Tradition & Culture

Odisha (previously known as Orissa) is located on the country's east coast and was the site of Ashoka the Great's legendary Kalinga war. When the sun rises over this area, it does so over a land of temples built on a heritage foundation. The "city of temples," Bhubaneswar, was called after Tri Bhubaneswar, the "Lord of Three Worlds," and was the ancient capital of Kalinga.

Odisha is known for having one of the most religiously varied populations in India. Hinduism is practised by nearly 95% of the population in Odisha. This is due to Odisha's Hindus' adoption of a unique Lord Jagannath custom. After Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism are the other two prominent religions in Odisha. During Emperor Karakandu's reign in the 7th century BC, Jainism was the state religion. Buddhism was also a religion in Odisha till the late Bhaumakar dynasty's reign. Here you'll find Dhauli, Lalitagiri, Khandagiri, and other amazing archaeological sites. The Buddhist effect on Odisha's inhabitants is also evident.

Because the state is still mostly populated by tribals, agriculture is naturally one of the most important jobs for the people who live here. Fishing, like aquaculture, is a high-earning industry due to its proximity to the oceans and the availability of good ports. Small scale industries and handlooms make up the rest of the vocations market.

The majority of the people speak Odia as their first language. The state's language is related to Bengali and Assamese and belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family. The state's Adivasis still speak a few tribal languages from the Dravidian and Munda language families. In metropolitan regions, Hindi and English are widely spoken.

The traditional clothing of Odia males is the Dhoti and Kurta, whereas the traditional outfit of Odisha women is the Saree. Odisha's handlooms produce a vast selection of sarees, which are sold in various locations around the state. Maniabandha sarees, Sambalpuri Pata sarees, Berhampur Pata sarees, and Puri Patachitra sarees are all famous in India. People in Odisha are increasingly wearing western attire.

Odisha offers a wide spectrum of musical and dance forms. Odissi, which was first performed by Devadasis, has the strongest cultural resemblance to temple culture of any modern dance genre. It mainly depicts Lord Krishna's holy love for his consort Radha and is based on the poetic lyrics of poet Jayadeva. Ghumura Dance is a popular traditional dance style in Odisha. Ruk Mar Nacha (Chhau dance) is a pretend fight in which two groups of dancers use swords and shields to attack and defend themselves. Tiger Dance, or Baagh Naach, is a performance in which dancers paint their bodies to look like tigers. The Dalkhai Dance is done during Dussehra. Dhap dance, Karma Naach, Keisabadi, and Goti Pua are some of the other forms.

Odissi music is divided into several sections and dates back over two thousand five hundred years. By the eleventh century, Odisha's music, in the styles of Triswari, Chatuhswari, and Panchaswari, had been transformed and adapted to the classical style. Folk music includes songs such as Yogi Gita, Kendara Gita, Dhuduki Badya, Prahallad Natak, Palla, Sankirtan, Mogal Tamasa, Gitinatya, Kandhei Nacha, Kela Nacha, Ghoda Nacha, Danda Nacha, and Daskathia.

Odisha is well-known for its wide variety of artistic manifestations. The rock art paintings are some of the best that can be found. The most unusual is sand artwork, which is popular among tourists and can be found on beaches. They were created with Hindu gods' appearances in mind. Handcrafted jewellery and pattachitra, a type of cloth painting, are among the other items available.