|
 Orissa is located at the bank of Bay of Bengal,
surrounded by the sea in the East, Madhya Pradesh in the West, West Bengal in
the North, and Andhra Pradesh in the South. It has a chequered history which has
successfully assimilated and synthesised the best of Buddhist, Jain and Hindu
cultures.
Orissa is a state of Gods and Goddesses, both universal as well
as local. Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa, is famous for the Lingaraj
temple, while Puri is famous for it's long Jagannath temple and it's amazing
seabeach. Every village or cluster of villages in the state has its own
presiding deity. These deities have their own legends and festivals. Since
Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism have been the religions followed by the people of
Orissa since ages, the state has numerous temples and monuments of great
importance relating to all these religions. Orissan temples are characterised by
profuse decorations, exquisite carving and ornamentation covering the entire
visible area with gods & goddesses, kings and queens, animals and flowers
motifs ranged against each other. Orissa is probably the only state where one
can study temple architecture in all its successive stages of
development.
Odissi, is the traditional dance form of Orissa and probably
owes its origin to the temple dances of the devadasis. Possibly the oldest
classical dance form, one must sit through a performance to experience its sheer
lyrical grace. Orissa enjoys a rich tradition of tribal and falk dances as well.
Travelling in Orissa can be an interesting and rewarding experience.
|
