Orissa Dance & Music
Orissa has a glorious tradition of music.The figures or dancers musicians
Carved on ancient temple walls speak of Orissa's rich musical heritage. There
were saint-poets of Orissa who composed lyrical poems to be sung. Bards usually
went from place to place singing these songs which were meant to propagate religious
ideas in various religious. instructions were usually given by the poet himself
as to how the lyric was to be sung, i.e. the raga or tune to be employed and
the tala or beat scheme to be followed.
By the 11th Century AD folk music or Orissa existing in the form of Triswari,
Chatuhswari, and Panchaswari was modified into the classical style.
Odissi Music is a classical form consisting of all the necessary ingredients
common to Hindustani and Karnatic Music, such as rags and tala Jayadeva' was
the first Oriya poet who composed lyrics meant to be sung and thus the words
of those Lyrics were musical to start with. In addition he indicated the classical
ragas prevailing At the time in which these were to be sung. Prior to this there
was the tradition Of chhandas which were simple in musical outline. From the
16th century onwards Treatises on music were written or compiled in Orissa.
They were Sangitamava Chandrika, Gita Prakasha, Sangita Kalalata and Natya Manorama.
Two treatises namely, Sangita Sarani and Sangita Narayana were also written
in the early 19th century.
Odissi sangita is a synthesis of four classes of music, i.e. dhruvapada, chitrapada,
chitrakala and panchal, described in the above-mentioned texts. The dhruvapada
is the first line or lines to be sung repeatedly. The use of art in music is
called chitikala. Kavisurya Baladeva Rath, the renowned Oriya poet wrote lyrics
which are the best examples of chitrakala. Chitrapada means the arrangement
of words in an alliterative style. All these were combined to form the style
peculiar to Odissi music. Chhanda (metrical section) contains the essence of
Odissi music. The chhandas were composed combining bhava (theme), kala (time),
and swara (tune) The chaurisha represents the originality of Odissi style. All
the thirty-four letters of the Oriya alphabet from 'Ka' to 'Ksha' are used chronologically
at the beginning of each line. A special feature of Odissi music is the padi
which consists of words to be sung in druta tala (fast beat). Odissi music can
be sung to different talas: navatala nine beats), dashatala(ten beats) or egar
tala (eleven beats).
Odissi ragas are different from the ragas of Hindustani and Karnataki music.
The chief Odissi ragas are Kalyana, Nata, Shree Gowda, Baradi, Panchama, Dhanashri,
Karnata, Bhairavee and Shokabaradi.
Thus we see, that classical Odissi music lacks nothing in grammar, rhetoric
or composition to compare with Hindustani or Karnataki styles. It owes much
to Jayadev, the saint-poet, the great composer and illustrious master of classical
music.
The greatest exponents of Odissi music in modern times are the late Singhari
Shyamasundar Kar, Markeandeya Mahapatra, Kashinath Pujapanda, Balakirshan Das,
Bhubaneswari Misra and Shymamani Devi. Who have achieved eminence in classical
music include among others Sunanda Patnaik.
Odissi Dance :
Odissi dance is the typical classical dance form of Orissa and has its origin
in the temples. The rhythm, the bhangis and mudras used in Odissi dance have
a distinctive quality of their own. Odissi dance deals largely with the love
theme of Radha and Krishna. It is a lyrical form of dance with its subtelety
as its keynote.
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Folk Dances :
The Jatra. Pala and Daskarhia represent important aspects of Orissan folk culture
form an integral part of the lives of the rural folk. Today television s these
programmes, thus making the city people conversant with these folk art forms.
Jatra, corresponds to folk theatre. It is the enactment of a play with a cast
and comprises music, dance, acting, singing and dramatic conflict.
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Chhau Dance :
Chhau is an ancient dance form. It originated in the mock fights of the Oriya
paikas (warriors) who fought rhythmically to the accompaniment of indigenous
music instruments The highly Stylised Chhau dance of today follow the basic
principle of the Natya Shastra of Bharat Muni and the Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikeswara.
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Mahari Dance :
Mahari Tradition of the Sri Mandira is the beautiful Parijata flower of art
an history of Utkal. It also makes living by its fragrance and the touch of
nationl. It has been doing so far from the time immoral. It has made the art
of Utkala glorious Mahari tradition is the same and one union of Lord Jagannath
and great Nari Mahari.
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