The Odia (), formerly spelled Oriya, is an
Indo-Aryan ethnic group native to the Indian state of
Odisha who speak
Odia language. They constitute a majority in the eastern coastal state, with significant minority populations in neighboring
Andhra Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...
,
Jharkhand and
West Bengal.
Etymology
The earliest Odias were called
Odra Odra may refer to:
Rivers
* Odra (Poland), also known as Oder, a river in Czech Republic, Poland and Germany
* Odra (Kupa), a river in Croatia
* Odra (Spain), a river in Spain
Populated places
* Odra, Silesian Voivodeship, a village in southern ...
or
Kalinga, which later on became
Utkal
Utkala Kingdom was located in the northern and eastern portion of the modern-day Indian state of Odisha.This kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata, with the names ''Utkala'', ''Utpala'', and ''Okkal''. It is mentioned in India's national ...
. The word Odia has mentions in
epics like the ''
Mahabharata''. The Odras are mentioned as one of the peoples that fought in the ''Mahabharata''.
Pali literature calls them Oddakas.
Ptolemy and
Pliny the Elder also refer to the Oretas who inhabit India's eastern coast. The modern term Odia dates from the 15th century when it was used by the medieval Muslim chroniclers and adopted by the
Gajapati kings of Odisha.
History
Ancient period
The Odias are distinguished by their
ethnocultural customs as well as the use of the Odia language. Odisha's relative isolation and the lack of any discernible outside influence has contributed towards preserving a social and religious structure that has disappeared from most of North India.
The inhabitants of Odisha were known as
Odras,
Utkal
Utkala Kingdom was located in the northern and eastern portion of the modern-day Indian state of Odisha.This kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata, with the names ''Utkala'', ''Utpala'', and ''Okkal''. It is mentioned in India's national ...
and
Kalinga in
Mahabharata. During 3rd century BCE coastal Odisha was known as Kalinga. According to Mahabharata Kalinga extended from the mouth of
Ganga
The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
in north to the mouth of
Godavari in south.
During 4th Century,
Mahapadma Nanda conquered Kalinga.
During rule of
Ashoka, Kalinga was annexed as part of
Maurya Empire
The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...
. During 2nd century BCE,
Kharavela emerged as powerful ruler. He defeated several kings in North and South India. During this period Utkala was centre of
Buddhism and
Jainism.
During reign of
Gupta Empire,
Samudra Gupta
Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', (c. 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India, and is regarded among the greatest rulers of the dynasty. As a son of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta I and the L ...
conquered Odisha.
Medieval period
Shailodbhava dynasty ruled the region from 6th century to 8th century. They built
Parashurameshvara Temple in 7th century which is oldest known temple in Bhubaneswar.
Bhauma-Kara dynasty
The Bhauma dynasty, also known as Kara dynasty, ruled in eastern India between 8th and 10th centuries. Their kingdom, called Toshala (IAST: Toṣala), included parts of present-day Odisha.
By the last quarter of the 8th century, the Bhauma-Karas ...
ruled Odisha from 8th to 10th century. They built several Buddhist Monasteries and temple including of
Lalitgiri
Lalitagiri () (also known as Nalitagiri) is a major Buddhist complex in the Indian state of Odisha. The complex is home to stupas, 'esoteric' Buddha images, and monasteries ( viharas), which is the oldest site in the region. Significant finds at ...
,
Udayagiri and
Baitala Deula
Baitāḷa deuḷa or Vaitāḷa deuḷa () is an 8th-century Hindu temple of the typical Khakara style of the Kalinga architecture dedicated to Goddess Chamunda located in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, India. It is also locally kno ...
.
Keshari dynasty
The Somavamshi (IAST: Somavaṃśī, "Lunar dynasty") or Keshari (IAST: Keśarī) dynasty ruled parts of present-day Odisha in eastern India between the 9th and the 12th centuries. Their capitals included Yayatinagara (modern Binka) and Abhinav ...
ruled from 9th to 12th century. They constructed
Lingaraj Temple,
Mukteshvara Temple and
Rajarani Temple
Rajarani Temple is an 11th-century Hindu temple located in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha (Orissa previously), India.
