Orissa state of India. India through the eyes of Soviet friends

The Oriya people inhabit the state of Orissa. The new state of Orissa, according to the administrative division of the country carried out by the Government of the Republic of India in 1956, included the former province of British India Orissa and a number of principalities, most of which were previously united under the common name “Principles of Orissa”.

The modern state of Orissa consists of 17 districts, its total area is about 150 thousand km 2. Orissa is inhabited by 32.2 million people (data presented for 1992). The population density is 114 people per km2. About 50 thousand live in Bangladesh. The city of Bhubaneswar is the capital of the state.

The vast majority of Orissa's population is Oriya.

The main language of Orissa is Oriya (Audhri, or Utkali); it was spoken in 1951 by over 13 million people (82% of the state's population). Moreover, Oriya is the second language of almost 1 million people in Bihar.

The Oriya language belongs to the eastern group of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages.

As a result of long-term contact between Oriya and Bengalis, the Bengali language had a noticeable influence on the Oriya language, mainly on its vocabulary. Sometimes Oriya was even mistakenly called a dialect of Bengal. The closeness of these languages ​​is explained by the fact that they both go back to Magadha Prakrit.

The Oriya language has its own written language, although based on Devanagari, but significantly different in the rounded shape of the letters from the writing of other Indo-Aryan languages ​​(until relatively recently, in the last century, palm leaves served as the main material for writing, and a metal stylus was used for writing).

Telugu is spoken in Orissa by about 350 thousand people in the southern districts of the state. Urdu and Hindi, unlike some other states of India, are not particularly widespread in Orissa - the number of speakers of these languages ​​is approximately 185 thousand people, these are mainly immigrants from the north. In the mountainous districts of the state on the territory of the former principalities, the so-called tribal languages ​​are widespread: Santali (334 thousand people), Kondh, Savara and others.

Story

Information about the ancient history of the Oriyas on the territory of modern Orissa is extremely scarce. The earliest written monuments in the Oriya language date back to the 13th century AD. These are the Brahmin archives of the Jangannath Temple in Puri, which are bundles of palm leaves with texts that contain very fragmentary information about the Oriya past.

Orissa appears in all early historical monuments under the Sanskrit name odra-desha - “the country of the Odra people.” Of the many interpretations and translations of the word "odra", meaning the name of one of the flowers growing in the jungles of Orissa.

The second, no less common name of Orissa (also Sanskrit) is utkala - desha, that is, “the country of the utkala people” (utkala is the second ethnic name of the Oriya people, which has now become quite widespread. In the literature and even in the press, the state of Orissa is often called Utkal .), which translates as “wonderful country” or “remote country” (meaning, apparently, its distance from the Ganges).

The political history of the territory of Orissa from the time of the arrival of the Oriyas here until the 4th century BC is little known. Orissa was not one of the 16 so-called Mahajanapadas - early states that emerged by the 6th century BC.

In the 3rd century BC, Kalinga (as the area roughly corresponding to modern Orissa was then called) formed part of Ashoka's powerful empire. In the Puri district, south of Bhubaneswar, one of the “pillars of Ashoka” was found - a stone column with the text of his edicts carved on it. Buddhism became widespread in Orissa by this time.

In the 4th-5th century AD, Orissa was part of the Gupta Empire.

In the early 7th century AD, Orissa was conquered by the Kanauj ruler Harsha.

The 10th century in the history of Orissa was marked by the heyday of Shaivism. In the 8th-13th centuries, such large architectural monuments of Hinduism were created as temples in Konarak, Bhubaneswar, Puri and many others.

In the 12th-15th centuries, Vaishnavism became widespread.

For several centuries, Orissa was subject to invasion by the conquering armies of the Delhi Sultans and the Muslim rulers of Bengal. From the 16th century, invasions became especially frequent. In the second half of the 16th century, Orissa came under the rule of the Afghan Sur dynasty, which ruled Bengal. The last independent Raja of Orissa was overthrown. Orissa was under Afghan rule until 1592, when it became a province of the Mongol Empire.

In 1751, Orissa was conquered by the Marathas. The Marathas did not introduce any own administration or special system of governance in this outlying province.

After a great military campaign undertaken by the British against the Marathas, Orissa came under the rule of the British in 1803, who immediately established their administration there. During the British rule, the territory of Orissa was subjected to repeated administrative redistributions and until 1912, together with Bihar, formed part of the large British province of Bengal.

The oppression of foreign conquerors gave rise to Oriya movements for national independence and autonomy. The idea of ​​uniting all areas with an Oriya-speaking population into one province gained great popularity. The movement covered all sections of the population of Orissa. His demands were formulated and put forward at a special congress - the United Utkal Conference in 1903.

In 1912, the territory of modern Orissa was separated from Bengal and, together with Bihar, formed a new province - Bihar and Orissa. The Oriyas, as might be expected, were not satisfied with this half-measure and the movement for the separation of Orissa continued. It especially intensified during the revolutionary upsurge in India in 1918-1922.

In January 1936, Bihar and Orissa were divided into two independent provinces. The struggle for the allocation of Oriya-speaking territories into a separate state lasted about 30 years and in many respects merged with the all-Indian struggle for independence. The newly formed province of Orissa included 26 autonomous principalities: Orissa proper, namely the districts of Cuttack, Balasore and Puri (the largest principality was Mairbhanj); some border areas of Madras; small areas separated from the Central Provinces. However, Oriya-speaking areas remained outside the state: Singhbhum in Bihar, Midnapur in West Bengal, Rayarh and others in Madhya Pradesh.

The new administrative division of the country, carried out in 1950 by the Indians themselves after gaining independence, changed these administrative boundaries. The new state of Orissa expanded significantly due to the annexation of the feudal principalities of eastern India, which were previously part of the Chattisgarh agency; The government of Orissa also took over the administration of the princely state of Mayurbhanj. After the liquidation of the feudal princely states in 1956, Orissa became a single state within the Republic of India.

Large-scale industry in the state began to develop only during the years of independence, and therefore at the end of the 50s the working class did not yet play in the political life of Orissa the role that it played at that time in the neighboring states of Andhra and Bengal.

The state of Orissa is located in a wide elongated strip along the coast of the Bay of Bengal (the length of the sea coast of Orissa is about 500 kilometers) and is located in the tropical zone of India.

Material culture

Industry.

Industry in Orissa is very poorly developed. During the British Raj, no factories were built here, and the industry of this province was represented by only a small number of factories, small handicraft enterprises and craft workshops for the manufacture of metal products and hand-woven products, as well as a few rice gins and oil mills.

It was only with independence that attention was paid to the development of natural resources and industrial development in Orissa. The Government of India is taking a number of measures for this.

In recent years, the paper industry (the main raw material is bamboo), cement, textile, and partly the sugar industry have begun to develop.

A large enterprise is a metallurgical plant in the city of Rourkela.

Of particular note is the growth of the mining industry. Orissa, along with Bihar, has the most valuable iron ore in India. Deposits of high-quality iron ores containing up to 60% iron are developed in Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj. Recently, iron was also found in Cuttack district. Orissa has 20% of India's total manganese reserves. Coal, mica, and high-quality chrome ore are also mined here (albeit in small quantities). The annexation of the former feudal hill principalities gave Orissa regions rich in mineral resources.

