History and culture of Orissa

Although Oriya is an Indo-Aryan langauge, the word Orissa is derived from Proto Dravidian Arici or Rice. It is indication of the intermingling of two great traditions of India in becoming what is today Orissa and its people and languages.

Oriya is the state’s official language although many Tribal languages belonging to Dravidian and Munda language families are still used. The state has a very opulent cultural heritage, one of the richest in India, and the capital city of Bhubaneswar is known for the exquisite temples that dot its landscape. The famous classical dance, Odissi originated from Orissa.

Other popular cultural interests include the well known Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, known for its annual Rath Yatra or Car Festival, the unique and beautiful applique artwork of Pipili, silver filigree ornamental works from Cuttack, the Patta chitras (silk paintings) and various tribal influenced cultures.

Orissa has a glorious history spanning a period of over 3000 years. In ancient times, it was the proud kingdom of Kalinga. Kalinga was a major seafaring nation that controlled and traded with most of the sea routes in the Bay of Bengal. For several centuries, a substantial part of South Asia and Southeast Asia, such as Sri Lanka, Kampuchea (Cambodia), Java, Sumatra, Bali, Vietnam and Thailand were colonized by people from Orissa. In Malaysia, Indians are still referred as Klings because of this. Many illustrious Sri Lankan kings such as Nisanka Malla and Parakarama Bahu claim Kalinga origin. The King who destroyed the Sinhalese Buddhist control of Northern Sri Lanka and established a Hindu Kingdom in Jaffna was known as Kalinga Magha.

The name of the country “Siam” for Thailand is derived from Oriya/Sanskrit Shyamadesha. The huge Hindu temple in Cambodia known as Angkor Wat is a fine example of Orissan influenced Indian architecture, with some local variations. Bali in Indonesia still retains its Oriyan influenced Hindu heritage.