Overview
The temple is believed to have been known originally as Indreswara. It is locally known as a "love temple" ...
in Bhubaneswar. They introduced a new style of architecture in Odisha and their rule saw a shift from
Buddhism to
Brahmanism. Then
Eastern Ganga dynasty ruled Odisha from 11th to 15th century AD. They constructed famous
Konark temple.
Gajapati Empire ruled the region in 15th century. The Empire was extended from Ganga river in the north to Kaveri river in the south during reign of
Kapilendra Deva.
Modern period
Odisha remained an independent regional power till the early 16th century A.D. It was conquered by the
Mughals under
Akbar
Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...
in 1568 and was thereafter subject to a succession of Mughal and
Maratha rule before coming under
British control in 1803.
In 1817, a combination of high taxes, administrative malpractice by the ''
zamindars'' and dissatisfaction with the new land laws led to a
revolt against Company rule breaking out, which many Odia participated in. The rebels were led by general
Jagabandhu Bidyadhara Mohapatra Bhramarbara Raya.
Another series of rebellions and uprisings led by numerous Odias such as Tapang rebellion (1827), Banapur rebellion (1835), Sambalpur uprising (1827–62), Ghumsur Kondh uprising (1835), Kondh Rebellion (1846–55), Bhuyan uprising (1864), Ranapur Praja Revolt (1937–38), etc. followed in Odisha, making it a difficult task for the British to maintain absolute authority over Odisha.
During the period of Maratha control, major Odia regions were transferred to the rulers of Bengal that resulted in successive decline of the language over the course of time in vast regions that stretched until today's
Midnapore
Medinipur or Midnapore (Pron: med̪iːniːpur) is a city known for its history in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the West Medinipur district. It is situated on the banks of the Kangsabati River (variously known as '' ...
district of West Bengal
better source needed
Better may refer to:
* "to better" as a verb, meaning to undergo betterment
* better, an alternate spelling of bettor, someone who bets (gambles)
Music Albums
* ''Better'' (Chrisette Michele album), 2013
* ''Better'' (Brian McKnight album ...
. The British colonial administration subsequently transferred Odia areas to the neighbouring non-Odia administrative divisions that also contributed to the decline of Odia language in the formerly core regions of Odisha, or Kalinga, due to linguistic and
cultural assimilation. Following popular movements and rise of consciousness for Odia identity, a major part of the new Odisha state was first carved out from the
Bengal Presidency in 1912.
Finally Odisha became a separate province and the first officially recognized language-based state of India in 1936 after the amalgamation of the Odia regions from
Bihar Orissa Province,
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...
and
Chhattisgarh Division was successfully executed. 26 Odia
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
s including
Sadheikala-Kharasuan in today's Jharkhand also signed for merger with the newly formed Odisha state, while many major Odia-speaking areas were left out due to political incompetence.
Geographic distribution
Although the total Odia population is unclear,
2001 Census of India
The 2001 Census of India was the 14th in a series of censuses held in India every decade since 1871.
The population of India was counted as 1,028,737,436 consisting of 532,223,090 males and 496,514,346 females. Total population increased by 18 ...
puts the population of Odisha at around 36 million. There are smaller Odia communities in the neighbouring states of
West Bengal,
Jharkhand and
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...
. Most Odias in West Bengal live in the districts of
Midnapore
Medinipur or Midnapore (Pron: med̪iːniːpur) is a city known for its history in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the West Medinipur district. It is situated on the banks of the Kangsabati River (variously known as '' ...
and
Bankura.
Surat
Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is now ...
in Gujarat also has a large Odia population, primarily diamond workers in the southern district of Ganjam.
Bengaluru
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
and
Hyderabad have sizable Odia population due to an IT boom in late 2000s. Some Odias have migrated to
Bangladesh where they are known as the
Bonaz
The Bonaz people ( bn, বোনাজ, or, ବୋନାଜ, Bonaj) are an Odia diaspora community that live in Srimangal, Bangladesh and Tripura, India.