The Indian government, drawing up an all-Indian plan for industrial construction, provided for the construction of a number of facilities that would ensure the economic development of Orissa in the near future.

Opportunities also opened up for the widespread use of river energy and the richest forest resources of backward mountainous regions: timber rafted along the Mahanadi River, mulberry trees.

In accordance with the plans for the development of the Indian economy, the construction of a large hydroelectric complex using the energy of the Mahanadi River has been carried out in Orissa. The first and second phases of this hydroelectric complex have already been completed - the Hirakud Dam with two power plants, which made the Mahanadi River navigable for 500 kilometers.

The power plants provided energy not only to Orissa, but also to many parts of Madhya Pradesh and the eastern parts of Bombay.

An important factor for the development of the economy of this state is the construction of the largest hydroelectric complex on the Damodar River in Bihar, which provides electricity to the industry in the northern regions of Orissa.

The industrial development of certain areas also entails some changes in the ethnic composition of the population. The influx of migrants from other regions of Orissa and neighboring states, mutual contacts between representatives of different peoples, tribes and castes lead to their rapprochement and the gradual erasure of ethnic differences between them.

Agriculture.

The agricultural potential of Orissa is very great. Orissa has a very large reserve of fallow lands, which can be successfully converted into cultivable fields. The sown area can be increased by approximately 50%. More effective use of favorable climatic and soil conditions can increase agricultural productivity. There is, for example, every opportunity to grow three rice crops in one year: winter, autumn and summer. But so far, even two harvests a year are harvested from only 1/3 of the entire cultivated area.

Lack of fertilizers and technical backwardness of Orissa's agriculture are the reason for the low yield of the main crop - rice.

And yet, despite the low technology of agriculture, Orissa is one of the few states in India that has some food surplus, mainly grains.

Rice occupies a dominant position in the economy of Orissa. Of the total cultivated area of ​​Orissa, approximately 90% is occupied by rice. It is cultivated by 80% of the state's population. They also sow millet, legumes, corn and wheat, and plant vegetables. However, these crops have an insignificant share in Orissa's agriculture. After most of Bengal went to Pakistan, jute production increased. Sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, and oilseeds are cultivated in Orissa. In coastal areas, the coconut palm is widespread and the palmyra tree is less common. There are many betel plantations throughout Orissa.

The well-being of the Orissa peasant depends almost entirely on the winter rice harvest, and the cultivation of the rice field naturally occupies a central place among other peasant work. As in other parts of India, the cycle of agricultural work associated with sowing, tending and harvesting the winter rice crop takes about six months.

In May, after the rains begin, the field is prepared for planting. The land is plowed two to four times, and sowing is done in June. In July and August, rice is replanted. In areas located near the sea coast, the transplant date is postponed until September. Transplanted rice requires almost no weeding and, as a rule, does not require artificial irrigation. Harvest begins in November and ends in January in some places. The rice, compressed almost to the root, is left in the field for about a week and only after that is tied into sheaves.

Next comes threshing. There are two methods of threshing: beating grain by hand and threshing with oxen. The first method is used in cases where they want to preserve rice straw for weaving, roofing, etc.; in the second case, the straw goes to the cattle.

Winnowing is done manually using a special wicker tray.

In addition to winter rice, so-called autumn rice is also grown; its ripening period is four months (from May to September - October).

In some areas in Orissa, a third crop is grown - “summer” rice: this rice is sown in January - February, harvested in May - June.

Thus, growing rice alone, not to mention other crops, practically stretches over the entire year. However, between individual periods of this cycle there are breaks that are used for other household work. The longest break occurs during the period when transplanting is completed and rice ripening begins. It was at this time that peasants were engaged in repairing agricultural equipment, preparing fuel and other household chores.

On the territory of Orissa, especially in the western and northern regions, there are large forests (their total area is about 40 thousand km 2). Forests are distinguished by a wide variety of tree species. Here peasants prepare firewood, building materials (sal and sundari trees, date palms), medicinal herbs, shrubs and herbs for weaving baskets and mats, and for covering the roof. Some Oriyas engage in fishing, and they catch fish not only in the sea and rivers, but also in flooded rice fields, where they are specially bred.

Otkhodnichestvo is developed among peasants. Once the winter rice harvest has been harvested and there is a lull in field work (usually in February), farmers move outside their area in search of temporary work.

Settlements, dwellings.

The vast majority of Oriyas live in villages. The percentage of urban population in Orissa is less than all other states (except Assam). In 1961, the urban population made up 6.4% of the state's total population. There is only one large city - Cuttack (population about 150 thousand people) and about 30 small cities with a population of 5 to 50 thousand people each. About one-third of the state's urban population is concentrated in three cities - Cuttack, Berghampur and Puri. In recent years, 30 kilometers from the former capital, the city of Cuttack, the city of Bhubaneswar, the new capital of Orissa, has been rapidly growing.

The main type of Oriya settlements are small villages (with a population of less than 500 people). There are relatively few large villages here: only about 240 villages have between 1,000 and 2,000 inhabitants.

Rural settlements are usually the same in area (2-3 kilometers2). During the British rule, for the sake of more convenient collection of taxes, the British administration introduced a territorial administrative unit - mauza - in Orissa. The whole of Orissa was divided into a certain number of mausas. Each mauza included one or more Oriya settlements located within the boundaries of this administrative unit. Currently, one mauza is essentially one village.

Almost all Oriya villages are located in groves, most often palm trees. The houses are almost invisible due to the dense greenery. In such villages there are usually no streets and houses are located randomly.

Oriya houses are usually built large. Each house has two or three, and sometimes more, interconnecting dark rooms; The rooms facing the street have small windows.

Houses usually have two doors, one leading to the street and the other leading to the yard. Most houses have small verandas. Houses are often made of mud concrete; smeared, unbleached walls of houses are often painted with white paint.

There is a yard near each house, but the yard is not always fenced. The outbuildings in each yard are adjacent to the residential building and, together with it, border the yard on three sides. In every yard there is a tilsi bush, revered throughout India as sacred. A home altar is usually built under this bush.

Here, in the courtyard, you can also see a temporary fireplace, complementing the permanent kitchen. The kitchen is a separate building adjacent to the house. It is dark, with a carefully smeared earthen floor, and very clean. Unlike many peoples of India, Oriyas do not keep images of gods in their kitchens.

Near the peasant houses there are garden plots where vegetables are grown. Betel nut is especially widely grown. In special fenced areas, a special mesh of twigs is installed, along which betel nuts climb.

The staple food of the Oriyas has always been rice. Rice boiled in water, seasoned with salt and vegetables is a traditional Oriya dish. Among the seasonings they most often use red pepper and turmeric root.

Fish, which is found in numerous rivers and lakes of Orissa, occupies a large place in the diet. Lake Chilka is especially rich in fish, remarkable in that from December to June the water in it is salty, and during the rainy season it becomes fresh.

Many Oriyas eat not only fish, but also lamb or goat meat. This applies even to some members of such “high” castes as the Brahmins and Karanas.

The vast majority of Oriyas do not eat hot food during the day, which, as a rule, is cooked once a day - in the evening. The boiled rice left over from dinner is eaten cold the next morning.

