which appears to mysteriously read the mind and
provide suitable answers is still available today, operated by a priest in
Kakatpur.
Shri Arakhsita Das, the seer of Olasuni, had written the
Mahimandala Geeta, the Bhakti Tikaa, the Saptaanga Abadhuta Samhita, and the
Tatvasara Geeta.
At the end of age of Panchasakha, the prominent poets are
Dinakrushna Das, Upendra Bhanja and Abhimanyu Samanta Simhar. Verbal jugglery,
obscenity and eroticism as the characteristics of Shringara Kavyas, became the
trend of this period to which Upendra Bhanja took a leading role. His creations
were Baidehisha Bilasa, Koti Brahmanda Sundari, Lavanyabati were proved land
mark in Odia Literature. Upendra Bhanja was conferred with the title Kabi
Samrat of Odia literature for the aesthetic poetic sense and verbal jugglery
proficiency. Dinakrushna Das’s Rasokallola and Abhimanyu samanta Simhara’s
Bidagdha Chintamani are prominent kavyas of this time.
The first Odia printing typeset was cast in 1836 by the
Christian missionaries which made a great revolution in Odia literature.
Instead of palm leaf inscription, the books were being printed and the
periodicals and journals were published. The first Odia Magazine of 'Bodha
Dayini' was published from Balasore in 1861. The main object of this magazine
was to promote Odia literature and to draw attention to the lapses in
government policy. The first Odia paper, 'The Utkal Deepika' made its
appearance in 1866 under the editorship of late Gouri Sankar Ray with the help
of late Bichitrananda. The publication of these papers during the last part of
the 19th century encouraged the modern literature and acted as a media to
provide a wide readers range for the writers, The educated intellectuals came
in contact with the English Literature and got influenced. Radhanath Ray (1849–1908) is the prime figure, who tried to write his
poems with the influence of Western Literature. He wrote Chandrabhaga,
Nandikeshwari, Usha, Mahajatra, darbar and Chilika wee the long poems or
Kavyas. Fakir Mohan Senapati (1843–1918), the prime figure of modern Odia Fiction Prose
is the product of that generation. He was considered the Vyasakabi or founder poet of Odia language.
Fakir Mohan Senapati is well known for his novel Chha Maana Atha Guntha. It is
the first Indian novel to deal with the exploitations of landless peasants by
the feudal Lord. It was written much before the October revolution of Russia or
much before the emerging of Marxist ideas in India.
With rise of freedom movement, a literary though was emerged
with the influence of Gandhiji and idealistic trend of Nationalism formed as a
new trend in Odia Literature. Much respected personality of Odisha culture and
history, Utkalmani Gopabandhu Dash (1877–1928) has founded a school at avillage Satyabadi near
Sakshigopal of Odisha and an idealstic literary movement influenced the writers
of this age. Godabarisha Mohapatra, Kuntala-Kumari Sabat the other renowned
name of this age.
With the emergence of soviet Russia in 1935, a Communist
party was formed in Odisha and a periodical named "Adhunika" was
published by the party. Bhagawati Charan Panigrahi and Sachidananda Routray
were the founder members and writer/poets of the party. Bhagwati turned to
fiction writing and though Sachidananda Routray (who is better known as "Sachi
Routra" or Sachi Babu) has written some short stories is actually
remembered for his poems. Influenced by the romantic thoughts of Rabindranath
tagore, during the thirties when the progressive Marxian movements was in full
flow in Odia Literature, Kalindi Charan Panigrahi, the brother of Bhagabati
Charan Panigrahi, the founder of Marxian Trend in Odisha, formed a group circa
1920 called "Sabuja Samiti." Mayadhar Mansingh was a renowned poet of
that time though he was considered as a romantic poet, but he kept the distance
away from the influence of Rabindranath successfully.
As the successor of Sachi Babu, two poets Guruprasad Mohanty
(popularly known as Guru Prasad) (1924–2004) and Bhanuji Rao came with T.S.
Eliot and published their co-authored poetry book "Nutan Kabita".
