Odisha – Art In Stone
5 min read
One of the most Serene part of India , which boasts of a very rich heritage, scenic beauty and gives you a sublime experience.
31 year old Prakash Chandra Maharana’s relationship with stone is a little different from an average Indian. As far back as he can remember, it was a chisel and a hammer – the first tools he held and the first and most important thing he learned while he was a small boy, was how to shape blocks of stones into exquisite pieces of art sculptured to a level of detailed perfection till it became hard to believe that they were actually made of stone. Speaking to him one hot evening in April, a few kilometres on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar (the capital city of the sate of Odisha) as he worked on a huge piece of sand stone, it was very interesting to know that his family from a small village called Olasuni near the excavated 5th century Buddhist archaeological site at Lalitgiri and his ancestors for centuries have all been stone artisans and sculptors. The entire lineage had seen the rise and fall of many great empires , been employed by different dynasties to build time tested monuments, temples, stupas, deities, and places of worship and meditation over centuries.
Odisha and Buddhism
While we spoke Prakash continued working on the statue of a a huge Buddha that had been ordered by the Taipei Government. It’s interesting to know how this link between Odisha and the rest of Asia is still kept alive by artists like Prakash. The Maharanas as he narrated over the ages amongst many other changes were also witness to the great Kalinga war around 261 BC. Kalinga as Odisha used to be known as, in the 3rd and 4th century BC was a land of hardworking, proud, prosperous and at the same time quite a martial race. Ashoka the great King from Magadha (now Bihar) waged war on Kalinga and won, resulting in the massacre of millions who sacrificed their lives defending their motherland which ultimately changed Chandasoka to Dhammasoka, hence making him a messiah of peace and harmony worldwide. First time in world history, a conqueror get conquered by Dhamma, Ahimsa & Satya and became the patron of the tenets of Buddha across the world. This is the major contribution of Odisha( Kalinga) in shaping the socio-cultural map of several countries in South East Asia, Far East and Sri Lanka and thus followed the creation of learning centres as Ratnagiri, Udaigiri and Khandagiri.
Bhubaneswar the Capital City
The aerial view of Bhubaneswar is quite misleading with patches of green amidst brown. However, the capital of the state carries reverberation of a rich past amidst bustling modernity. A vibe unique to the region, felt in its laid-back yet modern approach with the sun being a constant motif, the city keeps amazing you as you sink in.
The history of the city is quite visibly layered between ancient and modern Bhubaneswar. While the ancient city has a history that goes back more than two thousand years, the modern city came into existence after India’s Independence. The first mention of Bhubaneswar in Indian history dates back to the Kalinga War. The innumerable temples built throughout ancient and medieval history justifies its status of Temple City of India. In modern times, city’s urban planning was done by German Architect Otto Konigsberger with wide roads, gardens and parks. Though a part of city has stayed faithful to the plan, it has grown rapidly over the last few decades becoming a largely administrative, information technology, educational and tourism driven city.
It’s not hard to see why Bhubaneswar has emerged as one of the fast-growing, important trading and commercial hubs of eastern India. According to Sunil, my auto driver, ‘ It is a very easy going city with a very low crime rate, but business is high. Iron ore and steel business has brought in many entrepreneurs to the city but end of the day we are very simple and traditional people’. A few years back the Indian Chamber of Commerce had declared Bhubaneswar having the highest rate of employment growth among seventeen tier-II cities in India. Listed among the top ten emerging cities in India considering factors like demographics, physical, social and real estate infrastructure, current level and scope of economic activities and government support. Bhubaneswar also ranked third among Indian cities for starting and operating a business by the World Bank.
With all the history the city representing the state attracts large number of tourists both domestic and international throughout the year.. Being the seat of Tribhubaneswar or Lord Lingaraj, Bhubaneswar is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre. Hundreds of temples dot the landscape of the Old Town, which once boasted of more than 2000 temples. Bhubaneswar is the place where temple building activities of Orissan style flowered from its very inception to its fullest culmination extending over a period of about thousand years.
Essentially, the golden triangle of Bhubaneswar, Konark and Puri quite substantially soak the culture and character of Utkala. Architectural heritage, art, performing art and a savoured cuisine, can leave one awed. There are three super structures associated with the golden triangle. The Lingaraj Temple at Bhubaneshwar, Surya Mandir or Black Pagoda in Konark and Jaggnath Mandir or White Pagoda in Puri. Of these the most fascinating is the history associated with Surya Mandir at Konark, while the mythology surrounding the latter two is intriguing.
A good view of the Lingaraj temple can be obtained from its western boundary. A platform has been constructed for unobstructed view of the temple compound. A lot of old structures stand erect in and around the Lingaraj temple and Bindu Sagar tank. Some of them are not worshipped anymore but they have historical value. Around the early seventies the Japan Buddha Sangha helped construct a Shanti Stupa at the significant height of Dhauligiri hill, 8 kilometres away from Bhubaneswar. The stupa is serene and offers picturesque views of the plains below. However, the philosophy and its location is also significant.
On the whole the state of Odisa boasts of a rich cultural heritage strongly visible across it’s landscape which have nurtured and sustained generations creating rare art on rock across various religions in propagating and sustaining their beliefs over time, which today for a visitor is a a perfect place to spoil oneself amidst all the rich knowledge and art scattered around in the lap of Oriya nature.