And yet, despite the apparent variety of food, rice seems to be so predominant that beriberi disease, caused by vitamin B1 deficiency, occurs in Orissa.

The basis of the Oriya men's costume, as throughout India, is a short dhoti, which sometimes looks like a narrow loincloth. Men are often seen dressed in a long white dhoti and shirt.

In cool weather, they throw something like a cotton shawl over their shoulders, while wealthier people wear a woolen blanket.

Women wear all-Indian homespun saris, white or red-brown in color with a dark border. They cover their heads from the sun with the free end of the sari. Regardless of their financial status, Orissa women wear a lot of jewelry, among which nose earrings are common - not only in both nostrils, but also in the nasal septum.

Shoes (usually sandals) are worn mainly by city dwellers.

Spiritual culture

The religious composition of the population of Orissa, in contrast to most other states of India, is uniform.

95% of the inhabitants profess Judaism, approximately 2% of the population professes Islam, and there are only a few thousand Christians in Orissa. Some animistic beliefs also persist, especially among the small peoples of Orissa.

Orissa has long been considered a sacred land - the abode of Hinduism. The Muslim conquerors are even credited with the following saying regarding Orissa: “This country is not subject to conquest. It belongs exclusively to the gods."

Orissa is characterized by a huge number of religious institutions served by an army of clergy. It is enough to cross the Baitarani River to feel the special atmosphere of this region of India. On the right bank of the river, temples dedicated to Shiva appear one after another. Next comes the city of Jajpur (which means “city of sacrifice”), which is the center of worship of Shiva’s wife, Kali.

Other attractions of Orissa are the caves in the Khandagiri and Uydagiri mountains, dating back to the 2nd century BC, the Lingaraj Shaivite temple in Bhubaneswar, built in the 7th century, and the Sun Temple at Konarak (mid-13th century).

In addition to Hindu temples and shrines, Orissa has many Buddhist monuments, including 10 stupas, which are considered the site of Buddha's sermons. Buddhism itself has long disappeared here.

Many pilgrims flock to Orissa from the most distant parts of the country; The center of pilgrimage is the city of Puri, where the largest Vaishnava temple of Jagannath is located. Thousands of Puri residents live directly or indirectly at the expense of the believers. The influx of believers is especially large during the Rath Jatra holiday - the festival of the chariot or, more precisely, the procession of the chariot (rath means chariot, jatra means journey). This major Hindu festival, which is the most significant of all the annual festivals celebrated in Puri, falls in the month of June-July (according to the Indian calendar, the month of Ashadha). Nowhere in India is it celebrated as widely and with such complete ritual as here, although it is celebrated in other states as well.

Under the name of Jagannath, the ruler of the world, the god Krishna is revered. The main ritual of the Rakht Jatra holiday, the chariot festival, is that a large wooden image of Krishna, as well as his brother Balarama and sister Subhadra, who are also considered gods, are taken out of the temple and taken on large chariots, accompanied by believers, to another temple located approximately two kilometers from the Jagannath Temple. Here the images of the gods remain for eight days. After this period, they are again placed on the chariot and, also accompanied by a huge cheering crowd, are returned to the first temple.

It is a very common belief among Hindus that one who is fortunate enough to see the image of Jagannath during these processions will avoid an unfortunate rebirth in his second birth.

This journey of Jagannath from the temple and back reproduces one of the episodes in the life of Krishna. Indian myth says that as a child, Krishna was brought up in Gokla by the shepherd Naida. One day, he and his brother Balarama went to Mathura to deal with the evil king of Mathura, Kansa. In Mathura, Krishna performed one of his feats - he killed Kansa and after that returned to Gokula.

The removal of the image of Krishna and his brother to another place for a while and then its ceremonial return to the temple symbolizes this journey from Gokula to Mathura and back.

Due to the large crowd of believers eager to see the image of Jagannath, the holiday sometimes stretches for two weeks.

Hindu temples and other places of worship, so numerous in Orissa, are interesting not only as centers of the Hindu religion, but also as monuments of art.

Literature and public education.

The most ancient written monuments in the Oriya language date back to approximately the 13th century (sometimes they date back to the 9th century). The oral and written Oriya language, close to the modern one, took shape in the 14th century.

For five centuries (from the 14th to the 19th century), Orissa literature developed in the same direction as all Indian literature, retaining only some local features: writers in their work reflected the themes of the largest ancient literary monuments of India - the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas.

Based on these monuments, a huge number of literary works of various genres were created. There are at least 12 versions of the Orissa Ramayana and three versions of the Mahabharata, not counting countless smaller literary works that use elements of these stories.

Since the 19th century, Orissa literature has moved from religion and mysticism to themes of today's life. The growing activity of Indian peoples in the political and economic life of the country has also given rise to new literature.

The founder of modern Orissa literature is considered to be Fakirmohan Senapati (1843-1918), whose works, like those of his colleagues and contemporaries Radhanath Roy and Madhushudan Rao, mark the beginning of a new period in the history of Orissa literature.

Senatapi was not only a writer, but also a prominent public figure. Coming from a working class background, Senatapi nevertheless managed to get an education and was the first publisher and pioneer of the publishing industry in Orissa.

Since the end of the 19th century, a number of Orissa writers, poets, playwrights have appeared, whose works reflect the complex and difficult situation in which the Oriya people found themselves during the colonial regime, and testify to the growth of Oriya national self-awareness, their struggle for national independence and unity.

In colonial India, the possibilities for the development of national Orisa literature, as well as national Orisa culture in general, were very limited. Only recently has the cultural life of the Oriya people begun to revive intensively. In 1959, 124 different newspapers were published in Orissa (instead of two weekly in the thirties), of which 70 newspapers were published in the Oriya language. And in the city of Cuttack two theaters were opened.

According to the 1961 Indian Census, 21.5% of the population in Orissa was literate.

Currently, a lot of work is being done in Orissa to improve the literacy of the population. By the mid-fifties, there were about 18 thousand educational institutions (mostly primary schools) with a total number of students of over 800 thousand people.

If at the beginning of the 20th century there was not a single higher educational institution in Orissa, then by the beginning of the sixties Orissa had 34 higher educational institutions of various profiles. The center of higher education for Oriyas is Utkal University in Cuttack, where over 8 thousand students study. The university has 24 colleges that train specialists in economics, history, philology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. Currently, the Oriya people have a large national intelligentsia.

Crafts. Among the Oriyas, artistic metalworking is widely developed, which has very long traditions. The center of artistic processing of gold and silver is Cuttack. Oriya filigree jewelry is used to deserved fame not only throughout India, but also far beyond its borders. The silver wire produced here is very elegant and thin - up to 35 meters of wire are made from one silver coin (rupee). In recent years, the production of various artistic products made from horn has also become increasingly widespread.

A common type of artistic craft in Orissa is carving, especially stone carving, which has reached high perfection here.

Social culture

The main rituals of Oriya, like those of other peoples of India professing Hinduism, are associated with the birth of a child, wedding, and funeral.

On the birthday of a child, the ritual of janmadina (literally “birthday”) is performed. Parents invite relatives and neighbors to visit, and they present gifts to the brahmana and neighbors. The village astrologer must accurately record the time of birth of the child, and subsequently this day is celebrated annually.