Later, Ramakanta Rath modified the ideas. Sitakanta Mohapatra, Soubhagya Kumar
Mishra, Rajendra Kihore Panda, Brajanath Rath, Jayanta Mahapatra, Kamalakant
Lenka, J P Das, Brahmotri Mohanty, Mamata Dash, Amaresh Patnaik, Hrushikesh
Mallick, Sunil Kumar Prusty, Sucheta Mishra, Aparna Mohanty, Pritidhara Samal,
Basudev Sunani, Gajanan Mishra, Bharat Majhi are some poets of this
contemporary age. In the Post-Independence Era Odia fiction assumed a new
direction. The trend which Fakir Mohan has started actually developed more
after 50’s of last century. Gopinath Mohanty
(1914–1991), Surendra Mohanty
and Manoj Das
(1934– ) are considered as three jewels of this time. The other significant
fiction writers are Chandrasekhar Rath, Dr Jagannath Prasad Das, Shantanu
Acharya, Mohapatra Nilamani Sahoo, Rabi Patnaik, Debraj Lenka, Tarun Kanti
Mishra, Krushna Prasad Mishra, Akhil Mohan Patnaik, Jagadish Mohanty,
and Kanheilal Das. Satya Mishra, Ramchandra Behera, Padmaja Pal, Binapani
Mohanty, Prativa Ray, Yashodhara mishra and Sarojini Sahoo
are a few writers whose writings have created a new age in the field of
fiction. Jayanti Ratha, Susmita Bagchi. Paramita Satpathy, Hiranmayee Mishra,
Chirashree IndraSingh Supriya Panda, Gayatri Saraf, Mamata Chowdhry are few
fiction writerw in this period, In the field of drama, the traditional Odia
theatre is the folk opera, or Jatra, which flourishes in the rural areas of
Odisha. Modern theatre is no longer commercially viable. But in the 1960,
experimental theatre made a mark through the works of Manoranjan Das, who
pioneered the new theatre movement with his brand of experimentalism. Bijay
Mishra, Biswajit Das, Kartik Rath, Ramesh Chandra Panigrahi, Ratnakar Chaini,
Ranjit Patnaik continued the tradition.
As a whole, Odia literature is a strong wing of Indian
Literature to represent in world forum.
Literary magazines:
(monthly) Jhankar, Nabarabi, Apurba, Galpa, Kahani, Kadambini, Istahara,
Udbhasa, Amrutayana, Nabalipi, Pratibeshi, Paschima, Bijaya, Bartika, Chitra,
Bishwamukti, Ama Samaya, Sananda, Godhuli Lagna, Bigyan Diganta (Science), and
pourusha.
Further
information: Odia language, Sambalpuri Language, Indian literature, and List of
Oriya writers
Culture
The language spoken by the majority of the people is Odia. English
is widely used for official purpose and Oriya is used as regional language.
Oriya belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family,
and is closely related to Bengali and Assamese. A few
tribal languages belonging to the Dravidian and Munda language
families are spoken by the Adivasis (original inhabitants) of the state. The state has a very
opulent cultural heritage, one of the richest in India. The capital city of Bhubaneshwar
is known for the exquisite temples that dot its landscape. The famous classical
dance form, Odissi
originated in Odisha. Contemporary Odisha has a proud cultural heritage that
arose due to the intermingling of three great religious traditions – Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The
culture of the Adivasis is an integral part of modern Odia heritage.
Dance
Odissi or Orissi dance and music is classified as a classical music of
India.Odissi is the oldest surviving dance form in India on the basis of
archaeological evidence.[33][34]
Odissi has a long, unbroken tradition of 2,000 years,[-] and finds
mention in the Natyashastra of Bharatamuni,
possibly written circa 200 BC. However, the dance form nearly went extinct
during the British period, only to be revived after India's independence by a
few Gurus, such as Guru Deba Prasad Das, Guru Mayadhar Raut, Guru Pankaj Charan
Das, Guru Mahadev Rout, Guru Raghu Dutta, and Guru Kelu Charan Mahapatra.
