INSIDE a dimly-lit hut, Gadadhar Rana vigorously spins his manual potter’s wheel amidst stacks of hay. With his hands soaked in wet clay, he deftly shapes a large lamp that he immediately removes from the wheel using a thread and keeps aside. In about 30 minutes, he creates 15 such…
In the age of modernity, puja committees elsewhere in the country are experimenting with the look and theme of Maa Durga, but those in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar have their trust ingrained in the time-honoured traditions. One such tradition lies with the divine face of the Goddess, which has remained unchanged…
Considered a great centre of Shaivism, Bhubaneswar is also home to several Shakti shrines. In fact, the earliest form of Shakti worship in Odisha in the form of Stambhesvari is there at Bhubaneswar’s Bhuasuni temple. According to ancient scriptures, it was during the Bhauma period that Shaktism first made its…
HIS century-old house at Khurda town is a link between the past and the present as far as freedom struggle in Odisha is concerned. The precariously placed artefacts in the house are windows to 200 years of history when Paikas from Khurda fought the ‘First War of Independence’. Gopal Krushna…
Odisha’s rich tradition of handicrafts add colour to the landscape that is dotted with beaches on one side and forests on the other. Often centered on Hinduism and Islamic lore, these craft traditions have been an integral part of the State’s heritage offering an insight into its culture and geography.…
The City of Temples or ‘Mandira Malini’, Bhubaneswar was once home to at least 2000 temples. Of them, only 700 exist today. Although a majority of them are dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Capital City also houses heritage structures related to Buddhism and Jainism. Each of these structures are characterised…