Bhubaneswar Wall Paintings - Natural Beauty & Resources of Orissa

Orissa abounds with natural resources and natural beauty. Many of the places in Orissa are beautiful but still uncorrupted by commercial tourism. Though, because of that, it is not easy for the regular tourist to visit these places, for the true nature lover this is a paradise.

Bhitara Kanika & Gahira Matha
Bhitara Kanika is near Kendrapara in Orissa. Its deep mangrove forests in saline waters are a natural breeding place for crocodiles. Apart from crocodiles, Bhitara Kanika forests are also home to animals like Boars, Deers, Monitors, Pythons and Cobras.

The Bhitara Kanika mangroves are isolated from the Bay of Bengal by the Gahira Matha (Gahirmatha) Beach. The Gahirmatha beach is the largest known mating and nesting ground of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles. Beginning November every year, when winter begins, a spectacle ensues here where Olive Ridley turtles throng this place, find their mates and bury their eggs in the sand. Eggs hatch in a couple of months time and the hatch lings immediately scamper towards the ocean. This is also a feasting time for other creatures, both at land and the sea. Only one out of a thousand turtle hatch lings survives.


Tapta Pani (Hot Water Spring)
Tapta Pani, which translates into "Bubbling Water" is a hot spring in the forests around 50 kms from the city of Berhampur, Orissa. The water of this spring abounds in sulfur and other minerals and is believed to have medicinal powers.


Khandadhar Hills & Water Falls
The Khandadhar waterfall is located at the Khandadhar forests, in Sundargarh district of Orissa. Apart from the beautiful perennial water fall, the Khandadhar forests are also home for animals like Elephants and Tiger. Recently a new species of limbless lizard discovered in the Khandadhar forest illustrates the still undiscovered rich biodiversity of these forests. These hills are also rich in iron ore which is both a boon and a bane (if careless mining destroys the forests).


Similipal Forests Similipal is located in the Mayurbhanj district of Orissa. The Similipal reserve forest derives its name from the silk cotton trees (called Simul in Oriya) that once abounded these forests. The Similipal sanctuary is also a tiger reserve forest and a crocodile breeding ground.


Farming & Cultivation
Organic turmeric cultivated in the Kandhamal district of Orissa is famous for its texture, color and flavor. Curcumic, the primary content in turmeric that lends to its properties, has been found to be the highest in the turmeric cultivated in these regions. Currently organized organic turmeric cultivation is being carried out by a division of Omfed in the Kandhamal region.

The drier regions of Orissa also engage in cotton cultivation.

Hirakud Dam
The Hirakud Dam, built across the Mahanadi river is the words largest earthen (earth filled instead of rock filled) dam. It is also one of the worlds longest dam at 26 km in length. That is more than the distance between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar and about the diameter of Bangalore city! The dam serves multiple purposes - controlling flood, irrigation and hydroelectricity. I remember having visited the dam and its hydroelectricity generation unit as a kid and it was one of the most awesome experiences I still cherish.


Chandipur Beach (Chandipur-on-sea)
Chandipur is a beach resort near Balasore, Orissa. The Chandipur beach is much flatter at the shore than other beaches because of which the sea recedes up to 3-4 kms back during low tide. Fishermen walk till the edges of the receded sea during low tide and place vertical nets on the beach which catch fish once the tide recedes after the next high tide. Chandipur is also a test range for the integrated test range of the Indian army where the army tests its missiles.



Back to the list of wall paintings in Bhubaneswar.

Bhubaneswar Wall Paintings - Music and Dances of Orissa

Orissa is culturally rich in its dance forms and music. It is the home to one of the eight classical dance forms of India and has many forms of folk dances. Many illustrations of these can be found in the wall paintings of Bhubaneswar.

Classical Dance
Odissi, which originated from Orissa, is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. Odissi as a dance originated from the dances performed in the temples. The uniqueness of this form of dance is the importance it places on expressions using face and hands and the 'tribhangi' posture where the head, middle body and lower body move independently.



Folk Dance
Folk dances are more from the heart than the brain. They have minimal rules and are easier so that they can be performed by the masses.

Sambalpuri dance is probably one of the most well known folk dances of Orissa. More than the dance it is the rhythm of the music accompanying the Sambalpuri dance that is attractive.


Ghumura is a folk dance from Kalahandi area of Orissa. Men perform this dance depicting war scenes. Each performer plays an instrument (typically a drum) and dances simultaneously as well.
Ghoda Nacha (Horse Dance) is a form of folk dance where the dancer puts himself inside a hollow horse made out of cloth and banboo and dances to a music. These dances typically depict tales from mythology.
Pala and Daskathia is a form of witty poetry recitation where a few people with musical instruments dance and sing witty poems. The themes of their songs can be both devotional or any other form of poetry or jokes.


There are several other forms of folk dances practiced in the interiors of Orissa, mostly by the tribals. These dances typically involve the men playing musical instruments and women (and sometimes men) holding each other and dancing while singing.




Martial Arts & Dance
The Paika Dance of Orissa is a form of dance showcasing martial art and swordsmanship skills. This was traditionally performed by the strong infantry men in the era of the Gajapati kings of Orissa. The dancers (fighters) practice in a place called the Paika Akhada (Fighter's Club) where the seniors guide and teach techniques to the newly initiated.




Musical Instruments
Below is an illustration of several traditional musical instruments used, mostly in the folk music and dances. There are too many small variations in the pictures below and I am not so knowledgeable about them to name them correctly. A few prominent instruments are:

Wind Instruments:

• Turi and Kahali: Similar to clarion and trumpet but without a reed
• Mahuri: A blowing instrument like Shehanai
• Sankha: Conch shell blown into to produce music
  

Wooden Instruments:

• Daskathi & Ram Tali: Wooden clappers that can produce rhythmic patterns of amazing variety and of very fast tempo.
• Khanjani: (See below)
  

Bell Metal Percussion Instruments:

• Khanjani: Pair of wooden frames set with small metal discs. The wooden frames are held in two fingers of the same hand and clapped together to produce both wooden clapping sound and metallic tinkling sounds.
  
• Ghungroo & Ghagudi: Small & big tinklers
• Jhanja & Karatala: Brass alloy cymbals
• Ghanta: Bell metal disc hit with a cane stick

Stringed Percussion Instruments:

• Behala: Violin
  
• Kendera: A small violin like instrument made of a few strings pulled tight across a cane or bamboo stick with a coconut shell on one end.
  
• Dhuduki or Ghooduki:Instrument made with one string tied with a wooden stick inside a wooden or pumpkin shell covered with animal skin.
  

Drums:

• Mrudanga: Double sided drum made of wood or clay with animal skin covering both sides.
  
• Dhola: Drums
• Khola: Double headed clay drum
• Madala: Large earthen drum
• Nisana: Giant sized drum made of iron case
• Tamki: Tiny one sided drum around 6" in diameter played by two sticks
• Tasa: One sided drum

Back to the list of wall paintings in Bhubaneswar.