Odissi classical dance is about the love of Krishna and his supposed consort
Radha, mostly drawn from compositions by the notable Odia poet Jayadeva, who
lived in the twelfth century AD.
Ghumura Dance
(or Ghumra Dance) is one of the most sought and leading folk dance form in
Odisha. It is classified as folk dance as the dress code of Ghumura resembles
more like a tribal dance, but recent researchers argue different mudra and
dance form present in Ghumura bear more resemblance with other classical dance
form of India. The timeline of Ghumura dance is not clear. Many researchers claim it was a War
dance in ancient India and used by Ravana in Ramayana. Ghumura dance is
depicted in Konark Sun Temple confirming this dance form is since the medieval period. In
the Madhya Parba of Sarala Mhabharata Ghumura has been mentioned
as: "Dhola Madala Gadi je Ghumura Bajai Ghumura je Ghumu Ghumu Hoi
Garajai" In Chandi Purana mentions: "Biratwara
Biradhola Daundi Ghumura Kadamardala Bajanti Mari Galatura" Ghumura
was also used as a Darbari dance in the princely state of Kalahandi and played
by the earstwhile Kalahandi state during war times. The typical mixed sound that comes out of the musical instruments like Ghumura,
Nishan, Dhol, Taal, Madal etc. and the expressions and movements of the artists
make this dance to be a Heroic Dance .
Since thousands of years Ghumura dance has evolved from a war dance to a dance
form for cultural and social activities. The dance is associated with social
entertainment, relaxation, love, devotion and friendly brotherhood among all
class, creed and religion in the present days. Traditionally this dance is also
associated with Nuakhai and Dasahara celebration in Kalahandi and large parts
of South Western Orissa. Ghumura dance is still hidden in the village level in
South Western Odisha and some parts of bordering Andhra Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh. Kalahandi region has taken a leading rule in popularizing and
retaining its unique identity of Ghumura dance. Kalahandi
is mainly known as land of Ghumura. Ghumura dance has got the opportunity to represent the nation in various
international events Delhi, Moscow, Kolkata, and various other cities in India.
Ghumura dance is also one of the most researched folk dance forms in Odisha.
Kau dance (or Chau
dance) is a form of tribal martial dance attributed to origins in Mayurbhanj
princly state of Odisha and seen in the Indian states of West Bengal,
Jharkhand
and Odisha. There are three subtypes of the dance, based on the original places
where the subtypes were developed. Seraikella Chau was developed in Seraikella,
the administrative head of the Seraikela Kharsawan district of Jharkhand,
Purulia Chau in Purulia district of West Bengal and Mayurbhanj Chau in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.
Mahari Dance is one of
the important dance forms of Odisha and originated in the temples of Odisha.
History of Odisha provides evidence of the 'Devadasi' cult in Odisha. Devadasis
were dancing girls who were dedicated to the temples of Odisha. The Devadasis
in Odisha were known as 'Maharis' and the dance performed by them came to be
known as Mahari Dance.
It was during the reign of Chodagangadeva, Maharis were
employed in the temples of Puri. After Chodagangadeva's death, Ananabhimadeva
built Natyamandapa in the Jagannath temple for the dance performances inside
the temple. Moreover, in those days, the Mahari dancers belonged to different
categories namely, the 'Nachunis' (dancers), the Bahara Gauni, the Bhitara
Gauni and the Gaudasanis.
The Mahari Dancers of Odisha are supposed to follow certain
restrictions, such as:
- They
cannot enjoy.
- They
should dance on the ceremonies connected to Jagannath.
- They
should adhere to the specifications made by the Sastras.
- They
must always wear clean cloths.
- The
dancer cannot be physically handicapped.
- At
the time of the performances, the dancers are not supposed to look at the
audience.
- The
Maharis are married to the Lord at the age of nine.
- Before
their performances, the Mahari dancers pay their obeisance to the Lord.
In Odisha, one can also come across another type of Mahari
dancers, who are known as 'Samarpada Niyoga'. The duty of the 'Samarpada
Niyoga' is to dance during the ceremonial procession of the deities. These
dancers perform during the Ratha Yatra, Jhulana Yatra, Dola Yatra, etc.
