A Brief History of Odissi DanceOverview
Odisha
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Sharon Lowen is one of the leading Odissi performers today. She grew up in Detroit in the United States and was trained in puppetry and ballet very early in life. She also learned Manipuri under Minati Roy, and then, in 1975, came to India on a Fulbright scholarship to continue with her Manipuri…
in Interview
Madhavi Mudgal is one of the acclaimed Odissi dancers today. Born in 1951, and growing up in a culturally inclined family in Delhi, Mudgal gravitated to dance and music from a very early age. She was trained in Bharatanatyam and Kathak but after watching an Odissi performance by Sanjukta Panigrahi…
in Interview
Odissi is a dance form from the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is recognised as one of the eight classical dance forms of India, and celebrated around the world for its lyricism, sensuality and emphasis on bhakti bhava (attitude of devotion and surrender). Odissi gained visibility in India…
in Overview
The dance form of Odissi (earlier known as Orissi) traces its genesis to the classical age of Indian history. Based on the edicts and panels in Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves near Bhubaneswar that depict dancers in court demonstrating the chauka stance of Odissi, it is widely assumed that the style…
in Module
Most people know the legend of Holika and Prahlad as the reason for celebrating Holi, but how many also know of Bhrigu and Agni? We all play with colours, but there is a sect where ritual demands throwing mud and hurling abuses. We explore lesser-known traditions and practices of the festival. (…
in Article
Thousands of devotees flock to Puri every year to attend the Jagannath Rath Yatra. The centuries-old chariot procession is not only a religious ritual but also a showcase of how the Jagannath consciousness has long enriched the cultural heritage of Odisha. We look at how the Gotipua dance…
in Article
Thank you. Respected chair, speakers and all my friends here. Actually, I feel I’m here on this session quite by accident, because my colleagues yesterday spoke on the easier parts, about the life and teachings of Guru Padmasambhava. I’m here to speak on iconographies on which I’m not an expert.…
in Article
Akshaya Kumar Mohanty was not only a legendary singer in the Odia music tradition but also a cultural leader who managed to shape public taste in popular music by balancing creative experimentation and popular demand. Mohanty felt the need to embrace popular music for two reasons. The first was…
in Article
Devdas Chhotray is a leading cultural personality in Odisha. Although widely known for his popular lyrics, Chhotray’s contribution to the cultural sphere is not restricted to songwriting. He is a filmmaker, poet, storyteller and theatre and radio play artiste as well. As an administrator—IAS 1971…
in Interview
The ghazal originated in Arabia, evolved in Persia, and became the primary poetic form of Urdu in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, a period often considered the golden age of Urdu literature. Some of the greatest Urdu poets—Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan (‘Ghalib’), Mir Taqi Mir, Sheikh…
in Overview