Bharat Pankaj: Hidden Treasure of Odisha

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Bharat is celebrating its 75th year of freedom under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav which is an embracing initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture, and achievements in the appearance of Jan-Utsav and in the spirit of Jan-Bhagidari. The Mahotsav is a festival of the awakening of the nation for global peace and development and also highlights the key instrument which has propounded India thus far in its evolutionary voyage elixir of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

To preserve the cultural heritage and the glory of India, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts is celebrating this Mahotsav under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

The early Sanskritliterature says "उत्कृष्टकळायाः देशः यः सः उत्कळ - meaning the land with an "excellent opulence of art". The Puranic sources assert that Utkala Desha (country or land of Utkal) was bounded by the river Kapisa (north), the river Mahanadi (south), the Bay of Bengal (east) and the Mekala hills (west)Utkala was a part of Kalinga in some parts of Mahabharata. Karna is mentioned to have conquered the kingdom of Utkala, among others. But, according to other texts like Raghuvamsa and Brahma Purana, they were separate kingdoms. There are several views regarding the etymology of the name. Utkala may have meant northern (uttara) part of Kalinga or ut-Kalinga. Utkala Desha may have meant the land of "finest art" (Utkarsha Kala).

Incidentally, the ancient Utkala (the present-day Odisha) has a distinctive identity in the Indian Cultural Panorama. The glorious traditions of dance, drama, music, sculpture, fine arts and other genres of Orissan art confer this distinction. The art forms thus highlighted have been maintained and recognizably enriched by the vibrant creativity of the masters of these art forms, artists/artisans and the general populace. No mean achievement when seen in the backdrop of the sea change brought about by the all-pervading influence of modern dispensers of artistic culture like cinema, radio, television and multimedia. In the hill tracts of Orissa, the abode of several hill tribes, people also live with their distinct cultures. The cultural traits have been kept alive more or less because of the exclusiveness of the different tribes from each other and protection from electronic invasion. However, even in these areas, some changes are discern- ible. Eventually, the situation is a typical case of stability and change.

Therefore, future development should encourage and promote the cultural heritage surviv- ing from ancient times, thus lending a fresh lease of life through applying contemporary tech- niques, tools and technology. Nevertheless, the refined taste of the populace, especially the youth(as most of them are xenophiles), is eroding. It can only be protected, preserved and garnered effectively by making the milieu take pride in their cultural past and safeguard it at any cost, thebona fide task for the civil society, intelligentsia and patrons.