The Western Odisha
has also great variety of dance forms unique to Odisha culture. The children's
verses are known as "Chhiollai", "Humobauli" and
"Dauligit", the adolescent poems are "Sajani",
"Chhata", "Daika", "Bhekani" : the eternal
youth composes "Rasarkeli", "Jaiphul", "Maila
Jada", "Bayamana", "Gunchikuta" and
"Dalkhai", The work-man's poetry comprises "Karma" and
"Jhumer" pertaining to Vishwakarma and the "Karamashani"
deities. The professional entertainers perform Dand, Danggada, Mudgada, Ghumra,
Sadhana, sabar – Sabaren, Disdigo, Nachina – Bajnia, Samparda and Sanchar. They
are for all occasions, for all time with varieties of rhythm and rhyme.
Pala is a unique form of balladry in Odisha, which
artistically combines elements of theatre, classical Odissi music, highly
refined Odia and Sanskrit poetry, wit, and humour. The literal meaning of pala
is turn. It is more sophisticated than the other Odia ballad tradition,
Daskathia. Pala is presented in three ways. The names can be mentioned as
baithaki or `seated`, in which the performers sit on the ground throughout. The
other one is thia or `standing`. This is more popular and aesthetically more
satisfying, in which they stand. Badi is a kind of thia in which two groups vie
for excellence. This is the most entertaining, as there is an element of
competition.
Gotipua dance is another form of dance in Odisha. In Odia
colloquial language Gotipua means single boy. The dance performance done by a
single boy is known as Gotipua dance, When decadence and declination came in to
Devadasi or mahari tradition due to various reasons this Gotipua dance
tradition evolved as sequel as these performance were practiced to please the
gods. It is totally unknown that when exactly this danced form came in to
practice. Still some historians say that this dance tradition appears to have
originated during the region of Prataprudradev (1497 AD to 1540 AD)
and gained popularity in the subsequent Muslim Rule. Ray Remananda the famous
Vaishnavite Minister of King Pratapruda and ardent follower of Sri Chitanya is
the originator of this boy dancing tradition, As Vasishnavs were not approving
of the females in to dance practices so it possible that the dance tradition
must have come after Sri Chaitanya came to Odisha. The Gotipua Dance Tradition
is now seen in the village Raghurajpur
situated 10 km away from Puri town, situated on the banks of river
Bhargabi. It is otherwise known as the Crafts Village as various Odia
handicrafts’ craftsmen reside in this village contributing their expertise in
Patta Painting and other handukrafts.
Prince Dance Group,a dance group based in Berhampur, Odisha, India led by
Krishna Mohan Reddy. It has won a reality show India's Got Talent on an Indian TV channel "Colors" [1]The group is
unique that the members are from a remote part of India and most of them are
from disadvantaged sections of different parts of Ganjam district. Two of them,
Padmanabha Sahu (24) and Telu Tarini (13) are physically challenged[2]. They
have won the hearts of all Odias, including chief minister Naveen Patnaik, and
even outsiders with their performance in the programme "India's Got
Talent". The group, comprising 26 artistes held the audience and the
judges engrossed with their act from the mythological Mahabharata and Vande
Maataram.
Music
Sixteenth century witnessed the compilation of literature on
music. The four important treatises written during that time are Sangitamava Chandrika,
Natya Manorama,
Sangita Kalalata
and Gita Prakasha.
Odissi music is a combination of four distinctive kinds of music, namely, Chitrapada, Dhruvapada, Panchal and Chitrakala. When
music uses artwork, it is known as Chitikala. A unique feature of Odia music is
the Padi, which consists of singing of words in fast beat.
Being a part of the rich culture of Odisha, its music is
also as much charming and colorful. Odissi music is more than two thousand five
hundred years old and comprises a number of categories. Of these, the five
broad ones are Tribal Music, Folk Music,
Light Music, Light-Classical Music and Classical Music. Anyone who is trying to
understand the culture of Odisha must take into account its music, which
essentially forms a part of its legacy. In the ancient times, there were poets
who wrote the lyrics of poems and songs that were sung to rouse the religious
feelings of people. It was by the eleventh century that the music of Odisha, in
the form of Triswari, Chatuhswari, and Panchaswari,
underwent transformation and was converted into the classical style.