In the nineteenth century, the British brought them over from Odisha to work as tea g ...
community.
While the southern part of the state has intermigration within India, the northern part of the state has migration towards the
Middle East and the
Western world.
Balasore
Balasore or Baleswara is a city in the state of Odisha, about north of the state capital Bhubaneswar and from Kolkata, in eastern India. It is the largest town of northern Odisha and the administrative headquarters of Balasore district. It i ...
and
Cuttack are known as immigration centres of
Odisha.
Diaspora
The Odia population abroad originates predominantly from the northern district of
Balasore
Balasore or Baleswara is a city in the state of Odisha, about north of the state capital Bhubaneswar and from Kolkata, in eastern India. It is the largest town of northern Odisha and the administrative headquarters of Balasore district. It i ...
, followed by
Cuttack and
Bhadrak. The migrants who work within the country predominantly originate from the
Ganjam and
Puri districts.
Most American Odias prior to 1980 came from Balasore,
Sambalpur and Cuttack. Increased demand for software engineers and adoption have brought Odias from other areas.
Migration to the
United Kingdom has been recorded since 1935, where mostly people from Balasore in undivided
Bengal province went to work, thereafter continuing a chain migration, very predominant then, which continues to this day. Most British Odias have obtained British citizenship.
In the late 2000s, many Odias, predominantly from Balasore and Cuttack, went to the US East Coast to study and to work. This resulted in chain migration, predominantly from Balasore and Cuttack.
During the 2009 construction boom in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, Odias predominantly from Balasore, Bhadrak and Cuttack migrated to the region to earn high salaries in the IT and construction sectors.
Communities
Odias people are subdivided into several communities such as
Brahmin,
Jyotish
,
Karan
Karan may refer to:
People
* Karan (given name), an Indian given name
* Karan (caste), an Indian caste
* Karan Kayastha, a community of Kayastha in Bihar, India
* Karan (surname)
Places
* Karan, Iran (disambiguation), a name for variou ...
,
Khandayat
Khandayat or Khandait is a landed militia caste from Odisha, East india. They were feudal chiefs, military generals, zamindars, large land holders and agriculturalists. During British raj, they ruled many tributary states in Odisha. They are lar ...
, Kumuti (Kalinga Vaishya),
Chasa,
Gopal,
Bania,
Kansari
,
Gudia,
Patara,
Tanti
The Tanti (also anglicised as Tanty, Tantee, Tantubay, Tantubai, Tati, Tatin) are a Hindu vaishya weaving and cloth merchant community in India. The greatest concentration is believed to be in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra,
Jharkhand, Bi ...
,
Teli, Badhei,
Kamar,
Barika
Barika ( ar, بريكة) is a city in Batna Province, in Eastern Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algi ...
,
Mali,
Kumbhar,
Chamar,
Sundhi
Sundhi also known as Sodhi or Sundi or Sudi or Sudhi or Shoundika, is an Indian caste whose traditional occupation has been brewing of alcoholic drinks. According to Suratha Kumar Malik, Sundhi castes belong to the Dalit community, who are ho ...
,
Keuta,
Dhoba Dhobian
Dhobian is a village of Abbottabad District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of count ...
,
Bauri Bauri ( hi, बाउरी, bn, বাউরি) is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Amar Kumar Bauri (born 1978), Indian politician
* Chandana Bauri (born 1990/1991), Indian politician
*Durgadas Bauri (1942–2003), Indian pol ...
, Kandara,
Domba,
Pano
Pano may refer to:
Pano ancient empory somaly
Culture and language
* Páno, one of the family of Panoan languages, within the wider group of Pano-Tacanan languages spoken in South America
* Pano people or Tsimané people, Bolivia
* Paño, a fo ...
, Hadi etc.
Language and literature
Around 35-40 million people in Odisha and adjoining areas speak and use the
Odia language which is also one of the six classical languages of India. Odia words are found in the 2nd century B.C.
