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…
Tribals are an important part of Rath Yatra in districts like Kalahandi, Keonjhar and Koraput while, different traditions mark the festivities at Balasore and Sambalpur RATH Yatra has many shades in Odisha. Although the celebration at Puri is famous worldwide, the nine-day festival elsewhere in the State is an equally…
Adi Dhun is Odisha’s first folk band that aims to revive and promote the dying traditional music culture of Western Odisha ANCIENT and connected with nature, the folk music tradition of Western Odisha is unique in more ways than one. Gifted folk musicians from across the region, many of who…
Travellers visit Cuttack for two reasons – its silver filigree and the famed Durga Puja. In the Millennium City, the spirit of Durga Puja thrives in pandals where the essence of celebration is not just about the camaraderie but also the festive flavours. Each of the 160 pandals dish out…
From a folk tradition that took roots during the Moghul rule in Odisha, Ganjapa cards have been reduced to a mere collective item for art lovers today. In fact, apart from Pattachitra, these hand painted circular cards are a souvenir item that tourists collect from artists’ village of Raghurajpur and Dandasahi…
At the backyard of his house in Jirala village, Pradeepta Nayak carefully selects delicate rice straw strands, separating the dark brown coloured ones from those having a golden hue. In a small room few metres away, a group of women are creating a massive painting of Lord Krishna playing flute…
From the winding road atop a hill, the golden spires of Padmasambhava Mahavihara monastery shine in the sun amidst thick green canopy on a rain-washed morning. As I drive down a neatly laid narrow road to Jirang, a quaint village in the Southern Odisha district of Gajapati, the scenery changes…
It may be made of brass, but this fish can still flap a fin and touch its tail. The craft of making the flexible brass fish occupies a significant place in Odisha’s rich handicraft tradition. In the lanes of Belaguntha village in Ganjam district of Odisha, three craftsmen from the…
Raghurajpur, the first heritage village of Odisha situated on the banks of river Bhargabi, is known worldwide for its Pattachitra. Bylanes of this quaint little village, where every house is a canvas, are also home to another beautiful art form—Gotipua. At the far end of the village, stand two organisations…