On the sixth day after the birth of the child, the Shastha ceremony takes place in honor of the goddess Shastha, who, as the patroness, is credited with great influence on the fate of the child. At the same time, a horoscope is drawn up.

The next bararatra ceremony is celebrated on the twelfth day after the birth of the child (for girls only); Its meaning is to perform cleansing ceremonies for the newborn’s family. The same purification ceremony for boys is performed on the twenty-first day after birth (in this case it is called ekoisa). Only after this can the child be shown to strangers. The first feeding of rice to the baby, which usually occurs between the seventh and ninth months after birth, is the occasion for a new ceremony - annaprasam. The moment of piercing girls' ears (karnabhed) is also solemnly celebrated. Wealthy families celebrate with a special ceremony the beginning of a boy's literacy education.

The initiation of children into religious life, a kind of initiation of a child, is celebrated with a Namkaran ceremony performed by a spiritual mentor - a guru. The time for this ritual is not precisely defined, but it is obligatory before marriage.

And finally, the last rite that precedes marriage and completes the period of education is the brother’s ceremony, performed only for boys of the “highest” castes aged 9 to 13 years - the presentation of the sacred cord of the “twice-born”. This ritual is very expensive and places a heavy burden on the families of Brahmins, for whom it is absolutely obligatory and who are not always able to bear this expense. In Orissa, the sacred thread of the “twice-born” is also worn by men of the Khandait caste, although they do not perform the brother ceremony in childhood.

The next important event in the life of a Hindu is a wedding, which is accompanied by a number of rituals, performed to a greater or lesser extent by all Oriyas, regardless of caste.

The parents of the bride and groom, as elsewhere in India, sometimes agree on the marriage of their children long before the wedding. The groom's parents give gifts to the bride in the period preceding marriage. Among some castes, the custom of paying a bride price is widespread. Wedding ceremonies are performed both in the house of the groom and in the house of the bride; they are attended by relatives of both parties, neighbors, and fellow villagers. The wedding ends with the bride's solemn transition to the house of the groom's parents, where she remains to live.

Widow marriage practically exists in Orissa, although it is considered undesirable in the Brahmin and Karana castes. It is preferable for a young widow to marry her husband's younger brother, and if there is none, she can marry into another family. Only a man who has already been married before can marry a widow, in other words, a widow cannot be the first wife.

Compliance with all wedding rituals and ceremonies, the custom of making gifts, bride fees and other numerous expenses associated with the wedding, as well as the performance of other rituals, require large financial costs. They save money for a wedding for years, and yet they rarely manage without debt.

Considerable importance is attached to the correct observance of funeral rites from the point of view of Hinduism. The Oriyas, like all Hindus, burn their dead in funeral pyres. For 10 days after the death of a person, his family is considered unclean and should not communicate with anyone. And only after performing the purification ceremony of prayashchitta, the family becomes a full member of society.

Land tenure and land use.

The land tenure system in Orissa is somewhat different from that of neighboring Bihar and Bengal, despite the fact that they formed one province for a long time. This is apparently explained by the fact that Orissa was not covered by the act of the British government, carried out in Bengal and partly in Bihar in 1793, the law on permanent zamindari, since Orissa came under the rule of the British ten years after this reform. Orissa had a temporary zamindari law.

However, the disastrous consequences of land legislation were ultimately the same for all three provinces . In Orissa, peasant land owners were turned into tenants of state and landed estates without firm lease conditions.

The dispossession of the peasantry of Orissa during the British Raj assumed alarming proportions. According to the 1921 census, the size of the cultivated area per household in Bihar and Orissa averaged 1.24 hectares, which means it was significantly less than in other provinces (in Bombay, for example, 4.9 hectares). But by 1951, the average area per person in Orissa was already 0.32 hectares.

In 1931, agricultural workers in Orissa constituted 1/3 of the total agricultural population of the province. By the time of the formation of the Indian Republic, the number of landless peasants who turned into agricultural workers hired for temporary and permanent work in rich farms became even greater. Until recently, among the Oriyas there were also so-called chakars - people who fell into debt bondage. In recent years, some peasants have been leaving villages and going to work in industrial areas and cities not only in Orissa, but also in the neighboring states of Bengal and Bihar. Here they work as miners, coolies, palanquin bearers, etc.

The land reform and a number of other measures carried out in Orissa, as throughout India after independence, to some extent halted the process of landlessness among Orissa peasants. However, the land issue has not yet been finally resolved.

Castes.

In Orissa, as in the rest of India, the caste system still remains, although it is not as strong as, for example, in neighboring Madras or Bengal. A foreigner in Orissa can become a member of the “lower” castes, and members of the “lower” castes can sometimes move into the “higher” castes. Marriages are possible not only between members of socially equal castes, but also between “higher” and “lower” castes.

The great vitality of the caste system is especially felt in villages where many caste regulations and laws are still observed, including such as the custom of inheriting one’s father’s profession, which is already disappearing among other peoples of modern India. True, this is caused more by vital necessity, economic need, rather than by any strict caste laws. But if there are several sons in the family of a village barber or washerwoman, then only one or two continue to follow their father’s profession, and the rest usually go to the city and do any kind of work there.

The main Oriya castes are Brahmans, Khandait, Gaura, Ghasa, Kolta, Karan.

The largest Oriya caste - Khandait (in 1931 it numbered over 1 million people) is divided into two subcastes: one includes farmers, the other includes village guards and security. The first subcaste predominates in the caste and generally occupies a high social position, almost equal to the “twice-born” Rajputs. Members of this caste are especially numerous in Cuttack district, where they constitute approximately 25% of the state's population.

Of the other agricultural Oriya castes, noteworthy is the small but relatively prosperous Kolta caste, which occupies a high position and owns the best lands, mainly on the border of Orissa and Bihar. The third agricultural caste is the Ghasa, sometimes called Mahishya.

The pastoral castes, known in India under the general name of Gaola, occupy an almost equal social position with farmers. In Orissa this caste is called Gaura. Its members at present are essentially the same farmers as the representatives of the agricultural castes.

The percentage of so-called “oppressed” castes (meaning “untouchables”) in Orissa is slightly lower than the average for all of India. According to the 1951 census, they made up about 15% of the state's population.

In the coastal districts of Orissa there is a small community of Chamars who are now engaged in basket weaving and palm sap extraction, although their traditional occupation is leather processing, shoe making and mending.

Among the “lower” Oriya castes, as elsewhere in India, there is a desire to improve their social position in society by moving to the “higher” caste. This is done in various ways. One of them is marriages with members of a “higher” caste or subcastes, which is only possible for people with means. So, for example, in Puri there are cases of marriages between members of the Ghasa caste and the “higher” Khandait caste, and the Khandait, in turn, with the “higher” caste - Karan.

There are many Brahmins in Orissa and they are very influential. The Orissa Brahmins are believed to belong to the northern branch. They have another name - utkala. There are especially many Brahmins in the three coastal districts of Cuttack, Balasore and Puri. In Balasore, for example, 10% of the population is of Brahmin origin.