Jaugada
Jaugada ("Jaugarh", ancient Samapa) is a ruined fortress in the Ganjam district in Odisha, India. Jaugada lies 35 km north-west of Brahmapur and 160 km south-west of Bhubaneshwar. Once a provincial Mauryan fortified capital of the n ...
inscriptions of emperor
Ashoka and 1st century B.C.
Khandagiri
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves, formerly called Kattaka Caves or Cuttack caves, are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance near the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. The caves are ...
inscriptions of emperor Kharavela.
Clarification needed Clarification, clarifications, or clarify may refer to:
* Clarification (journalism)
* Clarification (cooking), purification of broths
* Clarification, preparation of clarified butter
* Clarification and stabilization of wine
* Clarification (wa ...
Known as Odra Bibhasa, or as Odra Magadhi Apabrhamsa in ancient times, the language has been inscribed throughout the last two millennia in ancient
Pali,
Prakrit,
Sanskrit and
Odia
Odia, also spelled Oriya or Odiya, may refer to:
* Odia people in Odisha, India
* Odia language, an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family
* Odia alphabet, a writing system used for the Odia languag ...
scripts.
The Buddhist Charyapadas were composed in the 7th to 9th centuries by Buddhists like Rahula, Saraha, Luipa, etc.
The literary traditions of Odia achieved prominence towards the rule of the
Somavamshi and Eastern Dynasty. In the 14th century during the rule of emperor Kapilendra Deva Routray, the poet Sarala Dasa wrote the ''Mahabharata'', Chandi Purana, and Vilanka Ramayana, praising the goddess Durga. Rama-bibaha, written by Arjuna Dasa, was the first long poem written in Odia. Major contributions to the Odia language in the Middle Ages were contributed by the Panchasakha,
Jagannatha Dasa Jagannatha Dasa may refer to:
* Jagannatha Dasa (Odia poet), saint poet, author of the Odia ''Bhagabata'' and founder of the Atibadi Sampradaya of Utkaliya Vaishnavism, 15th century, Odisha
* Jagannatha Dasa (Kannada poet)
Jagannatha Dasa (Ka ...
,
Balarama Dasa
Balarama Dasa (alternatively spelled ''Balaram Das''; ; ) was an Odia poet and litterateur. He was one of the 5 great poets in Odia literature, the Panchasakha during the Bhakti age of literature. He was the eldest of the Pancha sakha. He wrote ...
,
Acyutananda
''Mahapurusa'' Achyutananda Dasa ( Odia:-''ଅଚ୍ୟୁତାନନ୍ଦ ଦାସ'' ) was a 16th-century poet seer and Vaishnava saint from Odisha, India. He was popularly known as ''Gopala Guru''. He was considered to have the power to se ...
,
Yasovanta and Ananta.
Mughalbandi or Kataki Odia, spoken in the
Cuttack,
Khordha
Khordha is a town and a municipality area in Khordha district in the Indian state of Odisha. Bhubaneswar, is the capital of Odisha located within the Khordha district and is only 25 km from Khordha town. Odisha State Highway 1 and Nationa ...
and
Puri districts, is generally considered to be the standard dialect and is the language of instruction and media.
There are eight major forms of Odia spoken across Odisha and adjoining areas, while another thirteen minor forms are spoken by tribal and other groups of people.
New literary traditions are emerging in the western Odia form of the language which is
Sambalpuri and prominent poets and writers have emerged like
Haldar Nag.
Culture
Art
Odissi is one of the oldest classical dances of India. The
Applique work of
Pipili
Pipili is a town and a NAC under jurisdiction of Puri district in the Indian state of Odisha. It is famous for designing beautiful Applique handicrafts. It is a town of artisans famous for their colourful fabrics.
Geography
Pipili is located a ...
and
Sambalpuri sarees are notable. The silver filigree work from Cuttack and Pattachitra of Raghurajpur are some really authentic representation of ancient Indian art and culture.
Odias were the master of swords and had their own form of martial arts, later popularly known as "
Paika akhada
Paika akhada is an Odia term which roughly translates as "warrior gymnasium" or "warrior school". The martial arts performed by the people of Khandayat caste (peasant-militias) and Gopal caste (Cowherds) in Odisha, eastern India. In former times t ...
