The Art Forms of Odisha, India, and Their Importance
Odisha is located in the eastern part of India and is bordered by states like Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
Odisha has diverse ethnicities and the people speak multiple languages; Odia (The official language), Bengali, Hindi, and English are some of them.
This state of India has many art forms with dance being one of the most popular ones.
Besides this dance, Odisha has many other art forms which are performed by the local artists, enthusiasts, and even tourists from different parts of the world, during different occasions and celebrations.
Dance
Bihu is one of the most popular dance forms in Odisha.
Bihu is basically a folk dance that has now become a universal symbol of happiness and joy. Apart from Bihu, other famous dance forms include:
Odissi,
Rasleela,
Dalkhai,
Laxmi Narayan Nritya, etc.
There are many festivals celebrated in Odisha in which different kinds of dances are performed like-
Dashahara Nrityotsav (Dasara Dance Festival),
Bhaijuntia Nua Melaa (Bhaijiuntia Dance Festival), etc.
These festivals not only add colors to life but also give us an insight into various cultures and traditions followed by people belonging to different areas in Odisha.
Music
Classical Odissi music has evolved from devotional songs to a very sophisticated art form.
This classical music is based on ragas. These raga-based songs have no regular rhythm as there are no talas or time cycles.
These rhythms are inflected by playing techniques. The main instruments are harmonium, santoor, violin, etc.
Folk music is largely based on percussion instruments like dholak, jhanjh, etc., which usually carry a drone sound.
Dance: The ancient dance forms found in Odisha include Rasrajapaata & Karma Nrityam.
Literature
There are many different styles of poetry in Odia, like modern poetic forms as well as very old epic poems. Many famous poets have written in Odia for hundreds of years.
These include Mahabharata Kavi Sarala Das who translated a number of Sanskrit texts into Odia (around the 15th century), and Laxminath Behera, who was an acclaimed poet from modern times.
Poetry has been used since time immemorial to tell stories or narrate events.
In fact, one can find many references to poetry in ancient scriptures like Mahabharata and Ramayana and the like.
From around the 13th century onwards there have been various kinds of poems being composed at a steady pace for several centuries now.
Visual Arts
In case you haven’t heard, visual arts are a big deal in India.
Hinduism has spawned thousands of gods and goddesses who are worshiped in myriad ways—there are temples dedicated to them, festivals held in their honor, holy water to drink that they may have drunk from—and some devotees even sacrifice goats to them.
Then there’s Bollywood, which is bringing contemporary Indian life to the world through films like The Lunchbox, 3 Idiots, and Barfi!
So perhaps it makes sense that there are plenty of art forms native to or most popular in India.
Handicrafts
A key to many art forms in Odisha is handicrafts. Such crafts are used to give life to different art forms.
The master craftsmen make idols from clay and from wood, mostly teak wood.
These idols have found a place in museums around the world for their uniqueness as well as the aura of divinity that they possess.
Bamboo artifacts form another category that is popular among tourists as well as locals who reside here in Odisha.
Wooden masks with exquisite workmanship are also crafted here for religious purposes; on every occasion, special masks are created which are worn by locals during celebrations.
Theater
This art form is not very popular in modern times. However, it was a major form of entertainment during medieval times.
Like most Indian theater forms, plays revolved around epics from Hindu mythology.
There is not much information available about early theater in Odisha.
The themes varied but generally involved epics like Ramayana or Mahabharata and featured singing (generally on one note), dancing, acting, and mimicry (of birds, animals, etc.).
The theater wasn’t just entertainment but was also used as a political platform by kings to communicate with subjects.
Epic poems that were originally meant to be performed were later written down so they could be preserved over time; these are called Ankia Nataka and some remain popular even today.
Conclusion
Culture is a strong binding force that makes us unite as one nation. Art forms are an integral part of any society.
They have been passed down from generation to generation and they help us express our emotions in a constructive manner.
There have been many art forms in Odisha over time. Let’s celebrate diversity together.
About Pranjal Arts Collection:
Original, handmade, Indian folk and contemporary art, Pranjal Arts is a collection of 200 paintings made by 70 different artists from India. Our collection of paintings is based on various themes and of all styles- oil on canvas, acrylic on canvas, watercolor, folk art, etc.