The Orissa Karan caste is a branch of the large caste of professional Kayastha scribes, widespread throughout northern India and especially numerous in lower Bengal. This caste, relatively late in origin, occupies a high place in the system of caste hierarchy; its members are considered “twice-born.”

The movement for the creation of new castes, which was also observed in other regions of India, became widespread among the Oriyas at the beginning of the 20th century. It was aimed at increasing the social weight of the “lower” castes. At the same time, the caste or part of the caste chooses a new name for itself, its members swear allegiance to the sacred thread, establish certain laws for professional occupations, marriage rules, food, and drink. Through external changes, each caste tries to achieve a higher position in society.

However, this movement did not lead to any significant results. The "higher" castes usually refused to recognize these new castes as their equals. This was the case, for example, with the palanquin-bearing caste in Cuttack and Balasore, whose members claimed to be recognized as a “higher” caste. They began to wear the sacred threads of the "twice-born" and abandoned their traditional profession of palanquin bearers, which caused protest among those who used their services.

Despite the fact that castes are still of great importance in the social life of the Oriyas, as well as in India in general, determining a person’s place in society, the serious breakdown of caste barriers that is taking place in our time is already strongly felt.

People from different castes, especially in cities, are now abandoning their traditional occupations. Orissa Brahmins, for example, are mostly (about 75%) now engaged in agriculture, which has become their main means of subsistence. In general, members of such numerous castes as Brahmins and Karanas are increasingly beginning to engage in physical labor.

Europeans once called it the Black Pagoda. The Sun Temple is the supreme architectural achievement of Orissa and is considered a world-class masterpiece.

Construction of the temple began in the 13th century, during the reign of King Nanarasimha. Once upon a time the sea splashed in these places, but over seven centuries it retreated several kilometers from the coast. The temple ensemble includes three parts: a dance pavilion for performances by temple dancers, a jagamohana - a hall for worshipers, and a deul - a sanctuary. As conceived by ancient architects, two ritual rooms were part of a huge two-wheeled chariot. A stone sculpture depicting seven horses in beautiful harness in front of the entrance to the temple symbolizes the days of the week. And 12 pairs of wheels under the massive chariot correspond to the number of months in a year. But the main motive that can be seen in the images and sculptures is Love, because the old saying says: “Desire is the basis of the Universe.” The sculptural compositions represent love couples, and the erotic scenes depicted on the walls create additional intrigue.

The ruins of the sanctuary are surrounded by stone sculptures of elephants, horses and monsters. But the sculptural highlight is the statue of a young warrior - the Sun God, the finest work of sculptors, causing genuine delight and admiration.

Jagannath Temple in Puri

Jagannath Temple is the main shrine and landmark of the city of Puri. According to the scriptures, the temple was built on the spot where Krishna finished his earthly pastimes. Every year, pilgrims come here from all over India to spend three days and three nights at the temple walls.

The top of the temple is decorated with a bright red flag and a “dharma wheel”. The temple halls, called "mandapas", resemble mountain peaks and have pyramidal vaults. The interior space consists of three halls: jagomonha (assembly hall), nata mandir (dance hall) and bhoga mandapa (offering hall). At sunrise, hundreds of devotees go to the temple to go to Lord Jagannath for darshan (salutation).

For centuries now, the temple has been annually organizing and holding the magnificent "chariot festival" Ratha Yatra, during which the temple deities of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra are driven along the main street of the city of Puri in huge, lavishly decorated chariots.

The Jagannath Temple is open to devotees every day except Sunday from 10 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm. However, not everyone can get there; entry is prohibited for foreigners, and if you want to take part in the services, you can do this from the roof of the Raghunandan Library, located opposite the central gate of the temple.

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Chilika Lake

Lake Chilika is the largest lagoon in Asia. This location is best for bird watching, as it congregates from October to March. They fly here to winter from Siberia, Iran, the Himalayas and other European and Asian places. Here you can see pelicans, pink flamingos, herons, storks, eagles and other birds.

The maximum area of ​​the lake is more than 1100 square kilometers. It is home to several islands that offer beautiful flora and fauna and are the best places for bird watching. There is a nature reserve on Nalbana Island.

The lake is home to 225 species of fish, as well as the rare Irrawaddy dolphin. On the eastern shore there are fishing villages and the Kalijai Temple.

You can get to the lake by bus or taxi from Puri to the village of Satapada (45 kilometers). The village has the main pier from which pleasure boats depart.

Gopalpur Port once went down in history as a center of trade between India and Southeast Asian countries. There were numerous warehouses for arriving cargo, and the goods were so varied that it would be impossible to count all the items on your fingers. But when the traders left the area, the port fell into disrepair and the surrounding area turned into a small fishing village.

Just a few years ago, the local beaches were a favorite place of the rich, but, unable to resist the competition with Puri, they became empty and turned into a quiet, cozy place.

The port's beaches with clean, fine sand and cashew bushes allow you to relax. And during the walk you can visit a few attractions in the form of an old lighthouse and a couple of temples.

Beaches of Puri

Although the beaches of Puri are considered the best in Orissa, the sandy strip along the ocean cannot officially be called a beach, since it is not suitable for this: large waves and strong currents that knock even skilled swimmers off their feet, a lot of crabs that try to grab your finger, and also an abundance of fishing boats and nets.

But travelers are attracted not by the opportunity to swim in the waters of the Indian Ocean, but by the stunning views that can be observed here. Sunsets and sunrises to the sound of the waves of the Bay of Bengal, local girls running on the sand in wet saris, ebbs and flows - all these beauties of the beaches of Puri will not leave anyone indifferent.

In some places the beach is equipped for tourists. Small tea shops and cafes, souvenir shops and simple villagers selling pearls.

If you want to retire and feel the spirit of the semi-wild nature of India, the beaches of Puri are undoubtedly the best place for this.

Temple of the Sun

Although there are many places in the world dedicated to the sun, the Surya temple is one of the most famous.

The place is the crown jewel of Konarak. The temple was built in 1250 and, according to myths, was conceived as a giant stone chariot - confirmation of this is the rectangular main building of the temple, the abundance of stone wheels in the decor, as well as 7 sculptures of horses leading the chariot: 3 - on the north side, and 4 - from the south.

The Surya Temple consists of a whole complex of buildings that are not inferior in beauty to one another. This is a pavilion for ritual dances performed on the days of the equinox or for appeals to the sun. It is a sanctuary and ceremonial building. The temple also has many smaller structures: wells, altars, pavilions.

The statue of Surya, the sun goddess, is especially popular among tourists. The giant figure amazes visitors with the skill of its execution. The face, clothes, jewelry - absolutely everything is worked out in the smallest detail, making the goddess look like she has come to life.

Parsurameshwara Temple

The Parsurameshwar Temple is located in the holy city of Bhubaneswar, the capital of the Indian state of Orissa. It is one of the 7 thousand temples that once existed in the city, and the oldest of the 500 that have survived to this day.

The temple is a small but richly decorated important shrine of Lord Shiva, dating back to the 8th century and perfectly preserved to this day. It is located in the “Grove of Perfect Beings” surrounded by 20 small Buddhist temples.

