Where is the state of orissa in india. Orissa, eastern India - short group tour! Land tenure and land use

Territory of the present state Orissa(capital - city Bhubaneswar) is part of the ancient Kalinga kingdom. In 261 B.C. Kalinga was conquered by the cruel king Ashok. But Kalinga defeated the winner - soon Ashok, pacified by the local nature and life, accepted Buddhism and became a follower of pacifism.

The 7th-13th century was the heyday of architecture for Kalinga, surviving examples of which are scattered throughout the state today. Orissa gained independence in 1936. Today it is mainly an agricultural area, with many small villages and local "holy people". Mining is also developed here. Two-thirds of Orissa's territory is Precambrian rocks containing many minerals, including chromium, iron, vanadium, dolomite, granite, etc.

Best time for visits - between October and March. During this period, the weather here is very pleasant and conducive to travel and relaxation. This is also the time when millions of migratory birds come here from the north to build nests in the forests and lakes of Orissa. The highest temperature is in May-July. At the beginning of autumn there are several weeks of heavy rains.

Orissa stretches along the Bay of Bengal, and its length coastline- 482 km. The beaches of Orissa are famous for having the best white sands in the world.

Puri

Beach Puri- one of four holiest places India. And one of the peaks of the Golden Triangle of Orissa. But today, its golden sands and the crashing waves of the Bay of Bengal attract not only pilgrims, but also tourists from everywhere. The best time to visit is early November. At this time, the traditional Puri festival is held here. Catamaran rides are popular here.

Balighai

The beach is located 8 km from Puri, at the confluence of the Nuanai River into the Bay of Bengal. Surrounded by casuarina grove. There is a research center nearby that studies sea turtles.

Konark

Konark is famous throughout the world for its unique Sun Temple (13th century), which attracts pilgrims from all over the world. Every year in December, a dance festival is held near it in a specially built open theater. The event brings together classical dancers from all over India.

Konark - more calm beach than Puri, but the waters here are more unpredictable, even experienced swimmers must be careful.

Gopalpur

The most popular place for lovers aquatic species sports In the past - seaport, Gopalpur is an ideal beach for sailing and catamaran trips and is surrounded by the ruins of ancient port buildings. Today, colorful dance evenings and parties are held in former warehouses that last until the morning. The beach is favored by wealthy Bengalis from Kolkata.

Recently, with the increase in the flow of tourists, Gopalpur is being rebuilt. New luxury hotels are being built here, the number of souvenir sellers is increasing, and numerous restaurants are opening. But the beach is not yet crowded with vacationers.

Chandipur

Another famous resort Orissa. This unique beach, where twice a day the water retreats 5 kilometers during low tide and then returns to its original position. So here you can watch the sea disappear before your eyes. The low tide leaves behind shells, crabs and other marine life, which are always interesting to look at. The beach is surrounded by sand dunes and casuarina thickets.

If you are tired of sunbathing or swimming in the sea, you can rent a fishing boat and go on a one-day trip along the bay until the Budhabalanga River flows into it. They also offer jeep rides, and professional troupes regularly stage dance performances for vacationers.

Paradip

Paradip is a major seaport playing an important role in Indian trade. The beach is surrounded by coniferous forests. The Mahanadi River delta is home to many picturesque islands and cool streams. Great place for boat trips.

Orissa (Orissa) - a state in eastern India. The capital and largest city is Bhubaneswar.

On the coast Indian Ocean practically absent comfortable places for ports except Paradip. The coastal strip and delta of the Mahanadi River are characterized by exceptionally high fertility. With regular and abundant rainfall, two crops are harvested per year.

The state is famous for its temple complexes - primarily such as Konark, Puri and Bhubaneswar.

Tourists visit mainly Jagannath temple in Puri and the Sun Temple in Konark. The Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneswar is also famous.

The densely populated coastal zone is inhabited primarily by Oriya-speaking peoples. Orissa experiences powerful cyclones. In October 1999, tropical cyclone 05B killed ten thousand people and caused severe destruction.

Orissa has significant mineral deposits and the state is being invested by foreign firms. Orissa has a strong steel and aluminum manufacturing industry. The state has a relatively developed infrastructure. Orissa is also an information technology hub.

The vast majority of the state's population is Hindu, belonging to a wide variety of denominations. Most of them are Shaktas, Shaivites and Vaishnavites. Vaishnavism (another name is Vaishnavism) is especially widespread in Orissa, as one of the greatest shrines of Vaishnavism, the Jagannath Temple in Puri, is located here. Most of the Vaishnavas of Orissa belong to the Bengal branch of Vaishnavism - Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

In 2008, as a result of pogroms in the state, 50 thousand Christians fled their homes, 81 people died, 4,677 houses, 236 churches and 36 monasteries were destroyed and burned.

Peculiar and rich cultural heritage Orissa is felt throughout this small state on east coast subcontinent. The mighty Mahanandi and Brahmani rivers meander down from the densely forested mountains, where the adivasi tribes continue to live their very traditional lives, into the fertile alluvial plains that stretch along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.

Anyone visiting Orissa cannot help but notice the stark contrast between the vibrant temples and monuments of powerful past dynasties and the desperately poor, drought-prone Orissa of today, whose economy is based on rice cultivation. Despite the seemingly idyllic existence of villages with their thatched roofs and whitewashed temple towers, scattered among palm groves and surrounded by green fields, villagers constantly have to contend with destructive and unpredictable cyclone-prone tropical storms. natural conditions, as well as dealing with equally volatile politics.

Sights of Orissa

The coastal plains claim India's highest concentration of historical and religious monuments - the main tourist attractions of Orissa. Puri where is the famous Jagannath temple and one of the most picturesque religious processions, the Rath Yatra, combines the intoxicating intensity of a Hindu pilgrimage center with the most hedonistic pleasures of the beach. Very close, along the main road and railway Kolkata - Chennai, there are many inexpensive hotels, which, together with the laid-back lifestyle here, attract a certain number of wild tourists with backpacks. At Konark, a little further along the coast, are the ruins of the most interesting temple in Orissa. For many years it was hidden under a giant sand dune, its surface is decorated with beautifully preserved sculpture, including several amazing examples of erotica. Ancient rock-cut caves and elegant sandstone temples of bhubaneswar(Bhubaneswar), the capital of the state - often overlooked by tourists - takes you back to the era when this city ruled an entire kingdom stretching from the Ganga delta to the mouth of the Godavari River.