".
Architecture
The Odia architecture has a regional architectural tradition that dates back to at least the 6th century from the times of the
Shailodbhava dynasty. From the times of the Somavamshi and the Eastern Ganga dynasty the
Kalinga architecture form achieved prominence with its special style of temple designs which consist of four major sections of a religious structure, namely Mukha Deula, Nata Mandapa, Bhoga Mandapa and Garba Griha (or the inner sanctum). The examples of these marvelous structures are prevalent across the several hundreds of temples build across the state of Odisha mainly in Bhubaneswar which happens to be known as the temple city.
Puri Jagannath temple, ruins of the
Konark Sun temple,
Lingaraj
Lingaraja Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the Indian state of Odisha, India. The temple is the most prominent landmark of Bhubaneswar city and one of the major tourist ...
temple, etc. are the living examples of ancient Kalinga architecture.
Cuisine
Seafood and sweets dominate Odia cuisine. Rice is the staple cereal and is eaten throughout the day. Popular Odia dishes are
Rasagolla
Rasgulla, also known as rasagola, rosogola or rosogolla, is a syrupy dessert popular in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. It is made from ball-shaped dumplings of chhena and semolina dough, cooked in light sugar syrup made of sug ...
,
Rasabali
Rasabali (, IAST: rasābaḷi) is a sweet dish from Odisha, India. Rasabali is offered to Baladevjew, and originated in the Baladevjew Temple of Kendrapara. It is one of the Chapana bhoga of Jagannath temple.
It consists of deep fried flattene ...
,
Chhena Poda,
Chhena kheeri
Chhena kheeri ( or, ଛେନା ଖିରୀ) is a sweet dish originally from coastal Odisha in eastern India.
Preparation
Chhena kheeri is made by deep frying cubes of chhena cheese. Although typically ghee, traditional clarified butter, is u ...
,
Chhena jalebi, Chenna Jhilli,
Chhenagaja
Chhena gaja () is a sweet dish from Odisha, India. Unlike some other popular chhena-based Odia desserts, such as rasagola, which have spread throughout India, the chhena gaja remains largely popular within the state itself.
Although the ingred ...
,
Khira sagara,
Dalma,
Tanka torani and
Pakhala. Machha Besara (Fish in mustard gravy), Mansha Tarkari (Mutton curry), sea foods like Chingudi Tarakari (Prawn curry), and Kankada Tarakari (Crab curry). A standard Odia meal includes Pakhala (watered rice), Badhi Chura, Saga Bhaja (Spinach fry), Macha Bhaja, Chuin Bhaja, etc.
Festivals
A wide variety of festivals are celebrated throughout the year; There is a saying in Odia, ‘Baarah maase, terah pooja’, that there are 13 festivals in 12 months of a year. Well known
festivals, that are popular among the Odia people, are the
Ratha Yatra
Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...
,
Durga Puja,
Kali Puja,
Nuakhai, Pushpuni, Pua Jiunita,
Raja,
Dola Purnima
Dol Purnima, Dol Jatra, Doul Utsav or Deul is a major Holi festival of Braj, Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, Odisha and Assam. This festival is dedicated to Sri Krishna and Radha. It is mainly celebrated by Gopal community of Odisha ...
,
Astaprahari, Pana Sankranti (as
Vaisakhi is called in Odisha ),
Kartik Purnima /
Boita Bandana
Boita Bandāna ( or, ବୋଇତ ବନ୍ଦାଣ ''boita bandāṇa'') also known as Dangā Bhasā ( or, ଡଙ୍ଗା ଭସା ''ḍaṅgā bhasā''), is a traditional Odia maritime and naval festival celebrated annually throughout Odisha ...
, Khudrukuni puja /Tapoi Osa,
Kumar Purnima
Sharad Purnima (also known as Kumara Purnima, Kojagari Purnima, Navanna Purnima, Kojagrat Purnima or Kaumudi Purnima) is a religious festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin (September to October), marking t ...
