Utkal Dibasa: Celebrating Odisha, The Soul Of Incredible India

Utkal Dibasa: Celebrating Odisha, The Soul Of Incredible India

Odisha, Utkala, Odra Desha aka Kalinga is a piece of land that sits majestically on the eastern shoreline of India. Blessed with the beauty of a natural heritage that is millions of years old and a cultural tradition that is thousands of years old, this ancient land is truly the soul of Incredible India and has so far been its ‘best kept secret’. Surrounded by the Bay of Bengal on the East, the Western Ghats and the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the North and West and tropical deciduous forests and rolling hills in the North and South, Odisha is a rich biodiversity hotspot where all forms of life have been thriving for eons.

The world knows Odisha for Odissi dance, Pattachitra, Rasagola, Chenna Poda, Rath Yatra, Chilika Lake, The White Tiger. Sambalpuri Patta Saree and a rich tribal culture. However, if you look beyond them, there is more to discover. The sweetness of Odisha is not just restricted to the incredible desserts here, but it permeates the culture and consciousness of the people too. As Odisha celebrates its 85th Foundation Day, My City Links talked to Odias from all over the world and from all walks of life to get a glimpse into the Odia heart and soul and what makes our ‘homeland’ so unique. 

Preeti Pooja, a social media entrepreneur from Odisha who lives in Amsterdam, shared her memories of living in Odisha. ”I am proud of the sense of community that Odias share and how we come together to help each other in times of need. We are really the Phoenix of India and one can see that from the way we have risen from the back breaking devastation of the 1999 super cyclone to become the master of disaster management. It takes a lot to rise from the nadir to reach the zenith and that makes me proud of Odisha.”

She also shared about how unique the socio-cultural ethos of Odisha is and said that she loves the way of living here, where one can walk into their neighbour’s house without really taking any permission. “I think it is something very beautiful and sweet. This truly sets the standard of a community. I remember while growing up, almost everyday we would trade/ share our food with our neighbours and it was a must. I have not seen this anywhere else, whether in India or abroad. I am not in regular touch with many of my family members but I am still in touch with my neighbours who played a big part during my growing up years. That’s the beauty of Odisha,” she shared.

She added, “Odissi music has been a big influence on me. I have a degree in Odissi vocals. When I am away from Odisha, I definitely miss the food. Odisha has the most fascinating street food culture and one can find really good street food for really cheap prices. Chenna Poda, for me, is the crème de la crème of Odia cuisine.”

Sikata Sitiratna, advocate, told MCL what makes her proud of Odisha is that “we are not very rigid about our social structures” as compared to the north or the south of India. “Most Odias are spiritual rather than religious which is why religious violence is very less here compared to other states and it is a very important thing, especially in today’s world where we need more love and tolerance of each other.” she said.

“The other thing that I love about Odias is our love for siesta. We don’t care about the day or the occasion. Post-lunch time is a necessary nap time for us. I used to dislike this but as I keep growing I am able to appreciate it. We are not hooked to material comforts and are more interested in happiness, contentment and peace which are the most essential things in life. We have so many festivities and celebrations (baara maasa tera parba) which speaks volumes about our attitude towards life. Everybody should take a leaf out of our book and learn how to enjoy life,” she said in an introspective tone.

Talking about the things that she misses most when away from Odisha, she said, “When I am away from Odisha, I miss one thing the most and it is khatti (hanging out). I love the vibe and atmosphere around it. Whether you are young or old, every evening you just get out of the house to hangout with your friends over some tea and snacks or whatever your hook is. This just tells you how chilled we are.”

“Some of the things that I find most fascinating about Odisha which nobody else can boast of are that we are the State who hosts the ‘’Lord of the Universe – Jagannath’ and he loves food. Now what can be more cool than this? Also, Jagannath is our navigator or the captain of our ship but our mast or spirit is feminine (Devi). Without this energy it is difficult to find direction. We can see this in our festivals like Raja, the reverence for places of worship of Goddesses and women in general. So much of our traditions revolve around women. Odisha truly is a beautiful place,” she added. 