Away from the central “golden triangle”, here tourist places scattered far from each other and foreign tourists little can be said about the Bengalis who travel around coastal Orissa in whole family groups. Those who come to this region usually have some special interest, such as bird and animal watching, temples or tribal culture. In these remote areas, similar passion is needed to defy the odds of minimal infrastructure and over-taxation. public transport. National Park Simlipal National Park, located deep among the sal forests in the far northeast, features picturesque habitats inhabited by tigers, elephants and hundreds of other species of animals, birds and reptiles that have become virtually extinct in more polluted areas. In winter, small islands scattered around the lake Chilika- a huge saltwater lagoon south of Bhubaneswar, become a real paradise for a bird lover. Further north, at the end of Orissa's river delta, is the Bhita Kanika Sanctuary, a secluded stretch of beach that is home to the breeding masses of giant olive sea turtles that migrate here in February and March from the South American coast.

Judging by the number of temples, pilgrims and roadside altars in Orissa, one might easily think that Hinduism was the only religion here. But in fact, almost a quarter of the population belongs to the adivasi, or tribes (literally “first inhabitants”), which are supposedly descended from the pre-Aryan aborigines who lived in the area. In the most inaccessible parts of the state, such as the nearly impenetrable mountainous region that runs the length of the interior, many of these groups have maintained unique cultural traditions and languages. However, the scourge of “ethnic” tourism is the latest intrusion into the Adivasi way of life following dam builders, missionaries and “development programs” initiated by the state government. Hotels and travel agencies all over Puri offer “tribal tours” for large number dollars, from which nothing ever trickles down to the Adivasi villages themselves.

Orissa State It enjoys a fairly favorable climate for most of the year, with average temperatures ranging from 17°C between November and March, to a tolerable summer temperature of 32°C, although it can be humid. The monsoon begins to blow around mid-June, just in time for the Rath Yatra festival. The best time to visit is during the cool winter months, especially during Makar Sankranti in January, when Orissa's villages celebrate the end of the harvest with colorful festivities.

Getting around Orissa is relatively easy as long as you stick to the more populated coastal areas. National Highway 5 and Southeast Railway, which run along the coastal plain through Bhubaneswar, are the main transport arteries of the region. There is also a metre-wide side track that extends all the way to Puri, from where direct trains often depart to Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. In other places, the best way to get around is by bus. Regular government buses and private buses that are constantly expanding their routes ply along all major roads and reach most more remote areas.

ORISSA's distinctive and rich cultural heritage is felt throughout this small state on the eastern coast of the subcontinent. The mighty Mahanandi and Brahmani rivers meander down from the densely forested mountains, where the adivasi tribes continue to live their very traditional lives, into the fertile alluvial plains that stretch along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.

Anyone visiting Orissa cannot help but notice the stark contrast between the vibrant temples and monuments of powerful past dynasties and the desperately poor, drought-prone Orissa of today, whose economy is based on rice cultivation. Despite the seemingly idyllic existence of villages with their thatched roofs and whitewashed temple towers, scattered among palm groves and surrounded by green fields, villagers must constantly contend with destructive and unpredictable cyclone-prone tropical environments, as well as dealing with equally unstable politics.

The coastal plains claim India's highest concentration of historical and religious monuments - the main tourist attractions of Orissa. Where is Puri? famous temple Jagannath and hosts one of the most picturesque religious processions, the Rath Yatra, combines the intoxicating intensity of a Hindu pilgrimage center with the most hedonistic pleasures of the beach. Not far away, along the main road and railway from Kolkata to Chennai, there are many inexpensive hotels, which, together with the laid-back lifestyle here, attract a certain number of wild tourists with backpacks. At Konarak, a little further along the coast, are the ruins of the most interesting temple in Orissa. For many years it was hidden under a giant sand dune, its surface is decorated with perfectly preserved sculpture, including some amazing examples of erotica. The ancient rock-cut caves and ornate sandstone temples of Bhubaneswar, the state capital - often overlooked by tourists - take you back to an era when the city ruled a kingdom stretching from the Ganga delta to the mouth of the Godavari River.

Far from the central “golden triangle”, here tourist places are scattered far from each other and there are few foreign tourists, which cannot be said about the Bengalis who travel around coastal Orissa in entire family groups. Those who come to this region usually have some special interest, such as bird and animal watching, temples or tribal culture. In these remote areas, similar passion is needed to defy the odds of minimal infrastructure and overtaxed public transport. Simlipal National Park, deep among the sal forests in the far northeast, features spectacular habitats inhabited by tigers, elephants and hundreds of other species of animals, birds and reptiles that have become virtually extinct in more polluted areas. In winter, the small islands scattered across Chilika Lake, a huge brackish lagoon south of Bhubaneswar, become a bird lover's paradise. Further north, at the end of Orissa's river delta, is the Bhita Kanika Sanctuary, a secluded stretch of beach that is home to the breeding masses of giant olive sea turtles that migrate here in February and March from the South American coast.

Judging by the number of temples, pilgrims and roadside altars in Orissa, one might easily think that Hinduism was the only religion here. But in fact, almost a quarter of the population belongs to the adivasi, or tribes (literally “first inhabitants”), which are supposedly descended from the pre-Aryan aborigines who lived in the area. In the most inaccessible parts of the state, such as the nearly impenetrable mountainous region that runs the length of the interior, many of these groups have maintained unique cultural traditions and languages. However, the scourge of “ethnic” tourism is the latest intrusion into the Adivasi way of life following dam builders, missionaries and “development programs” initiated by the state government. Hotels and travel agencies all over Puri offer “tribal tours” for large amounts of dollars, of which nothing ever trickles down to the Adivasi villages themselves.

Orissa enjoys a fairly favorable climate for most of the year, with average temperatures ranging from 17°C between November and March, to a tolerable summer temperature of 32°C, although it can be humid. The monsoon begins to blow around mid-June, just in time for the start of the Rath Yatra festival. The best time to visit is during the cool winter months, especially during Makar Sankranti in January, when Orissa's villages celebrate the end of the harvest with colorful festivities.