,
Ditia Osa,
Chaitra Purnima,
Agijala Purnima,
Bhai Juntia,
Pua Jiuntia,
Jhia Juntia,
Sabitri Brata,
Sudasha Brata,
Manabasa Gurubara etc.
Religion
Odisha is one of the most religiously homogeneous states in India. More than 94% of the people are followers of Hinduism.
Hinduism in Odisha is more significant due to the specific Jagannath culture followed by Odia Hindus. The practices of the
Jagannath sect is popular in the state and the annual
Rath Yatra
Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...
in Puri draws pilgrims from across India. Under the Hindu religion, Odia people are believers of a wide range of sects with roots to historical times.
Before the advent of the Vaisnava sects Purrushotam Jagannath cult in Odisha, Buddhism and Jainism were two very prominent religions. According to Jainkhetra Samasa, the Jain tirthankar Prasvanth came to Kopatak which is now Kupari of Baleswar district and was the guest of a person called Dhanya. The Kshetra Samasa, says that Parsvnath preached at Tamralipti (now Tamluk in Bengal) of Kalinga. The national religion of ancient Odisha became Jainism during the time of the emperor Karakandu in the 7th Century B.C. The Kalinga Jina asana was established and the idol of Tirthankara Rishabhanatha then also known as the "Kalinga Jina"was the national symbol of the kingdom. Emperor Mahmeghvahana Kharavela was also a devout Jain and a religiously tolerant ruler who reclaimed and re-established the Kalinga Jina that was taken away as a victory token by the
Magadhan
The Eastern Indo-Aryan languages, also known as Māgadhan languages, are spoken throughout the eastern Indian subcontinent (East India and Assam, Bangladesh), including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bengal, Tripura, Assam, and Odisha; alongs ...
king,
Mahapadma Nanda.
Buddhism was also a prevalent religion in the Odisha region until the late Bhaumakar dynasty's rule. Remarkable archaeological findings like at Dhauli, Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri, khandagiri and Puspagiri across the state have unearthed the buried truth about the Buddhist past of Odisha in a large scale. Even today we can see the Buddhist impact on the socio-cultural traditions of the Odia people. Though a majority of Buddhist shrines lay undiscovered and buried, the past of Odia people is rich with descriptions about them in the Buddhist literature. The
tooth relic of Buddha was first hosted by ancient Odisha as the king Brahmadutta constructed a beautiful shrine in his capital Dantapura (assumed to be Puri) of Kalinga. Successive dynasties in ancient Odisha's Kalinga or Tri Kalinga region were tolerant and secular in their governance over all the existing religions with
Vedic roots. This provided a peaceful and secure environment for all the religious ideologies to flourish in the region for over a time period of three thousand years. The founder of Vajrayana Buddhism, King
Indrabhuti was born in Odisha along with other prominent monks like
Saraha,
Luipa, Lakshminara and characters of Buddhist mythology like Tapassu and Bahalika were born in Odisha.
Hindu sects like
Shaivism and
Shaktism are also the oldest ways of Hindu belief systems in Odisha with many royal dynasties dedicating remarkable temples and making them state religion over their time of rule in history.
Lingaraja, Rajarani, Mausi Maa Temple and other Temples in Bhubaneswar are mostly of Shaivaite sect while prominent temples of goddesses like Samleswari, Tara-Tarini, Mangala, Budhi Thakurani, Tarini, Kichekeswari and Manikeswari, across Odisha are dedicated to the
Shakti and
Tantric cult.
The Odia culture is now mostly echoed through the spread of Vaishnavite
Jagannath culture across the world and the deity Jagannath himself is deeply rooted to every household traditions, culture and religious belief of Odia people today. There are historical references of wooden idols of Hindu deities being worshiped as a specific trend of Kalinga region far before the construction of
Puri Jagannath temple by the king,
Choda Ganga Deva in 12th century.
Lately converted Christians are generally found among the tribal people especially in the interior districts of
Gajapati and
Kandhamal. Around 2% of the people are
Odia Muslims, most of them are indigenous though a small population are migrants from
North India and elsewhere. The larger concentration of the minority Muslim population is in the districts of Bhadrak, Kendrapada and Cuttack.