The building of the Parsurameshvara temple has an unusual color shade, obtained due to the combination of red, orange, purple stones from which its walls are lined. It is decorated with sculptures depicting animals, love couples, as well as floral and floral patterns and elegant latticework. Decorated with carved figures of dancers, the temple altar with a 44-foot tower is separated from the church vestibule by an arched hall.

Lake Chilka

The ideal ecology, amazing flora and fauna of Lake Chilka attract tourists and nature lovers from all over the world.

The lake is the largest lagoon in India, its area reaches a thousand square kilometers, on which there are also small islands.

The unique flora and fauna amaze the eye. From October to March, migratory birds arriving from Siberia, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan find refuge here. There are also many permanent birds here, including the beautiful pink flamingo. The entire territory of the lake is taken under the protection of the Bird Sanctuary, which takes care of birds.

Another attraction of Lake Chilka is the Kalijai Temple, located on one of the islands. According to legend, it was erected in honor of a girl who threw herself into the lake on the way to her own wedding; she heard the spirits of fishermen calling her from the bottom. Every year the temple becomes a center of pilgrimage for believers from all over Orissa and Bengal.

Raghurajpur village

The village of Raghurajpur is located on the east coast of India, in Orissa. Namely, 14 kilometers north of the temple of Puri, not far from Bhubaneshwar - the capital of the state and coastal Konarak. There are only 2 streets in the village, the houses are painted with traditional ornaments. Raghurajpur is famous all over the world for its Patta Chitra technique - designs on fabric in the unique Orissa style.

Situated on the banks of the river, this small village is a cultural heritage site. Craftsmen live here, whose skills are deeply revered and passed on from generation to generation. Every house in Raghurajpur is an artist's workshop and home. Residents are engaged in painting on fabric (Patta Chitra), on palm leaves (Talapatra Chitr), on comb silk (Matha Chitra), wood carving, making stone statues, papier-mâché masks, toys made from cow dung, playing cards (Ganjifa) , painting coconuts.

Raghurajpur also attracts tourists because the traditions of Gotipua, a performing art and an ancient form of Odisha dance style, are preserved and revered here.

The most popular attractions in Orissa with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose the best places to visit famous places in Orissa from our website.

Orissa is an amazing state in the eastern part of India. From a tourism point of view, Orissa may not be as popular as other states like Goa, Kerala or Kashmir. This region of India stands apart. It features a number of attractions, from religious monuments to natural beauty. If you are a traveler who doesn't like to go off the beaten path, then Orissa is just for you. Here you can see and visit several wonderful places. Here are some of them.

Obviously, the main reason why people visit Orissa is to see the Jagannath Temple in the city of Puri. This is one of the largest temples in India and constantly attracts crowds of Hindu pilgrims. The best time to visit this place is during the Rath Festival, which takes place here in the second half of August. However, keep in mind that the city will be crowded with crowds of people these days. Therefore, if this option does not suit you, come at any other time.

Beach lovers will also enjoy Orissa. Swargdwar Beach in Puri is undoubtedly the best beach in the entire state. By the way, translated from Hindi, Swargadwar means “Heavenly Gate”. Anyone who wants to spend some quiet time on the sandy shores of the Bay of Bengal can find peace within the walls of this hospitable city. There are excellent multi-star hotels and resorts here. The food is quite good, although it mainly consists of vegetarian options. The reason is that the population of the city of Puri is very religious and worships the deity Jagannath. The beach is famous for its sea shells and crabs. Here you can ride a pony or do other traditional sea activities. In this part of the world you can also admire the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

This temple is a landmark from the 13th century. It is famous for its architecture and rich historical heritage. The temple is designed in an impeccable manner and is shaped like a chariot (rath in Hindi). It is located in the small town of Konark, near Puri. You can easily get there by car. The whole area here seems to be shrouded in serene tranquility. Among the unique carved decorations of the temple, you can also see those that have an erotic orientation. They are very similar to the carvings depicting scenes from the Kama Sutra in the famous Khajuraho temple complex in Madhya Pradesh.

If you are a nature lover and enjoy bird watching, you will not find a better place than Chilika Lake in the whole of India. It is considered one of the most beautiful and photogenic. This brackish lake is the largest in Asia and covers an area of ​​more than a thousand square kilometers. It goes without saying that this place attracts many species of birds, including several migratory species. Here you can enjoy boating. And if you're lucky, you'll even see one or two dolphins. Yes, Chilika Lake is home to some of the local dolphin species.

Chilika Lake

Nov Orissa

After independence, especially in recent times, industry began to develop in Orissa. The turbulent 20th century bursts into the backward state. Particular attention is paid to energy development. The 4,800-meter-long Hirakud Dam has been built on the Mahanadi River, the largest river in the state. It was built by about 50 thousand people. A huge reservoir was formed and a hydroelectric power station was built. Conditions have been created for artificial irrigation of a huge area. It is believed that this is one of the largest structures built in India since independence. Over the years, power plants in Machkund, Bolimela and Rourkela were also commissioned.

Previously, the state had access to the sea (Visakhapatnam port in Andhra Pradesh) only through railways and roads. In 1972, construction was completed and the first stage of Orissa's own sea port, Paradip, was put into operation. Ocean-going ships with a displacement of up to 60 thousand tons deliver cargo here, which is sent to the interior of the country via the new railway. A large public sector steel plant has come into operation at Rourkela. Cement factories, enterprises producing refractory materials, and ceramics are growing throughout the state. Quite recently, a large precision engineering plant came into operation in the Koraput district (Sunabeda city).

Each new enterprise changes the life of the area where it appears, acquiring populated areas with roads, modern cultural institutions, and parks.

In 1974, Indian geologists discovered a new major gold deposit in the Samboy River basin, which is not inferior to the famous deposit in Karnataka. In 1975, the government approved a project to develop a nickel deposit in Sukinda. The reserves of high nickel content ores in this area are estimated at 65 million tons. This is of particular importance for the Indian economy, since until now the production of its own copper and nickel has not met the country's needs. Rich deposits of chromium ores have also been discovered.

A very important government action was the approval in 1971 of the construction of 572 industrial complexes, of which 10 were in Orissa. Industrial complexes are created primarily in remote and backward areas. This will ensure uniform development of all parts of the country and provide jobs to the people in the hinterlands. Already, more than one hundred thousand people are employed at the enterprises that have come into operation.

The development of new rich deposits, the creation of a plant in Sunabed and other new buildings required the construction of new roads. The British colonialists built roads only in those areas where their interests were especially strong, for example in the south and north of India, along the western and eastern coasts. The vast territory of the central part of the republic turned out to have a poorly developed road network. The Fourth Five Year Plan included an allocation of about Rs 3.5 billion for road construction. First of all, it was necessary to reconstruct the roads: improve the surface, expand them for two-way traffic and connect individual sections.

The state of Orissa was among the regions with the least provision of roads. A good highway runs only along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. There is also a railway line from Madras to Kolkata. And two more railway lines (Kolkata - Bhilai in the north and Visakhapatnam - Bhilai in the south) cross the state of Orissa.

The country's fifth five-year development plan envisages major growth in rail transport. Significant allocations are also planned for the construction of roads. The technology for constructing a highway here is unusual, at least for Europeans. Instead of complex technology, natural conditions are often used. Time, rain and hot sun replace road machines for soil compaction and road surface preparation. The canvas is covered with bitumen and filled with crushed stone. After a few months, the sun turns the bitumen into asphalt.