Getting around is relatively easy as long as you stick to the more populated coastal areas. National Highway 5 and the South Eastern Railway, which run along the coastal plain through Bhubaneswar, are the main transport arteries of the region. There is also a metre-wide side track that extends all the way to Puri, from where direct trains often depart to Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. In other places, the best way to get around is by bus. Regular government buses and private buses that are constantly expanding their routes ply along all major roads and reach most more remote areas.

Historical facts

By the 7th century Orissa has already achieved a strong position. Over the next five hundred years, successive powerful and prosperous Hindu dynasties ruled the region and produced some of the finest artistic and architectural works in South Asian history. When in the 12th century. The Eastern Gangas came to power and this “golden age” reached its zenith. Receiving significant profits from a thriving trading network(which extended as far east as Indonesia), the kings of the Ganga dynasty erected magnificent temples at Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konarak, in which the worship of Shiva and the secret tantric rites followed by the early rulers of Orissa gave way to new forms of worship of Vishnu. The Puri sanctuary, dedicated to the most famous deity of the ruling dynasty - Lord Jagannath, had by this time become one of the four holiest religious centers in India.

With the exception of the brief invasion of Feruz Sultan in the 14th century, Hinduism in Orissa was largely unaffected by the Muslim occupation of Bihar and Bengal. This luck, however, was not destined to last. In the 15th century Afghans from Bengal annexed the region, with Man Singh's Mughal army hot on their heels in 1592. It is a miracle that at least a few medieval Hindu monuments escaped destruction by militant religious fanatics; fortunately this happened, although non-Hindus have since never been allowed to enter most of the holy temples in Puri and Bhubaneswar. In 1751, the Marathas from western India ousted the Mughals and began to rule the region themselves. The East India Company, meanwhile, also carried out raids in the coastal areas and, 28 years after Clive's victory at Plassey in 1765, Orissa finally fell into British dependence.

Since Independence, the state has developed rapidly. The discovery of reserves of coal, bauxite, iron ore and other minerals stimulated significant industrial growth and infrastructure improvements. Yet despite this urban progress, Orissa remains a poor agrarian state, heavily dependent on agriculture, unable to provide for the basic needs of its 32 million people. Orissa's transition into the new millennium has not been smooth: recent political instability and the October 1999 “super cyclone” that swept through the northern and central coastal plains have caused significant damage to the people of Orissa, resulting in despair.

Holidays

1. Makar Mela (mid Jan). Pilgrims throng the tiny island on Lake Chilika to make votive offerings in the cave of the goddess Kali.
2. Adivasi Mela (Jan 26 - Feb 1). This tribal fair in Bhubaneswar is a disappointing mix of Coney Island and an agricultural show, although there is good live music and dancing to be had.
3. Magha Saptami (Jan and Feb). During the full moon phase of the month of Magha, the small pond at Chandrabhaga beach near Konarak is thronged with thousands of devotees. This is a festival in honor of Surya, the sun god who also cures skin diseases.
4. Panashankanti (early April). IN different regions On the first day of the month of Vaisakh, penitents dressed in saffron-colored robes carry peacock feathers, go into a trance and walk on hot coals.
5. Chaitra Parba (Sep Apr). The Santhals, the largest of Orissa's numerous Adivasi ethnic groups, perform dances at Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, northern Orissa. Some fishing castes also perform “horse dances,” which involve the use of wooden horse costumes, the beating of drums, and parades through the streets.
6. Ashokastami (April and May). Chariot Festival of Bhubaneswar (procession of temple chariots) when the deity Lingaraja takes a dip in the Bindu Sagar pond.
7. Shitalashastha (May and June). The wedding celebrations of Shiva and Parvati taking place in Sambalpur and Bhubaneswar.
8. Rath Yatra (June and July). The largest and grandest of the festivals of Orissa. Gigantic images of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra make the sacred journey from the Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Mandir in Puri.
9. Badi Yatra (Nov and Dec). Dedicated to the travels of Orissa traders to Indonesia. Takes place during the full moon on the banks of the Mahanadi River in Cuttack.
10. Konarak Festival (early December). A classical dance festival where dance forms from Orissa and other states of India are showcased at the Sun Temple in Konark.

The Oriya people inhabit the state of Orissa. The new state of Orissa, according to the administrative division of the country carried out by the government of the Republic of India in 1956, included the former province of British India Orissa and a number of principalities, most of which were previously united under the common name “Principles of Orissa”.

The modern state of Orissa consists of 17 districts, total area it is about 150 thousand km 2. Orissa is inhabited by 32.2 million people (data presented for 1992). The population density is 114 people per km2. About 50 thousand live in Bangladesh. The city of Bhubaneswar is the capital of the state.

The vast majority of Orissa's population is Oriya.

The main language of Orissa is Oriya (Audhri, or Utkali); it was spoken in 1951 by over 13 million people (82% of the state's population). Moreover, Oriya is the second language of almost 1 million people in Bihar.

The Oriya language belongs to the eastern group of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages.

As a result of long-term contact between Oriya and Bengalis, the Bengali language had a noticeable influence on the Oriya language, mainly on its vocabulary. Sometimes Oriya was even mistakenly called a dialect of Bengal. The closeness of these languages ​​is explained by the fact that they both go back to Magadha Prakrit.

The Oriya language has its own written language, although based on Devanagari, but significantly different in the rounded shape of the letters from the writing of other Indo-Aryan languages ​​(until relatively recently, in the last century, palm leaves served as the main material for writing, and a metal stylus was used for writing).

Telugu is spoken in Orissa by about 350 thousand people in the southern districts of the state. Urdu and Hindi, unlike some other states of India, are not particularly widespread in Orissa - the number of speakers of these languages ​​is approximately 185 thousand people, these are mainly immigrants from the north. In the mountainous districts of the state in the territory former principalities The so-called tribal languages ​​are widespread: Santali (334 thousand people), Kondh, Savara and others.

Story

Information about the ancient history of the Oriyas on the territory of modern Orissa is extremely scarce. The earliest written monuments in the Oriya language date back to the 13th century AD. These are the Brahmin archives of the Jangannath Temple in Puri, which are bundles of palm leaves with texts that contain very fragmentary information about the Oriya past.

