Odisha is a place for who dying to explore hidden secrets of different states, there are different rich culture, remain in the state that reflects Odisha’s rich heritage Worldwide.. Odisha is a land of varied traditions and culture, Also Odisha is home many fairs and festivals. Here 13 festivals celebrated in 12 months of a year.
Odisha is a storehouse of various arts and crafts, Beautiful tourist places and different fairs and festivals, Here we listed below the factors that define Odisha’s rich heritage.
1. RATH YATRA-
Rath Yatra is one of the famous religious festivals in India.The Rath Yatra (Holy Trinity) or Car Festival of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra is the most popular and biggest festivals of Odisha. It begins from the day when the Lord leaves his temple. It continues to the day of his return.
This festival not just limited to Odisha but also it celebrated in worldwide,
Famous cities like San Francisco, Tokyo, Los Angeles, London and even the remote corners of Russia celebrate Ratha Jatra in its full glory.
2. ODISSI DANCE-
Odissi dance is a unique classical dance form which has its origin from the temples. Over the Years, Odissi has been developed under 3 part namely Mahari, Nartaki, and Gotipua.
Mahari is a ritualistic dance performed by women from the state of Odisha this dance form of Odissi used to be performed at the temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri by devadasi dancers called maharis.
2nd is Nartaki which was developed in the royal courts. Lastly, Gotipua style where the young boy performs the dance wearing female clothing.
3.BALI YATRA-
Bali yatra in Cuttack which is the biggest fairs in the country celebrated at Ghata of the Mahanadi river on the date of Boita Bandana, the festival to remember Odisha’s rich history.
Bali Yatra is held over 37 acres, of which 23 acres are on the Mahanadi river bed and 14 on Kila Maidan near the Barabati fort.People from different parts of the state and outside the state visit the famous fair.This is the biggest trade fair in the state. More than 1LAKH people visit it, on average, during the fair.
4. DHANU YATRA-
Dhanu Yatra is World’s biggest open-air theatre, celebrated in Bargarh, Odisha. This open-air theater Spread across a 6km radius area around the Bargarh.
During the Dhanu Yatra, Bargarh city, about 330-km from Bhubaneswar, becomes Mathura, the river Jeera becomes river Yamuna and Amrapali situated on the other side of Jeera becomes Gopapura. For all the eleven days, Bargarh city is transformed into a very big stage.
Dhanu Yatra famous worldwide for World’s largest open-air theatre.
5.BUDDHIST HERITAGE OF ODISHA-
Odisha is eminent for its Buddhist legacy locales inside a 100 km span of Bhubaneshwar/Jajpur Road. Buddhist site excavations began in the 1990s and a portion of the locales was finished in the mid-2000s and that brought forth Buddhist legacy circuits of Orissa containing Ratnagiri, Pushpagiri, Lalitagiri, and Udayagiri.
Lalitgiri: Lalitgiri is one of the major Buddhist complexes in the Indian state of Odisha comprising major stupas, ‘esoteric’ Buddha images, and monasteries (viharas), one of the oldest sites in the region.
Ratnagiri: This place located in the Jajpur district of Odisha, the place is renowned for its, monasteries, and motifs and stupas.
Udaygiri: Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves are very popular tourist attractions, located near the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. These caves are naturally beautiful artificial caves.
Dhaulagiri: Shanti Stupa Of Dhauligiri has a major edict of great Ashoka, Buddha statue, and an ancient Shiv temple. And also an important place for Buddhist heritage.
Other Buddhist places are Chandragiri, Langudi, Tarapur, Kayama, Radhangar Fort and Deuli. Makes Odisha a Rich heritage to the worldwide.
The capital of the eastern state of Odisha, Bhubaneswar has a history that stretches back to over 2000 years.
It was the ancient capital of Kalinga, and Dhauli near Bhubaneswar is the place where the famous battle was fought between Emperor Ashoka and the Kalinga army, after which Ashoka followed Buddhism.
Bhubaneshwar, the ‘city of temples’, named after Tribhuvaneswar, ‘Lord of Three Worlds’, still preserves over 500 of India’s finest temples, around which the religious life of the city revolves. Near Bhubaneswar are the famous Udaygiri and Chandragiri caves from the Jain period, which house the most ancient Indian theatre preserved till this day.
The word Bhubaneswar in its literal sense means the ‘God’s World’ which showcases the walk down centuries of temple architecture. One of the famous temples in Bhubaneswar is Lingaraj Temple is believed to be the oldest and largest temple of Bhubaneshwar.
7.PATTACHITRA ( RAGHURAJPUR )-
Raghurajpur is a heritage crafts village in Odisha state, 10 km from Puri and 55 km from the state capital Bhubaneshwar. There are about 100 houses in the village and almost everyone is an artisan. They are Pattachitra painters.
8.SILVER FILIGREE ( CUTTACK )
The most unique and finest handicraft of Odisha named Tarakasi is a kind of silver filigree work famous in the Cuttack city. This highly skilled art form is more than 500 years old and is carried out excellently by the local artisans. Besides the regular shops that sell varied designs of silver filigree work, one can even have a glimpse of this extraordinary creativity during the festival of Durga Puja.
9.APPLIQUE WORK ( PIPILI)-
Pipli is best known for its Applique work and slightly over an hour’s drive from Bhubaneswar. The road is full of shops. Applique is a French term, is a technique by which the decorative effect is obtained by superposing patches of colored fabrics on a basic fabric,
10.BLACK STONE SCULPTURE ( KHICHING)-
One of the highly famous crafts is the black stone sculpture art of Khiching in Mayurbhanj district that occupies a special place for its rich legacy and royal past. Khiching is also known for its magnificent temple of Maa Kichakeswari Devi which drags a lot of tourists as the temple is built completely in black stone and embellished with beautiful designs that are one of its kind in the state!
ALSO READ– Fort’s in Odisha that reflects Odisha’s rich heritage.
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