Oddly enough, the Indians are doing a powerful job of preparing the road. It would seem that in the absence of negative temperatures it is unnecessary. But the Indians say that they build for many decades, and without repairs. Of course, with such powerful preparation, repairs are unlikely to be necessary. Well, repairing the top coating is inexpensive.

Highways in the state are not only a means of communication. They are an open book of the life of working people, especially rural ones.

A group of women is walking along the road. Two or three jugs of water do not hinder their movement. During construction, women carry all the concrete, cement, brick, and mortar only on their heads. The load reaches 50 kilograms. Looking at the huge production buildings or multi-story buildings, you are amazed that women were able to carry all this on their heads. Even if there is no large load, but only a bundle or just an umbrella, the woman also carries it on her head, although both hands are free - a habit. Men carry a small load, even if it is a bundle weighing several tens of grams, on a stick over their shoulder or on an umbrella.

Often, right on the road late at night, you can see people sleeping: they were unable to get home before dark.

Why on the road? After all, this is probably dangerous?

Not at all: heated during the day, it gives off heat at night. And predatory animals do not walk on it, and transport is not dangerous for a person lying down, the translator assured us.

So it turns out that the road is the most suitable place for a tired traveler to rest.

On the roads we admired the drivers: virtuosity and speed (speed 90–100 kilometers per hour), excellent knowledge of the road and every turn, junction, ascent or descent, lightning-fast reaction, especially in the evening, and even in the mountains. Sometimes this kind of riding was reminiscent of racing in adventure films.

But not in all areas you can pass an oncoming car. It would seem that in such conditions frequent accidents are inevitable. Not at all. Indian drivers work without accidents. It is possible that warning posters with witty advice play a significant role: “Driver! Don’t forget that limbs don’t grow back a second time!” “The minute you win may be the last in your life!” “Don’t make your life even shorter!” The posters are large, colorfully designed and installed in the most appropriate places.

It is especially difficult for trucks. Rumbling heavily, they overcome passes and miraculously pass oncoming traffic: cars and carts drawn by oxen and oxen, which are not so easy to force to turn off the path. Most of the cars are painted and illuminated. The content of jewelry is always religious. Often on the shelf in front of the image of the deity there are offerings to him in the form of grains, pieces of coconut, cakes, etc. Incense sticks smolder right there. Drivers love their cars very much and take great care of them.

Sometimes men sit in groups by the side of the road and talk peacefully, discussing some problems: the road replaces them with a village club.

Roads are often used by peasants for drying and threshing grain. Stems with grain or oilseeds spread on hot asphalt quickly dry out, and the wheels of the vehicle faithfully perform the function of a thresher. During holidays, roads serve as a source of income for the population of surrounding villages. After all, celebrations require money. They earn money as best they can. For example, in this way: elegant, painted girls block the road for passing traffic, surround it and dance. They release you “from captivity” only after they receive a reward.

The Indian Civil Service (ICS), later transformed into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), played a major role in the state administration structure. A person who becomes an IAS officer lives a special life. He is “outside politics” and is not a member of any political party, does not participate in elections, or rather, does not stand as a candidate. This is convenient for members of the IAS: when the government changes, they are not removed, since they are not political figures, but only carry out the will of the ministers. The career of an IAS member is secured. His promotion is being overseen by top state officials. He receives an annual bonus and is guaranteed a high pension. Such a system did not always take into account the growth and development of employee abilities. It was important to get on the IAS list and strictly observe the chain of command.

The conservatism of the management structure undoubtedly hinders the development of industry. The idea of ​​hierarchy combined with the caste system ensures blind obedience. Criticism of the actions of a higher official is excluded, initiative is suppressed. This extends throughout the career ladder - from the manager to the courier.

One day we went to see the shop manager. The office was hot and stuffy. Instead of turning the handle of the hairdryer located next to the chair, he pressed the button and called the secretary. A young man came in (secretaries in India, as a rule, are men). Having received instructions to turn on the hairdryer, he went out to the reception area, found his subordinate and gave him the order. Finally, the delivery boy came into the office and turned on the hairdryer. This is par for the course in India, and caste prejudice is to blame. Any of us could turn on the hairdryer, but we can’t: you’ll lose your authority. This happened at the beginning of our acquaintance. Subsequently, when Indian specialists got to know us better, relations were determined by business qualities, but prejudices were often stronger than them.

In India, tea time is strictly observed. Twice a day, at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., there is a short tea break. Somehow, during a tense production meeting, they forgot about him. The Indians, out of politeness, did not remind us, but a few days later some of them recalled this with condemnation. At the next meeting, tea with lemon and coffee with milk were served at the appointed time. The Indians smiled, flattered by the attention shown. During the tea party, we told them that the previous meeting was held without tea for the simple reason that the service sector did not work, and that we had no reason to violate established traditions, which do not interfere with work, but, on the contrary, contribute to better mutual understanding.

Work minutes are taken at production meetings. All statements are recorded in them with stenographic precision. This protocol is inconvenient to use. The main thing is lost in the details. And when we drew up a short protocol, where only the decisions and deadlines for their implementation were recorded, the next day the shop manager, Mr. Kutty, asked in surprise:

Why such a short protocol? After all, we discussed everything in detail!

Nothing! We spared your time and paper.

Imagine our surprise when the next day we saw thick stacks of paper on our desks!

At enterprises in Orissa there is another, in our opinion, strange tradition: regardless of the regime of a particular enterprise, all relatives of the employee can visit it. Dozens of smartly dressed people of all ages come: from children who have just learned to walk to very old people. They get a lot of attention at the factory. They are taken everywhere, shown everything, and answer all questions in detail. And the employees themselves proudly talk about their work. Perhaps for a state that has embarked on the path of building a new life, this is not so bad - let everyone know how this life is being built.

The foundation stone of any building - be it a temple, or a school, or an industrial enterprise - is celebrated very solemnly in the state. Everything is as it should be: coconuts are cracked, coins are placed under the foundation, and there will definitely be honorary citizens who have the honor of laying the first brick.

The completion of construction is celebrated no less solemnly. In honor of this event, stands are built, they are framed with flowers and illuminated, parks are laid out, and swimming pools with fountains are built. Everything is done to ensure that this day leaves a good memory for as many people as possible. After the official part, there is usually a reception and concert for the builders and honored guests, and a grandiose fireworks display for the rest of the population on the richly illuminated main square of the city.

At one of these concerts, the famous classical dancer of Orissa, Sanyukta Panigrahi, performed with her husband Sri Raghunath Panigrahi. We looked enchanted at the ancient graceful dances, and the immortal stone figures on the walls of the ancient temples of Orissa came to life before us.

We were also able to attend the concert of another famous dancer - Indrani Rahman, who embodied in her art the best features of traditional Indian choreography. In her inspired dances, poetic scenes of ancient epics, mythical heroes of folk tales, bas-reliefs, frescoes, and temple sculptures come to life. She performs classical dances, creatively interpreting every gesture, accurately conveying the meaning of these gestures inherent in them in ancient times. The dance art of Orissa attracted Indrani due to its technical perfection and sophistication, the ability to achieve the highest expressiveness of performance. With a keen sense of music, possessing an extraordinary intellect and a surprisingly broad view of contemporary art, Indrani was able to reveal the beauty of these styles and revive the dances of Orissa not only for India, but also for other countries...