Orissa appears in all early historical monuments under the Sanskrit name odra-desha - “country of the Odra people”. Of the many interpretations and translations of the word "odra", meaning the name of one of the flowers growing in the jungles of Orissa.

The second, no less common name of Orissa (also Sanskrit) is utkala - desha, that is, “the country of the utkala people” (utkala is the second ethnic name of the Oriya people, which has now become quite widespread. In the literature and even in the press, the state of Orissa is often called Utkal .), which translates as “wonderful country” or “remote country” (meaning, apparently, its distance from the Ganges).

The political history of the territory of Orissa from the time of the arrival of the Oriyas here until the 4th century BC is little known. Orissa was not one of the 16 so-called Mahajanapadas - early states that emerged by the 6th century BC.

In the 3rd century BC, Kalinga (as the area roughly corresponding to modern Orissa was then called) formed part of Ashoka's powerful empire. In the Puri district, south of Bhubaneswar, one of the “pillars of Ashoka” was found - a stone column with the text of his edicts carved on it. Buddhism became widespread in Orissa by this time.

In the 4th-5th century AD, Orissa was part of the Gupta Empire.

In the early 7th century AD, Orissa was conquered by the Kanauj ruler Harsha.

The 10th century in the history of Orissa was marked by the heyday of Shaivism. In the 8th-13th centuries, such large architectural monuments of Hinduism were created as temples in Konarak, Bhubaneswar, Puri and many others.

In the 12th-15th centuries, Vaishnavism became widespread.

For several centuries, Orissa was subject to invasion by the conquering armies of the Delhi Sultans and the Muslim rulers of Bengal. From the 16th century, invasions became especially frequent. In the second half of the 16th century, Orissa came under the rule of the Afghan Sur dynasty, which ruled Bengal. The last independent Raja of Orissa was overthrown. Orissa was under Afghan rule until 1592, when it became a province of the Mongol Empire.

In 1751, Orissa was conquered by the Marathas. The Marathas did not introduce any own administration or special system of governance in this outlying province.

After a great military campaign undertaken by the British against the Marathas, Orissa came under the rule of the British in 1803, who immediately established their administration there. During the time of British rule, the territory of Orissa was subjected to repeated administrative redistributions and until 1912, together with Bihar, formed part of the large British province of Bengal.

The oppression of foreign conquerors gave rise to Oriya movements for national independence and autonomy. The idea of ​​uniting all areas with an Oriya-speaking population into one province gained great popularity. The movement covered all sections of the population of Orissa. His demands were formulated and put forward at a special congress - the United Utkal Conference in 1903.

In 1912, the territory of modern Orissa was separated from Bengal and, together with Bihar, formed a new province - Bihar and Orissa. The Oriyas, as might be expected, were not satisfied with this half-measure and the movement for the separation of Orissa continued. It especially intensified during the revolutionary upsurge in India in 1918-1922.

In January 1936, Bihar and Orissa were divided into two independent provinces. The struggle for the allocation of Oriya-speaking territories into a separate state lasted for about 30 years and in many respects merged with the all-Indian struggle for independence. The newly formed province of Orissa included 26 autonomous principalities: Orissa proper, namely the districts of Cuttack, Balasore and Puri (the largest principality was Mairbhanj); some border areas of Madras; small areas separated from the Central Provinces. However, Oriya-speaking areas remained outside the state: Singhbhum in Bihar, Midnapur in West Bengal, Rayarh and others in Madhya Pradesh.

New administrative division country, carried out in 1950 by the Indians themselves after gaining independence, changed these administrative boundaries. The new state of Orissa expanded significantly due to the annexation of the feudal principalities of eastern India, which were previously part of the Chattisgarh agency; The government of Orissa also took over the administration of the princely state of Mayurbhanj. After the liquidation of the feudal princely states in 1956, Orissa became a single state within the Republic of India.

Large-scale industry in the state began to develop only during the years of independence, and therefore at the end of the 50s the working class did not yet play the role in the political life of Orissa that it played at that time in the neighboring states of Andhra and Bengal.

The state of Orissa is located in a wide elongated strip along the coast of the Bay of Bengal (length sea ​​coast Orissa is about 500 kilometers away) and is located in the tropical zone of India.

Material culture

Industry.

Industry in Orissa is very poorly developed. During the British Raj, no factories were built here, and the industry of this province was represented by only a small number of factories, small handicraft enterprises and craft workshops for the production of metal products and hand-woven products, as well as a few rice mills and oil mills.

It was only with independence that attention was paid to the development of natural resources and industrial development in Orissa. The Government of India is taking a number of measures for this.

In recent years, the paper industry (the main raw material is bamboo), cement, textile, and partly the sugar industry have begun to develop.

A large enterprise is a metallurgical plant in the city of Rourkela.

Of particular note is the growth of the mining industry. Orissa, along with Bihar, has the most valuable iron ore in India. Deposits of high-quality iron ores containing up to 60% iron are developed in Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj. Recently, iron was also found in Cuttack district. Orissa has 20% of India's total manganese reserves. Coal, mica, and high-quality chrome ore are also mined here (albeit in small quantities). The annexation of the former feudal hill principalities gave Orissa regions rich in mineral resources.

The Indian government, drawing up an all-Indian plan for industrial construction, provided for the construction of a number of facilities that would ensure the economic development of Orissa in the near future.

Opportunities also opened up for the widespread use of river energy and the richest forest resources of backward mountainous regions: timber rafted along the Mahanadi River, mulberry trees.

In accordance with the plans for the development of the Indian economy, the construction of a large hydroelectric complex using the energy of the Mahanadi River has been carried out in Orissa. The first and second phases of this hydroelectric complex have already been completed - the Hirakud Dam with two power plants, which made the Mahanadi River navigable for 500 kilometers.

The power plants provided energy not only to Orissa, but also to many parts of Madhya Pradesh and the eastern parts of Bombay.

An important factor for the development of the economy of this state is the construction of the largest hydroelectric complex on the Damodar River in Bihar, which provides electricity to the industry in the northern regions of Orissa.

The industrial development of certain areas entails some changes in ethnic composition population. The influx of migrants from other regions of Orissa and neighboring states, mutual contacts between representatives of different peoples, tribes and castes lead to their rapprochement and the gradual erasure of ethnic differences between them.