Folk music like yogi gita, kendara gita,dhuduki
badya,prahallad natak,palla, sankirtan, mogal tamasa, gitinatya, kandhei nacha,
kela nacha,ghoda nacha, danda nacha and daskathia are popular in Odisha.
Almost every tribal group has their own distinct song and
dance style.
Structural art
Sambalpuri Baandha Saree
Other cultural attractions include the Jagannatha Temple in Puri, known for its annual Rath Yatra or Car Festival, the
unique and beautiful applique artwork of Pipili, silver filigree ornamental
works from Cuttack, the Patta
chitras (palm leaf paintings), famous stone utensils of Nilgiri
(Balasore) and various tribal influenced cultures. The Sun temple at Konark is
famous for its architectural splendour and erotic sculpture,
while the 'Sambalpuri textiles' equals it in its artistic grandeur.The saree of
Odisha is much in demand throughout the entire world. The different colors and
varieties of sarees in Odisha make them very popular among the women of the
state. The handloom sarees available in Odisha can be of four major types;
these are Ikat, Bandha, Bomkai and Pasapalli. Odisha sarees are also available
in other colors like cream, maroon, and brown and rust. The tie-and-dye
technique used by the weavers of Odisha to create motifs on these sarees is
unique to this region. This technique also gives the sarees of Odisha an
identity of their own.
Sand art
A unique type of art form was developed at Puri[-], but it
has spread all over the world. To carve a sand sculpture,
the raw material is clean and fine-grained sand mixed with water. With the help
of this type of sand and by the magic of fingers, an artist can carve a
beautiful and attractive sculpture on the beach.
Sudarshana Pattanaik is one of
the major world-class artists in this sculpture.
Although not historically proved, there is a story in the
Odia myths regarding the origin of sand sculpture: "Poet Balaram Das, the
author of Dandi Ramayan
was a great devotee of Jagannath. Once during Ratha Yatra (Car Festival), he
tried to climb the chariot of Jagannath to offer his prayer. He wasn't allowed
by the priests of the chariot to climb it and was also insulted by them. With
great frustration and humiliation he came to the beach (Mahodadhi) and carved
statues of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra on the golden sand.
Religion
Gita Govinda manuscript
The majority of people in the state of Odisha are Hindu and
there is a also rich cultural heritage in the state. For example, Odisha is
home to several Hindu figures. Sant Bhima Bhoi
was a leader of the Mahima sect movement.
Sarala Dasa,
an adivasi, was the
translator of the epic Mahabharata in Odia. Chaitanya Dasa was a Buddhistic-Vaishnava
and writer of the Nirguna Mahatmya. Jayadeva was the
author of the Gita Govinda.
The Orissa Temple Authorisation Act of 1948 empowered
the Government of Odisha to have Hindu temples open for all Hindus including
the Harijans.
Perhaps the oldest scripture of Odisha is the Madala
Panji from the Puri Temple believed from 1042 AD. Famous Hindu Odian
scripture includes the 16th century Bhagabata of Jagannatha Dasa. In the modern times Madhusudan Rao was a major Odia writer, who was a Brahmo Samajist
and shaped modern Odia literature at the turn of the 20th century.
Cinema
The Odia film production in the initial years was very slow.
After first Odia film Sita Bibaha in 1936, only two films were produced till 1951. A joint
consortium of landlords and businessmen who collected funds after 1948 produced
those two movies. The first film 'Sita Bibaha' was directed by Mohan Sunder Dev
Goswami and was released in Laxmi Theatre, Puri. The 1951 production Roles to Eight
was the first Odia film having an English name. It was released after 15 years
of the first Odia film Sita Bibaha. It was the fourth Odia film produced by Ratikanta Padhi.The
eleventh Odia film Sri Lokenath was the first Odia film, which got National Award in 1960
directed by Prafulla Sengupta.
