About Odisha:-
Odisha is one of the most beautiful regions of the eastern India nestling on the shores of Bay of Bengal. The main charm of the State are its exotic sandy beaches, plenteous wild life, primitive lifestyle and holy temples famous for their architectural splendor. The tribal communities of Odisha constitute about 23% of its total population. Odisha is inhabited by tribes like Saora or Sabar.The rich Odishan tribe culture is well depicted in its fabulous folk songs and dances. Its tattoo art can be well traced in modern life of city.
The Buddhist heritage in Odisha is remarkable for its rich architectural remains and sculptural wealth. The great Kalingaswar, which transformed Asoka into a devout Buddhist and a great champion of Buddhism, had been fought on the Orissan soil, on the banks of the river Daya. We have the famous major rock-edicts of Asoka at Dhauli. The recent Archaeological excavation at Ratnagiri, Udayagiri, Lalitgiri, Brahmavana etc have added new dimensions to the Buddhist establishments in Orissa.
The tantric-Vajrayana range of sculptures from Odisha is unique for their novel concept, fine execution and sensitive modeling and their only parallels could be found in the Buddhist Art from Tibet, Nepal and China.
Odisha has a glorious tradition of music. The figures or dancer musicians carried on ancient temple walls speak of Odisha’s rich musical heritage. Birds usually went from place to place singing these songs which were meant to propagate religious, ideas in various religions.
Instructions were usually given by poet himself as to how the lyric was to be sung. By the 11th Century AD folk music or Odisha existing in the form of Triswari, Chatuswari and Panchaswari was modified into the classical style. Ancient cultures of Odisha have the most expressive forms of music & dance. These two highly evolved art forms have manifested themselves in some of the most evocative and celebrated performances from not only the professional classical exponents but also from the various folk & tribal groups in Odisha.