Sagarika Nath, SP Sundargarh and proud Odia, shared her love for Odisha and everything Odia and said, “One thing about Odias that stands out is that we are very friendly and welcoming, no matter who you are. I love how enterprising we are and that happens because we love and appreciate things. The way we have converted a simple dahibara aludum and rasagola into our cultural identity and culinary legacies is amazing. I am in awe and proud of Odia handlooms. The way we have interwoven our culture into these beautiful and vivid pieces of clothing that are so evocative and expressive is an experience in itself.”

Talking about what she misses when she is away from Odisha, she said, “It has to be the food, especially dahibara aludum and gupchup. One can find gupchup across the length and breadth of India but the flavours of Odia gupchup are a class apart.” She shared her love for beaches and said, “I am in love with our beaches, it always feels like home. There is a unique charm and beauty of our beaches.”

Raj, a cinematographer in Mumbai and a true blue Odia feels that Odias have excelled in every field of work. “I belong to the entertainment industry and I meet a lot of people everyday. Whenever I have mentioned that I am from Odisha, people have shared their beautiful memories of meeting Odias. What attracts most people about Odias is the fact that we are humble, hardworking and simple. This is not just a one off instance but people have said this many times consistently. One will always find hardworking people from all over the world but being humble and simple are very rare.”

”You might call me biased but Odia cuisine is one of the best one can have. Recently my colleagues from Mumbai visited Odisha and had pakhala, macha besara and other delicacies and they were completely blown away. Also we might not have big metropolitan cities like Mumbai or Delhi, but others don’t have the chilled out vibe that we have,” said Raj.

If one makes a list of things that are great about Odisha, it will be exhaustive. Shilpi, a journalist with The Hindu in Hyderabad talked about her love for Odisha and said, “There are so many things that make me proud of my home state Odisha, the land of great temples. Its rich culture extends beyond architectural wonders; such as indigeneous communities, tribal arts, Odissi classical dance, a unique culinary heritage, unique festivals like Raja, the spectacular handloom traditions and who can forget that we had a great maritime tradition and had trade relations with Southeast Asian countries and beyond. The ancient traditions are still celebrated during festivals like Boita Bandana and Bali Jatra. It is incredible that despite such an enviable heritage Odias generally tend to be humble, simple and very much attached to their roots.” 

“The one thing that I miss about Odisha is my family in Bhubaneswar. I have lived outside Odisha for over seven years and last year when I got to spend close to four months at home during the COVID induced lockdown, it was inarguably the best phase of my adult life. Another thing that I miss in Hyderabad is talking in Odia whenever and wherever I please,” she shared.

Ashesh, an aerial cinematographer and a foodie shared what he is proud of about Odisha and said, “I am really proud of the natural heritage that we possess. The landscape here is breathtaking. The range and diversity of the natural beauty we have is very rare to find. I have travelled quite a bit and have visited many places but Bhubaneswar has my heart. Also, being a foodie, I love santula and dalma and it’s purely based on the unique taste palette, simplicity and nostalgia. Happiness is found in simplicity and what can be more simple than Odia cuisine. I feel Odias are like sugar; wherever they go, they jazz up things and make it sweet ”

Swayam, a Market Research Analyst and a travel blogger, shared her love for Odia handlooms and crafts and said, “I am really proud of our rich handlooms and crafts. From Sambalpuri sarees to Pipili’s chanduas, they are all so rich and vibrant. Our crafts are an extension of who we are as Odias; culturally rich, vibrant and joyous. My other loves are Odissi dance and classical music. Odissi has always had my heart and it is one of the most beautiful dance forms I have ever come across.”

She shared her experience from the perspective of a traveller anAd said, “We have so much natural bounty that we should hold on to dearly. Except for desert terrain, Odisha has everything else. As a traveller we always look for hospitality and what can be better when you are welcomed by unknown strangers to their homes with a fresh glass of lembu sharbat (lemonade) and a heart warming smile. Odisha is love!” 

Although Odisha has so many things to be proud of, what makes us stand apart from the rest is our simplicity and love for celebrating life. Happy Utkal Dibasa!