The same year, Prasant Nanda
won a National Award as best actor for the film Nua
Bou with his debut film. The name of
Prasantha Nanda would always come while dealing with Odia Film Industry. He was
present in Odia films since 1939, but he became active only after 1976. Nanda
served Odia Film Industry as an actor, director, screenplay writer, and
lyricist and even as a playback singer. Such a versatile genius is quite rare
in Indian cinema history. Nanda alone carried Odia films into the national
honor list by winning National Awards three times in 1960, 1966 and 1969 for
his acting in Nua
Bou, Matira Manisha
and Adina Megha. Uttam Mohanty, whose debut film Abhiman won accolades all over, is now the veteran actor of the
Odia Film Industry. His wife Aparajita Mohanty
is also a renowned actress. Sarat Chandra Pujari was one of the most popular actors
of the 60S era. His popular films are Nua Bou, Jeevan Sathi, Sadhana, Manika
Jodi, Naba Janma, Matira Manisa, Arundhati, Ghara Sansara, Bhookha etc. His
films portrayed the general condition of the state of Odisha with a strong
social message. Mr Sarat Chandra Pujari is a prominent figure till now. Apart
from being an actor he was also a successful director and an academician. He
still continues to act in a few selected films. Currently he is enjoying his
retired life and writes columns in the newspapers as his hobby.Raju Mishra is
another rising star in Odia film industry. He is an international award wining
photographer, director, choreographer and lyricist of Odia film industry. Other
well known actors are Bijaya Mohanty, Uttam Mohanty, Sidhharth, Sriram Panda,
Maheswata, Tandra Ray and others.
Cuisine
Oriya cuisine
Odisha has culinary tradition spanning centuries if not millennia. The kitchen
of the famous Jagannath temple in Puri is reputed to be the largest in the world, with a thousand
chefs, working around 752 wood-burning clay hearths called chulas, to feed over
10,000 people each day.[-]
Salepur Rasogolla is famous and it is mainly prepared by Kar
and Brothers (Bikalananda Kar) of salepur. Its
branches are also present in cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Pahala, located on the
Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar road, is famous for its variety of Rasgullas.
The well-known rice pudding, kheeri (kheer) that is relished all over India, also originated in
Puri two thousand years ago. Chhenapoda
is also a major Odisha sweet cuisine originated in Nayagarh, it is
made by caramelizing cottage cheese with sugar, cardamom and other ingredients
and then burning it over a chula (wood-burning clay hearths). Chenna Jheeli and
malpua are other famous sweet deserts. One of the most famous delicacies of
Odisha is Kakara Peetha (made of sooji or finely grained wheat) especially with
coconut filling sauteed with pepper, cardamom, sugar and ghee and sometimes
cottage cheese (chena). Its one of the major delicacy during the festival
occasions.
Pakhala, a dish
made of rice, water, and yoghurt, that is fermented overnight, is very popular
in summer, particularly in the rural areas. Odias are very fond of sweets and
no Odia repast is considered complete without some dessert at the end. A
typical meal in Odisha consists of a main course and dessert. Typically breads
are served as the main course for breakfast, whereas rice is eaten with lentils
(dals) during lunch and dinner. The main course also includes one or more
curries, vegetables and pickles. Given the fondness for sweet foods, the
dessert course may include generous portions of more than a single item. Odia
desserts are made from a variety of ingredients, with milk, chhenna (a form of
ricotta cheese), coconut, rice, and wheat flour being the most common.
Also one of the most famous veg dishes are Dalma (made of
lentils and vegetables boiled together and then fried with other spices) and
Santula. Even the former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam introduced these
into the Rashtrapati Bhavan Menu. Ghanta and Posta curries are also some of the signature dishes.