Everyone seems to want to take part in creating a new Orissa. Even... maharajas. It is said that the Maharaja of the city of Jeypur was strenuously seeking permission to build a precision engineering plant in the Koraput district. Having been refused, he tried to invest money in a new automobile plant. But here too he was refused. The Maharaja failed to put his fabulous capital into circulation! We became interested in the personality of the Maharaja who wanted to help the state. One day we were told that we could visit the Maharaja at his residence in Jeipur. The palace - two dozen buildings - is located on the outskirts of the city. Most of the buildings and the huge garden are in disrepair. The Maharaja and his family occupy several two-story houses, surrounded by a wall and guarded by personal guards.

Our car drove through the main gate and stopped at the front entrance. In the large reception area (which is also long overdue for renovation), we were introduced to a clerk. A few minutes later, an elderly, respectable man came down from the second floor and said that we would be received soon, but for now we were invited to sit at a large table and drink juice, which was immediately brought in steamy glasses. We noticed that there were many servants loitering around the room and in the courtyard. Suddenly, those servants who were in the hall became slightly confused: a slender, medium-sized woman in a sari was coming down from the second floor.

How beautiful and comfortable this national clothing of Indian women is! Thousands of women all over the world annually rack their brains to create new fashion, not always finding truly beautiful lines and comfortable models. Sometimes fashion dies out before it is born, sometimes it takes on ugly, unnatural forms. The sari has invariably adorned the Indian woman for several centuries. But this is an ordinary piece of material, seven meters long, without any seams. True, we need to be able to drape, and then it surprisingly subtly emphasizes the femininity and grace of the figure or, conversely, hides its flaws. The advantages of saris over other types of women's clothing in Indian conditions are obvious. It is equally convenient and beneficial for a woman with any figure, with any income and in any weather. With a piece of sari thrown over her shoulder, the woman covers her head from the scorching rays of the sun. Both simple saris made of cotton fabric and expensive festive ones, embroidered with gold and silver threads, embroidered along the edges with intricate ornaments, look beautiful on women...

It was the maharani. She introduced herself and apologized, saying that her husband had left for treatment.

If you need anything, I will try to resolve the issue myself,” she offered her services.

We are your neighbors. We just wanted to pay a courtesy visit and, if possible, see the palace and its attractions.

ABOUT! Thank you! - the maharani answered and immediately gave some instructions to the manager. Servants ran in and people with keys appeared.

The Maharani kindly invited us to inspect “some things” and headed towards the building standing in the center of the courtyard. The employees fiddled with the locks for a long time. Finally, the heavy, massive doors creaked, and we entered a large hall where many different valuables were collected: on the walls there were ancient paintings and ivory bas-reliefs; Along the perimeter of the hall there was a rich collection of bladed weapons and firearms, it seems, from all centuries; in the center of the hall there were two large ceremonial antique-made gazebo chairs, put on elephants during ceremonial trips. One chair is silver with semi-precious stones, the other is trimmed with ivory. Fine carvings and filigree amazed with their beauty. These were real works of art by wonderful Indian craftsmen. Next to the chairs stood chests with inlaid lids and some large bales, apparently carpets. Everywhere there are many silver vessels with the richest artistic embossing.

They didn’t show us any other rooms except the hall, citing the missing keys. But even without that, our visit was delayed. After thanking the maharani for his kind welcome and for the invitation to repeat the visit when my husband returned, we said goodbye.

On the way back there was a lot to think about. How many tens of thousands of workers have worked for many years, creating amazingly beautiful things, and now they are collecting dust behind rusty locks. The Maharaja of the tiny principality has accumulated fabulous wealth behind these castles, while, according to Indian economists, about 65 percent of the population is on the verge of poverty.

Yet Orissa has a future. In the near future it will take its rightful place in the economic transformation of the country.

After breakfast, departure for an excursion to Konark - a small town on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, famous throughout the world for its huge chariot temple of the deity Surya.

Small settlement Konarak famous famous Sun temple complex, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Now this is not a functioning temple, so non-Hindus can enter its territory. Of the two parts of the sanctuary, only the eastern part has survived - the building of a columned hall for ritual dances in front of the entrance to the main temple.

A group of seven galloping horses and 24 carved chariots (each wheel is about 3 meters in diameter), preserved on the sides of the raised platform, indicate that the temple was designed in the form of a colossal chariot of the Sun God - Surya. All images on the walls of the complex, its proportions and orientation are deeply symbolic and subordinated to astronomical phenomena with the highest precision. The Sun Temple, like the temples of Khajuraho, is decorated with images of many loving couples united in candid poses.
The temple building was once decorated with a 60-meter-high tower. The temple tower served as a beacon for European sailors setting off from the coast of Orissa 100 years ago. They called the temple "Black Pagoda". Today it is a pile of ruins. There is an official version about the collapse of this tower and the temple itself as a result of another hurricane, of which there are many here every year. However, it is surprising that from the 13th century to the 19th century, not a single hurricane could shake this grandiose structure. The legend says that inside the temple there were huge magnets that additionally attracted the iron brackets in the stone blocks of the walls to each other. The English colonialists took these magnets to Britain, after which the first hurricane easily destroyed this stunning masterpiece of the architecture of thought. And metal brackets can still be seen in the cracks of the temple walls.

• Every year in December, a major Indian classical dance festival is held in Konark., which takes place against the backdrop of this temple complex. Modern dancers who perform Mahari dances in public and at religious festivals are not temple servants (as this is prohibited under modern Indian laws). They are not betrothed to the Deity and are not allowed into the main sanctuary, but they do so to learn and preserve the tradition of dance. Real The Maharis were consummate teachers of their art. There was a custom in which the Maharis adopted girls and taught them dance service at the temple. Thus, the dance maintained artistic purity and holiness for 600 years. The English colonialists forbade Mahari to dance in temples, equating them to prostitutes, as a result of which the cult of Mahari began to degenerate.

Visit villages of fishermen, stone carvers and potters. On the way back to Puri visit villages of artists and craftsmen Raghurajpur. The master artisans of this village specialize in the art of Pata Chitra - the art of painting with bright colors on palm leaves and fabrics. They keep secrets that have been passed down from father to son since ancient times. This art reached its peak in the 16th century. It was this painting technique that influenced the formation of the written language of the Oriya language. You can wander around, admire the beautiful paintings on the walls of the houses, chat with friendly craftsmen and watch how they create Pata Chitra (paintings on fabric), palm leaf prints, small sculptures made of stone and wood, toys and souvenirs from coconut, jute and wood.

• For an additional fee, you can pre-book a private Gotipua dance performance ($210 per group), which exists only in Orissa. This typeThe dance is performed only by boys dressed and decorated like girl dancers.Once upon a timeThe alchiks learned the art of this dance from the Mahari temple dancers, but gradually, unlike the Maharis, their performances became available to the public, while the real Maharis disappeared.