Dance in Orissa is not merely an art form; it has always been a conduit for connecting with the divine since its inception. The carvings in the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves, dating back to the 2nd century BCE, vividly illustrate the historical intertwining of dance with religious practices. Throughout history, the form of divinity associated…
Category: Orissa Travels
Revive: An initiative by Soul India to support Raghurajpur artists
Raghurajpur is a Heritage village near Puri, Orissa. It is a unique village where every house has an artist. There are around 160 artists in this remote village. Raghurajpur is known worldwide for its Performing art Odissi, Gotipua dance (a unique dance form where boys dress up as girls and perform a classical dance to…
What to do, when you visit Puri (Orissa) second time.
Puri, Orissa is, indeed, a place to be visited more than once.When I visited this place for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the magnanimity of lord Jagannath; the beauty of Chilka lake,the history of Konark temple, and serenity of Golden beach. In one go, this was more than I could absorb.The soul of…
“PURE GOLD”- Puri Golden Beach…
When the rising sun and enormous sea playfully gush golden sand, waking up 5 am seems so worthwhile. Sunrise at beaches are always beautiful and magnificent but this golden beach compels us little more to live and little more to experience. I am certainly not a 5 am person and I had to literally drag…
Carrying the legacy forward-Gotipua dancers of Orissa!
Boys dressing up as girls, putting on makeup, and the graceful dance, intrigue many people; but for us, it’s the way to connect with Lord Jagannath, says Jitendra Nayak, a trained Gotipua dancer. 19-year-old Jitendra and his father Guru Gangadhar Nayak were kind enough to invite me to their home, as I was watching their…