Odisha food habit is pretty balanced between the non-veg and
veg habits. Due to its vast shoreline and number of rivers flowing across, fish
is a very important part of the diet. Odisha also expertises in sea food
cuisines like Prawn and Crab. The famous Chilika Lake is particularly famous
for offering best sea food cuisines that are one of a lifetime experience.[-]
Odisha's food habit is actually the horizon between the
South Indian food habit and the North Indian Food habits. One can easily find
Dosas, Vadas and idlis being served as breakfast and snacks which are typically
south Indian food and also can find Poori- Chole, Samosa's(locally called
Singada), and other north Indian delicacies in the menu. One of the best combinations
of both the North and South of India is Dahibara-Aludum-Gugguni especially in
the city of Cuttack. Dahibara (vadaa Dipped and soaked in curd), aludum (a
spicy curry made from potato) and Guuguni (chickpea Curry) really go well
together and is one of the best fusion of the Indian Subcontinent recipes.
Education
The ruins of a major ancient university and center of
Buddhist learning, Ratnagiri, were recently discovered in the Jajpur district
of Odisha. Scholars from far away lands, such as Greece [-], Persia
and China used to study philosophy, astronomy, mathematics and science at this
famed University. Taxila, Nalanda and Ratnagiri are amongst the oldest
universities in the world. The ruins of Ratnagiri University have not been
fully excavated yet.
The modern higher education system in Odisha is the legacy
of the British Raj. There are eleven recognised universities or deemed
universities viz. Ravenshaw University at Cuttack, Veer
Surendra Sai University of Technology,
Burla, Sambalpur
(formerly University
College of Engineering, Burla),
Utkal University (at Bhubaneshwar), Sambalpur University at Sambalpur, Berhampur University at Berhampur, North Odisha University
at Baripada, Fakir Mohan University at Balasore, Odisha University of
Agricultural Technology (OUAT) at Bhubaneshwar, Utkal University of Culture at
Bhubaneshwar, Biju Patnaik University of Technology at Rourkela, , Sri
Jagannatha Sanskrit University and Sadashiva Kendriya Vidyapeetha Deemed
(Sanskrit) University both at Puri and KIIT University
in Bhubaneshwar. Many of these universities have numerous constituent colleges
some of which are autonomous such as BJB College at Bhubaneshwar, SCS College
at Puri, N.C. College at Jajpur, G.M. College at Sambalpur,
Khalikote College at Berhampur, F.M. College at Balasore among others.
Entry to various institutes of higher education especially
into engineering degrees is through a centralised Joint
Entrance Examination, conducted by the Veer Surendra Sai University of
Technology where seats are provided according
to order of merit.
Berhampur University is located in the center of Odisha in
the city Berhampur way to Gopalpur.
One of the prestigious institutions of India, NIT Rourkela,
National Institute of Technology was upgraded from Regional Engineering College
and is an Institute of National Importance. Another premier college of Odisha
is the Veer
Surendra Sai University of Technology,
Burla, which is the first engineering college in Odisha and is famous for its
excellent infrastructure and state-of-art teaching methodology.
Odisha is also home to one of the two Indian Institute of
Mass Communication IIMC situated in Dhenkanal.
This is a premier institute for mass communication and journalism.
The Xavier
Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
(XIMB) is a
premier business school of national and international significance [-] located
in the state capital. The National Institute of Science Education and Research,
Bhubaneswar (NISER) is another premier
educational cum research institution [-] that is
being set up. It will be built along the lines of the reputed IISc, Bangalore. The government of Odisha has provided
935 acres (3.78 km2) of land at Arugul near Jatni Railway
Station for IIT Bhubaneshwar. Classes have already started from 2008 batch.IIT BBSR The plan of setting up of an AIIMS is also in advanced
stages. Meanwhile Vedanta University Project, a not-for-profit initiative by the Anil Agarwal Foundation,
is an epoch-making dream to have a world class centre for learning and research
on the picturesque Puri-Konark marine drive in Odisha. It will have about
100,000 students with an international mix of students pursuing around 95
diverse streams of learning in a sprawling campus of around
56,000,000 sq ft (5,200,000 m2) built up area supported by
state of the art, IT and Communications systems. Even more recently, Reliance
industries has expressed its intention of establishing a new Dhirubhai Ambani
Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DA-IICT), as well
as a health city for medical education and research in Bhubaneshwar. Some of
the research institutes of Odisha includes Institute of Physics at
Bhubaneshwar, Institute of Life Sciences at Bhubaneshwar, Central Rice Research
Institute at Cuttack, Central Institute of Fresh water Aquaculture (CIFA)at
Bhubaneshwar, Regional Medical Research centre at Bhubaneshwar, Institute of
Minerals and Material Technology at Bhubaneshwar and Regional Plant Resource
Centre at Bhubaneshwar. As of now, Odisha receives the lowest per capita
investment of all 28 states from the central government towards human resource
development.