Agriculture.

The agricultural potential of Orissa is very great. Orissa has a very large reserve of fallow lands, which can be successfully converted into cultivable fields. The sown area can be increased by approximately 50%. More effective use of favorable climatic and soil conditions can increase agricultural productivity. There is, for example, every opportunity to grow three rice crops in one year: winter, autumn and summer. But so far, even two harvests a year are harvested from only 1/3 of the entire cultivated area.

Lack of fertilizers and technical backwardness of Orissa's agriculture are the reason for the low yield of the main crop - rice.

And yet, despite the low technology of agriculture, Orissa is one of the few states in India that has some food surplus, mainly grains.

Rice occupies a dominant position in the economy of Orissa. Of the total cultivated area of ​​Orissa, approximately 90% is occupied by rice. It is cultivated by 80% of the state's population. They also sow millet, legumes, corn and wheat, and plant vegetables. However, these crops have an insignificant share in Orissa's agriculture. After most of Bengal went to Pakistan, jute production increased. Sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, and oilseeds are cultivated in Orissa. Widely distributed in coastal areas coconut tree and palmyra is less common. There are many betel plantations throughout Orissa.

The well-being of the Orissa peasant depends almost entirely on the winter rice harvest, and the cultivation of the rice field naturally takes central place among other peasant works. As in other parts of India, the cycle of agricultural work associated with sowing, tending and harvesting the winter rice crop takes about six months.

In May, after the rains begin, the field is prepared for planting. The land is plowed two to four times, and sowing is done in June. In July and August, rice is replanted. In areas located near the sea coast, the transplant date is postponed until September. Transplanted rice requires almost no weeding and, as a rule, does not require artificial irrigation. Harvest begins in November and ends in January in some places. The rice, compressed almost to the root, is left in the field for about a week and only after that is tied into sheaves.

Next comes threshing. There are two methods of threshing: beating grain by hand and threshing with oxen. The first method is used in cases where they want to preserve rice straw for weaving, roofing, etc.; in the second case, the straw goes to the cattle.

Winnowing is done manually using a special wicker tray.

In addition to winter rice, so-called autumn rice is also grown; its ripening period is four months (from May to September - October).

In some areas in Orissa, a third crop is grown - “summer” rice: this rice is sown in January - February, harvested in May - June.

Thus, growing rice alone, not to mention other crops, practically stretches over the entire year. However, between individual periods of this cycle there are breaks that are used for other household work. The longest break occurs during the period when transplanting is completed and rice ripening begins. It was at this time that peasants were engaged in repairing agricultural equipment, preparing fuel and other household chores.

On the territory of Orissa, especially in the western and northern regions, there are large forests (their total area is about 40 thousand km 2). Forests are distinguished by a wide variety of tree species. Here, peasants prepare firewood, building materials (sal and sundari trees, date palms), medicinal herbs, shrubs and herbs for weaving baskets and mats, and for covering the roof. Some Oriyas engage in fishing, and they catch fish not only in the sea and rivers, but also in flooded rice fields, where they are specially bred.

Otkhodnichestvo is developed among peasants. Once the winter rice harvest has been harvested and there is a lull in field work (usually in February), farmers move outside their area in search of temporary work.

Settlements, dwellings.

The vast majority of Oriyas live in villages. The percentage of urban population in Orissa is less than in all other states (except Assam). In 1961 urban population made up 6.4% of the state's total population. There is only one large city– Cuttack (population about 150 thousand people) and about 30 small towns with a population of 5 to 50 thousand people each. About one-third of the state's urban population is concentrated in three cities - Cuttack, Berghampur and Puri. In recent years, 30 kilometers from the former capital, the city of Cuttack, the city of Bhubaneswar has been rapidly growing - new capital Orissa.

The main type of Oriya settlements are small villages (with a population of less than 500 people). There are relatively few large villages here: only about 240 villages have between 1,000 and 2,000 inhabitants.

Rural settlements are usually the same in area (2-3 kilometers2). During the British rule, for the sake of more convenient collection of taxes, the British administration introduced a territorial administrative unit - mauza - in Orissa. The whole of Orissa was divided into a certain number of mausas. Each mauza included one or more Oriya settlements located within the boundaries of this administrative unit. Currently, one mauza is essentially one village.

Almost all Oriya villages are located in groves, most often palm trees. The houses are almost invisible due to the dense greenery. In such villages there are usually no streets and houses are located randomly.

Oriya houses are usually built large. Each house has two or three, and sometimes more, interconnecting dark rooms; The rooms facing the street have small windows.

Houses usually have two doors, one leading to the street and the other leading to the yard. Most houses have small verandas. Houses are often made of mud concrete; smeared, unbleached walls of houses are often painted with white paint.

There is a yard near each house, but the yard is not always fenced. Outbuildings in each yard are adjacent to residential building and together with it they border the yard on three sides. In every yard there is a tilsi bush, revered throughout India as sacred. A home altar is usually built under this bush.

Here, in the courtyard, you can also see a temporary fireplace, complementing the permanent kitchen. The kitchen is a separate building adjacent to the house. It is dark, with a carefully smeared earthen floor, and very clean. Unlike many peoples of India, the Oriyas do not keep images of gods in their kitchens.

Near the peasant houses there are garden plots where vegetables are grown. Betel nut is especially widely grown. In special fenced areas, a special mesh of twigs is installed, along which betel nuts climb.

The staple food of the Oriyas has always been rice. Rice boiled in water, seasoned with salt and vegetables is a traditional Oriya dish. Among the seasonings they most often use red pepper and turmeric root.

Fish, which is found in numerous rivers and lakes of Orissa, occupies a large place in the diet. Lake Chilka is especially rich in fish, remarkable in that from December to June the water in it is salty, and during the rainy season it becomes fresh.

Many Oriyas eat not only fish, but also lamb or goat meat. This applies even to some members of such “high” castes as the Brahmins and Karanas.

The vast majority of Oriyas do not eat hot food during the day, which, as a rule, is cooked once a day - in the evening. The boiled rice left over from dinner is eaten cold the next morning.

And yet, despite the apparent diversity of food, rice seems to be so predominant that beriberi disease, caused by vitamin B1 deficiency, occurs in Orissa.