Music and dance
Odissi music dates back as far as the history of the classical Odissi dance goes back. At present, the Odissi music is being lobbied by the intellectual community of the state to be recognized as a classical form of music by the cultural ministry of India. Be side Classical Odissi dance, there are some other prominent cultural and folk dance forms of the Odia people that have followed different parts if evolution over the ages.
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Odissi: A Major ancient classical dance.
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Mahari: A predecessor of Odissi dance that was mostly performed by the temple Devadashi community or royal court performers.
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Laudi Badi Khela
Several folk dance forms evolved in different regions of Odisha, Odissi and Chhau_dance, Chhau being some popular forms. Sambalpuri dance is most popular dance of western Odisha and is enjoyed by many.
Laudi Khela
Laudi Khela, also known as ...
:Is a traditional dance of Odisha. This is performed during
Dola Purnima
Dol Purnima, Dol Jatra, Doul Utsav or Deul is a major Holi festival of Braj, Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, Odisha and Assam. This festival is dedicated to Sri Krishna and Radha. It is mainly celebrated by Gopal community of Odisha ...
by Gopal (Yadav) community of Odisha.
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Dhemsa
Dhemsa is a traditional folk dance of tribal people of central India-Southern Odisha and adjacent areas of Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. The dancers form a chain by holding each other by the shoulder and waist and dancing to the tune of traditio ...
: Is a very popular dance format of the tribal area Undivided Koraput districts of Odisha. This generally performed by the Bhartas/Gouda/Parja Community of Koraput & Nabarangapur during the celebration.
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Gotipua
The folk dance forms have evolved over ages with direct tribal influence over them. They are listed as below.
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Chhau: The Odia Chhau dance is a direct result of its ancient martial traditions which are depicted in dance performances. Though Chhau is basically an Odia art form, it is also performed in West Bengal. Saraikella Chhau and Mayurbhanj Chhau are the only two Odia variants that have survived over time with its originality.
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Ghumura dance: Is a direct result of the ancient martial traditions of the Odias when Odia Paikas who marched into the battlefield or rested on the beats and tunes of the Ghumura music.
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Dalkhai Dance: Though this dance form has evolved from tribal dance forms, it shows a complex mix of the themes taken from various religious texts of Hinduism. It is very a popular folk dance form of western Odisha.
* Jodi Sankha: It also derives itself from the martial traditions of ancient Odisha and the performers use only the music generated from the two conchs held by each of them.
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Baagh Nach
Modern Odias have also adopted western dance and forms. Remarkably, the
Prince dance group
Prince Dance Group is a dance troupe based in Berhampur, Odisha, India which won a reality show ''India's Got Talent'' on Colors TV
Colors TV is an Indian general entertainment broadcast network owned by Viacom18. The network's programming ...
was declared as the winner of TV reality show "India's Got Talent" in the year 2009 and
Ananya Sritam Nanda was declared as the winner of junior Indian Idol in the year 2015.
Entertainment
Ancient traces of entertainment can be traced to the rock edicts of Emperor Kharavela which speaks about the festive gatherings held by him in the third year of his rule that included shows of singing, dancing and instrumental music. Ancient temple art of the Odias give a strong and silent testimony to the evolution of Odissi classical dance form over the ages. Bargarh district's Dhanujatra which is also believed to be world's largest open air theater performance, Pala and Daskathia, Jatra or Odia Opera, etc. are some of the traditional ways of entertainment for masses that survive to this day. Modern Odia television shows and movies are widely appreciated by a large section of the middle class section of the Odias and the it continues to evolve at a rapid rate with innovative ways of presentation.
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See also
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Odia diaspora
Odia diaspora are people of Odia ancestry residing outside Odisha. Most Odia people are from Northern, Western, Central and Coastal Odisha.
Odias in Indian states outside Odisha
Migration from Odisha has a long history. Odia merchants had histori ...
References
External links
Odisha.gov.in
{{Odisha
Indo-Aryan peoples
Ethnic groups in India
Linguistic groups of the constitutionally recognised official languages of India