Odisha also boasts of many renowned medical Colleges such as
SCB Medical College, Cuttack, Veer
Surendra Sai Medical College,
Burla and MKCG
Medical College, Berhampur. These colleges have been able to produce excellent
doctors who have gone on to head various top posts in the Union Medical
Departments. Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneshwar and Hi-tech
Medical College, Bhubaneshwar are some of the private world-class medical
colleges and hospitals serving the state of Odisha. Many students from the
neighboring state of Jharkhand, Bihar and Chattisgarh come to Odisha for better
education and expertise. Various International and National Universities have
signed MoUs with top colleges for various seminars and workshop to be conducted
within the campuses. The elite IIT have started its classes in Bhubaneshwar and
for which the plans have already been laid out and is already taking shape.
(For further details check http://www.iitbbs.ac.in)
Tourism
The landscape of Odisha is dotted with a large number of
temples. The temples of Odisha conform to the Indo Aryan Nagara style of
architecture, with distinctive features specific to this region. The best known
of these are the Lingaraja temple at Bhubaneshwar, Jagannath Temple at Puri and
the Sun Temple at Konark. The temples of Odisha exhibit a majestic grandeur. An
Odia temple (deula) usually consists of a sanctum, one or several front porches
(jagamohana) usually with pyramidal roofs, a dancing hall (nata mandir) and a
hall of offerings (bhog mandir).
'The Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneshwar boasts of a
150-foot (46 m) high deul while the Jagannath Temple at Puri is about
200 feet (61 m) high and it dominates the skyline of the town. Only a
portion of the Sun Temple at Konark, the largest of the temples of the Golden triangle exists
today, and it is still staggering in size. It stands out as a masterpiece in
Odisha architecture. Odisha is also well known as a Buddhist and Jain
pilgrimage destination. North-east of Cuttack, about
10 km from Bhubaneshwar, there are Buddhist relics and ruins at the three
hilltop complexes of Udayagiri
and Khandagiri Caves, which still bear witness to
Buddhism's fruitful tryst with this region until well into the 13th century.
Odisha's varying topography – from the wooded Eastern Ghats
to the fertile river basin – has proven ideal for evolution of compact and
unique ecosystems. Thereby creating such treasure troves of flora and fauna
that even seem inviting to many migratory species of birds and reptiles. Bhitar
Kanika National Park is famous for its second largest mangrove ecosystem. The
bird sanctuary in Chilika (Asia's biggest brackish water lake) and the tiger
reserve and waterfalls in Simlipal National Park are integral part of any eco
tours in Odisha, arranged by Tourism of Odisha.
The Gharial Sanctuary at Tikarpada and the Olive Ridley
Sea Turtles in Gahirmatha turtle sanctuary also feature on the list of avid
nature watchers. The city wildlife sanctuaries of Chandaka and Nandan Kanan are
a must visit for the lessons they teach is conservation and revitalization of
species from the brink of extinction.
Odisha is blessed with around 500 km long coastline and
has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Chilika, Asia's
largest brackish water lake, not only provides a haven for millions of birds,
but is also one of the few places in India where one can view dolphins. The
lush green forest cover of Odisha plays host to a wide variety of flora and
fauna, including the famed Royal Bengal Tiger. Amidst the picturesque hills and
valleys nestle a number of breathtaking waterfalls and rivulets that attract
visitors from all over. Odisha beaches include Puri, Gopalpur-on-Sea,
Chandipur,
Ramachandi Beach, Balighai Beach, Astarang Beach, and Paradeep Beach. The
famous Shiva Temple is near Dhenkanal.
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