The basis of the Oriya men's costume, as throughout India, is a short dhoti, which sometimes looks like a narrow loincloth. Men are often seen dressed in a long white dhoti and shirt.

In cool weather, they throw something like a cotton shawl over their shoulders, while wealthier people wear a woolen blanket.

Women wear all-Indian homespun saris, white or red-brown in color with a dark border. They cover their heads from the sun with the free end of the sari. Regardless of their financial status, Orissa women wear a lot of jewelry, among which nose earrings are common - not only in both nostrils, but also in the nasal septum.

Shoes (usually sandals) are worn mainly by city dwellers.

Spiritual culture

The religious composition of the population of Orissa, in contrast to most other states of India, is uniform.

95% of the inhabitants profess Judaism, approximately 2% of the population professes Islam, and there are only a few thousand Christians in Orissa. Some animistic beliefs also persist, especially among the small peoples of Orissa.

Orissa has long been considered a sacred land - the abode of Hinduism. The Muslim conquerors are even credited with the following saying relating to Orissa: “This country is not subject to conquest. It belongs exclusively to the gods."

Orissa is characterized by a huge number of religious institutions served by an army of clergy. It is enough to cross the Baitarani River to feel the special atmosphere of this region of India. On the right bank of the river, temples dedicated to Shiva appear one after another. Next comes the city of Jajpur (which means “city of sacrifice”), which is the center of worship of Shiva’s wife, Kali.

Other attractions of Orissa are the caves in the Khandagiri and Uydagiri mountains, dating back to the 2nd century BC, the Lingaraj Shaivite temple in Bhubaneswar, built in the 7th century, and the Sun Temple at Konarak (mid-13th century).

In addition to Hindu temples and shrines, Orissa has many Buddhist monuments, including 10 stupas, which are considered the site of Buddha's sermons. Buddhism itself has long disappeared here.

Many pilgrims flock to Orissa from the most distant parts of the country; The center of pilgrimage is the city of Puri, where the largest Vaishnava temple of Jagannath is located. Thousands of Puri residents live directly or indirectly at the expense of the believers. The influx of believers is especially large during the Rath Jatra holiday - the festival of the chariot or, more precisely, the procession of the chariot (rath means chariot, jatra means journey). This major Hindu festival, which is the most significant of all the annual festivals celebrated in Puri, falls in the month of June-July (according to the Indian calendar, the month of Ashadha). In no other place in India is it celebrated as widely and with such complete ritual as here, although it is celebrated in other states as well.

Under the name of Jagannath, the ruler of the world, the god Krishna is revered. The main ritual of the Rakht Jatra holiday, the chariot festival, is that a large wooden image of Krishna, as well as his brother Balarama and sister Subhadra, who are also considered gods, are taken out of the temple and taken on large chariots, accompanied by believers, to another temple located approximately two kilometers from the Jagannath Temple. Here the images of the gods remain for eight days. After this period, they are again placed on the chariot and, also accompanied by a huge cheering crowd, are returned to the first temple.

It is a very common belief among Hindus that whoever is fortunate enough to see the image of Jagannath during these processions will avoid an unfortunate rebirth in his second birth.

This journey of Jagannath from the temple and back reproduces one of the episodes in the life of Krishna. Indian myth says that as a child, Krishna was brought up in Gokla by the shepherd Naida. One day, he and his brother Balarama went to Mathura to deal with the evil king of Mathura, Kansa. In Mathura, Krishna performed one of his feats - he killed Kansa and after that returned to Gokula.

The removal of the image of Krishna and his brother to another place for a while and then its ceremonial return to the temple symbolizes this journey from Gokula to Mathura and back.

Due to the large crowd of believers eager to see the image of Jagannath, the holiday sometimes stretches for two weeks.

Hindu temples and others places of worship, so numerous in Orissa, are interesting not only as centers of the Hindu religion, but also as monuments of art.

Literature and public education.

The most ancient written monuments in the Oriya language date back to approximately the 13th century (sometimes they date back to the 9th century). The oral and written Oriya language, close to the modern one, took shape in the 14th century.

For five centuries (from the 14th to the 19th century), Orissa literature developed in the same direction as all Indian literature, retaining only some local features: writers in their work reflected the themes of the largest ancient literary monuments of India - the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas.

Based on these monuments, a huge number of literary works of various genres were created. There are at least 12 versions of the Orissa Ramayana and three versions of the Mahabharata, not counting countless smaller literary works that use elements of these stories.

Since the 19th century, Orissa literature has moved from religion and mysticism to themes of today's life. The growing activity of Indian peoples in the political and economic life of the country has also given rise to new literature.

The founder of modern Orissa literature is considered to be Fakirmohan Senapati (1843-1918), whose works, like those of his colleagues and contemporaries Radhanath Roy and Madhushudan Rao, mark the beginning of a new period in the history of Orissa literature.

Senatapi was not only a writer, but also a prominent public figure. Coming from a working class background, Senatapi nevertheless managed to get an education and was the first publisher and pioneer of the publishing industry in Orissa.

Since the end of the 19th century, a number of Orissa writers, poets, playwrights have appeared, whose works reflect the complex and difficult situation in which the Oriya people found themselves during the colonial regime, and testify to the growth of Oriya national self-awareness, their struggle for national independence and unity.

In colonial India, the possibilities for the development of national Orisa literature, as well as national Orisa culture in general, were very limited. Only recently has the cultural life of the Oriya people begun to revive intensively. In 1959, 124 different newspapers were published in Orissa (instead of two weekly in the thirties), of which 70 newspapers were published in the Oriya language. And in the city of Cuttack two theaters were opened.

According to the 1961 Indian Census, 21.5% of the population in Orissa was literate.

Currently, a lot of work is being done in Orissa to improve the literacy of the population. By the mid-fifties, there were about 18 thousand educational institutions (mostly primary schools) with a total number of students of over 800 thousand people.

If at the beginning of the 20th century there was not a single higher educational institution in Orissa, then by the beginning of the sixties Orissa had 34 higher educational institutions of various profiles. Center higher education for Oriya is Utkal University in the city of Cuttack, where over 8 thousand students study. The university has 24 colleges that train specialists in economics, history, philology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. Currently, the Oriya people have a large national intelligentsia.

Crafts. Among the Oriyas, artistic metalworking is widely developed, which has very long traditions. The center of artistic processing of gold and silver is Cuttack. Oriya filigree jewelry is used to deserved fame not only throughout India, but also far beyond its borders. The silver wire produced here is very elegant and thin - up to 35 meters of wire are made from one silver coin (rupee). In recent years, the production of various artistic products made from horn has also become increasingly widespread.

A common type of artistic craft in Orissa is carving, especially stone carving, which has reached high perfection here.

Social culture

The main Oriya rituals, like those of other Indian peoples professing Hinduism, are associated with the birth of a child, wedding, and funeral.

On the birthday of a child, the ritual of janmadina (literally “birthday”) is performed. Parents invite relatives and neighbors to visit, and gifts are presented to the brahmana and neighbors. The village astrologer must accurately record the time of birth of the child, and subsequently this day is celebrated annually.

On the sixth day after the birth of the child, the Shastha ceremony takes place in honor of the goddess Shastha, who, as the patroness, is credited with great influence on the fate of the child. At the same time, a horoscope is drawn up.

The next bararatra ceremony is celebrated on the twelfth day after the birth of the child (for girls only); Its meaning is to perform cleansing ceremonies for the newborn’s family. The same purification ceremony for boys is performed on the twenty-first day after birth (in this case it is called ekoisa). Only after this can the child be shown to strangers. The first feeding of rice to the baby, which usually occurs between the seventh and ninth months after birth, is the occasion for a new ceremony - annaprasam. The moment of piercing girls' ears (karnabhed) is also solemnly celebrated. Wealthy families celebrate the beginning of a boy's literacy education with a special ceremony.

The initiation of children into religious life, a kind of initiation of a child, is celebrated with a Namkaran ceremony performed by a spiritual mentor - a guru. The time for this ritual is not precisely defined, but it is obligatory before marriage.

And finally, the last rite that precedes marriage and completes the period of education is the brother’s ceremony, performed only for boys of the “highest” castes aged 9 to 13 years - the presentation of the sacred thread of the “twice-born”. This ritual is very expensive and places a heavy burden on the families of Brahmins, for whom it is absolutely obligatory and who are not always able to bear this expense. In Orissa, the sacred thread of the “twice-born” is also worn by men of the Khandait caste, although they do not perform the brother ceremony in childhood.

The next important event in the life of a Hindu is a wedding, which is accompanied by a number of rituals, performed to a greater or lesser extent by all Oriyas, regardless of caste.

The parents of the bride and groom, as elsewhere in India, sometimes agree on the marriage of their children long before the wedding. The groom's parents give gifts to the bride in the period preceding marriage. Among some castes, the custom of paying a bride price is widespread. Wedding ceremonies are performed both in the house of the groom and in the house of the bride; they are attended by relatives of both parties, neighbors, and fellow villagers. The wedding ends with the bride's solemn transition to the house of the groom's parents, where she remains to live.

Widow marriage practically exists in Orissa, although it is considered undesirable in the Brahmin and Karana castes. It is preferable for the young widow to marry younger brother husband, and if there is none, she can marry into another family. Only a man who has already been married before can marry a widow, in other words, a widow cannot be the first wife.

Compliance with all wedding rites and ceremonies, the custom of making gifts, payment for the bride and other numerous expenses associated with the wedding, as well as the performance of other rituals, require large financial costs. They save money for a wedding for years, and yet they rarely manage without debt.

Considerable importance is attached to the observance of funeral rites, correct from the point of view of Hinduism. The Oriyas, like all Hindus, burn their dead in funeral pyres. For 10 days after the death of a person, his family is considered unclean and should not communicate with anyone. And only after performing the purification ceremony of prayashchitta, the family becomes a full member of society.

Land tenure and land use.

The land tenure system in Orissa is somewhat different from that of neighboring Bihar and Bengal, despite the fact that they formed one province for a long time. This is apparently explained by the fact that Orissa was not covered by the act of the British government, carried out in Bengal and partly in Bihar in 1793, the law on permanent zamindari, since Orissa came under the rule of the British ten years after this reform. Orissa had a temporary zamindari law.

However, the disastrous consequences of land legislation were ultimately the same for all three provinces . In Orissa, peasant land owners were turned into tenants of state and landed estates without firm lease conditions.

The dispossession of the peasantry of Orissa during the British Raj assumed alarming proportions. According to the 1921 census, the size of the cultivated area per household in Bihar and Orissa averaged 1.24 hectares, which means it was significantly less than in other provinces (in Bombay, for example, 4.9 hectares). But by 1951, the average area per person in Orissa was already 0.32 hectares.

In 1931, agricultural workers in Orissa constituted 1/3 of the total agricultural population of the province. By the time of the formation of the Indian Republic, the number of landless peasants who turned into agricultural workers hired for temporary and permanent work in rich farms became even greater. Until recently, among the Oriyas there were also so-called chakars - people who fell into debt bondage. In recent years, some peasants have been leaving villages and going to work in industrial areas and cities not only in Orissa, but also in the neighboring states of Bengal and Bihar. Here they work as miners, coolies, palanquin bearers, etc.

The land reform and a number of other measures carried out in Orissa, as throughout India after independence, to some extent halted the process of landlessness among Orissa peasants. However, the land issue has not yet been finally resolved.

Castes.

In Orissa, as in the rest of India, the caste system still remains, although it is not as strong as, for example, in neighboring Madras or Bengal. A foreigner in Orissa can become a member of the “lower” castes, and members of the “lower” castes can sometimes move into the “higher” castes. Marriages are possible not only between members of socially equal castes, but also between “higher” and “lower” castes.

The great vitality of the caste system is especially felt in villages where many caste regulations and laws are still observed, including such as the custom of inheriting one’s father’s profession, which is already disappearing among other peoples of modern India. True, this is caused more by vital necessity, economic need, rather than by any strict caste laws. But if there are several sons in the family of a village barber or washerwoman, then only one or two continue to follow their father’s profession, and the rest usually go to the city and do any kind of work there.

The main Oriya castes are Brahmans, Khandait, Gaura, Ghasa, Kolta, Karan.

The largest Oriya caste - Khandait (in 1931 it numbered over 1 million people) is divided into two subcastes: one includes farmers, the other includes village guards and security. The first subcaste predominates in the caste and generally occupies a high social position, almost equal to the “twice-born” Rajputs. Members of this caste are especially numerous in Cuttack district, where they constitute approximately 25% of the state's population.

Of the other agricultural Oriya castes, noteworthy is the small but relatively prosperous Kolta caste, which occupies a high position and owns the best lands, mainly on the border of Orissa and Bihar. The third agricultural caste is the Ghasa, sometimes called Mahishya.

The pastoral castes, known in India under the general name of Gaola, occupy an almost equal social position with farmers. In Orissa this caste is called Gaura. Its members at present are essentially the same farmers as the representatives of the agricultural castes.

The percentage of so-called “oppressed” castes (meaning “untouchables”) in Orissa is slightly lower than the average for all of India. According to the 1951 census, they made up about 15% of the state's population.

In the coastal districts of Orissa there is a small community of Chamars who are now engaged in basket weaving and palm sap extraction, although their traditional occupation is leather processing, shoe making and mending.

Among the “lower” Oriya castes, as elsewhere in India, there is a desire to improve their social position in society by moving to a “higher” caste. This is done in various ways. One of them is marriages with members of a “higher” caste or subcastes, which is only possible for people with means. So, for example, in Puri there are cases of marriages between members of the Ghasa caste and the “higher” Khandait caste, and the Khandait, in turn, with the “higher” caste - Karan.

There are many Brahmins in Orissa and they are very influential. The Orissa Brahmins are believed to belong to the northern branch. They have another name - utkala. There are especially many Brahmins in the three coastal districts of Cuttack, Balasore and Puri. In Balasore, for example, 10% of the population is of Brahmin origin.

Orissa Karan caste - branch big caste professional scribes of Kayastha, widespread throughout northern India and especially numerous in lower Bengal. This caste, relatively late in origin, occupies a high place in the system of caste hierarchy; its members are considered “twice-born.”

The movement for the creation of new castes, which was also observed in other regions of India, became widespread among the Oriyas at the beginning of the 20th century. It was aimed at increasing the social weight of the “lower” castes. At the same time, the caste or part of the caste chooses a new name for itself, its members swear allegiance to the sacred thread, establish certain laws for professional occupations, marriage rules, food, and drink. Through external changes, each caste tries to achieve a higher position in society.

However, this movement did not lead to any significant results. The "higher" castes usually refused to recognize these new castes as their equals. This was the case, for example, with the palanquin-bearing caste in Cuttack and Balasore, whose members claimed to be recognized as a “higher” caste. They began to wear the sacred threads of the "twice-born" and abandoned their traditional profession of palanquin bearers, which caused protest among those who used their services.

Despite the fact that castes are still of great importance in the social life of the Oriyas, as well as in India in general, determining a person’s place in society, the serious breakdown of caste barriers that is taking place in our time is already strongly felt.

People from different castes, especially in cities, are now abandoning their traditional occupations. The Orissa Brahmins, for example, are mostly (about 75%) now engaged in agriculture, which has become their main means of subsistence. In general, members of such numerous castes as Brahmins and Karanas are increasingly beginning to engage in physical labor.

After breakfast, depart for an excursion to Konark - small town on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, famous throughout the world thanks to the huge chariot temple of the deity Surya.

Small settlement Konarak famous famous Sun temple complex, which is included in the UNESCO list world heritage. Now it's not active temple, so non-Hindus can enter its territory. Of the two parts of the sanctuary, only eastern part- the building of a columned hall for ritual dances in front of the entrance to the main temple.

A group of seven galloping horses and 24 carved chariots (each wheel is about 3 meters in diameter), preserved on the sides of the raised platform, indicate that the temple was designed in the form of a colossal chariot of the Sun God - Surya. All images on the walls of the complex, its proportions and orientation are deeply symbolic and subordinated to astronomical phenomena with the highest precision. The Sun Temple, like the temples of Khajuraho, is decorated with images of many loving couples united in candid poses.
The temple building was once decorated with a 60-meter-high tower. The temple tower served as a beacon for European sailors setting off from the coast of Orissa 100 years ago. They called the temple "Black Pagoda". Today it is a pile of ruins. There is an official version about the collapse of this tower and the temple itself as a result of another hurricane, of which there are many here every year. However, it is surprising that from the 13th century to the 19th century, not a single hurricane could shake this grandiose structure. The legend says that inside the temple there were huge magnets that additionally attracted the iron brackets in the stone blocks of the walls to each other. The English colonialists took these magnets to Britain, after which the first hurricane easily destroyed this stunning masterpiece of the architecture of thought. And metal brackets can still be seen in the cracks of the temple walls.

• Every year in December, a major Indian classical dance festival is held in Konark., which takes place against the backdrop of this temple complex. Modern dancers who perform Mahari dances in public and at religious festivals are not temple servants (as this is prohibited under modern Indian laws). They are not betrothed to the Deity and are not allowed into the main sanctuary, but they do so to learn and preserve the tradition of dance. Real The Maharis were consummate teachers of their art. There was a custom in which the Maharis adopted girls and taught them the dance service at the temple. Thus, the dance maintained artistic purity and holiness for 600 years. The English colonialists forbade Mahari to dance in temples, equating them to prostitutes, as a result of which the cult of Mahari began to degenerate.

Visit villages of fishermen, stone carvers and potters. On the way back to Puri visit villages of artists and craftsmen Raghurajpur. The master artisans of this village specialize in the art of Pata Chitra - the art of painting with bright colors on palm leaves and fabrics. They keep secrets that have been passed down from father to son since ancient times. This art reached its peak in the 16th century. It was this painting technique that influenced the formation of the written language of the Oriya language. You can wander around, admire the beautiful paintings on the walls of the houses, chat with friendly artisans and watch how they create Pata Chitra (paintings on fabric), palm leaf prints, small sculptures made of stone and wood, toys and souvenirs from coconut, jute and wood.

• For an additional fee, you can pre-book a private Gotipua dance performance ($210 per group), which exists only in Orissa. This typeThe dance is performed only by boys dressed and decorated like girl dancers.Once upon a timeThe alchiks learned the art of this dance from the Mahari temple dancers, but gradually, unlike the Maharis, their performances became available to the public, while the real Maharis disappeared.