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Orissa has a long coastline of over 480 Km on the Bay of Bengal interspersed by a couple of lovely beaches. Added to their seductive beauty is a vast hinter land of antiquities and holy shrines. Backed up by musical sway of casuarina trees and creeper sand dunes, Chandipur is one such beach, but with a unique distinction of its own. Unlike other beaches, the sea water hears recedes away from the shore line about five km twice a day, an unusual phenomenon, rarely found anywhere. You can see the sea literally vanishing before your eyes and also watch it coming back rhythmically at regular intervals, as if playing hide and seek.
The beauty of the exposed bosom of the beach is further enhanced by the small red crabs. If a beach comber, you will be delighted with its abundant wealth of sea shells and drift wood.
Langaleswar Temple
The place famous for its location and mythology Lord Shiva used to plough the paddy field. In memory of the same plough it is there and hundreds of pilgrims use to gather there to worship the Lord Langaleswar who has been named after that plough. Langaleswar is famous for Saivasim. The location of the temple by the side of river Parvati too creates a scenic beauty and makes another attraction of the place.
Orissa`s Handicrafts
Tailors at Pipli execute appliqué works, which are in great demand. Giant-sized umbrellas of appliqué work are produced for use on festive occasions. Also used as garden umbrellas in sprawling lawns, they lend grace and colour to any gathering. Heart-shaped fans, big and small canopies and wall-hangings are also prepared out of appliqué work.
The fine engravings on brass and bell metal utensils, bronze bangles and pots are important aspects of Orissan art. Artifacts made of metal, particularly brass, find pride of place in the homes of Orissa. Beautiful lamps and lamp-stands are used during the worship of deities. The brassware of Orissa reveals the high workmanship of the artisans and their flair for innovation.
Filigreeworks
Silverware of Orissa is very widely known. Her Filigree works particularly are unique examples of artistic excellence rarely to be seen in any other part of India. Silver wires, extremely delicate, are shaped into intricate designs. Forms of animals and birds, articles of daily use like vermilion receptacles are also made out of silver wires- Filigree ornaments, especially brooches and earrings are very popular among Indian women. Cuttack is world famous for Filigree work.
Bahuda Yatra
In their Garden House or "Adapa mandapa" also known as their place of birth, the deities (Lord Jagannath,Bhalabhadra, and Subhadra)stay for seven days. On the ninth day of the festival, Bahuda Jatra, the grand return journey takes place. On the way back they stop for a short while and partake of "Poda pitha" offered by their aunt, mausima.
Suna Besa
After the grand Bahuda Jatra, Shri Jagannath, Balabhara, and Subhadra return to their the main temple.Then the deities, on their chariots, don the golden attire or the suna besa, with hands, arms and crown made of solid gold. They are also offered sweet drinks, adhara pana, on huge cylindrical earthen pots reaching up to their lips. They are taken down from the chariots in a ritual descent to enter the temple.
Sambaleswari
The presiding deity of Sambalpur is Samaleswari,an embodiment of Shakti cult in Odisha. The image of Samaleswari is a large block of stone at the centre of which there is a projection with a narrow groove regarded as the mouth. Both sides are depressed and covered with beaten gold leaves for the eyes. It is a unique sculpture which does not correspond to any form of Indian iconography. Application of vermillion paste makes the image red coloured everyday. But once a year on Mahalaya Day, the image appears white by application of sandal paste. One of the twelve seats of Goddess Mangala, the shrine of Samaleswari dominates the skyline for kilometers. Said to have been built by Chhatra Sai around 1691 AD, the temple is a derivative of Vesara style of temple architecture.
EARLIEST SCULPTURAL ART OF ORISSA
It is the sculpture of an elephant half-hewn from a huge stone near which Ashoka wrote his Fourteenth Rock Edict at Dhauli, near Bhubaneswar, the site of the great Kalinga War. This is one of the earliest specimens of sculptural art in Orissa (4th century B.C). One edict there documents not only Ashoka`s conversion, but also his missionary zeal for the non-violence of Buddhism. The bell capital discovered at Ashokajhara (Bhubaneswar) has a winged elephant along with other decorative figures on the frieze.
Patachitra
An annual ritual in the famous Jagannath Temple of Puri,has given rise to one of India`s most treasured folk art form, the `Patachitra`. The origin of the Patachitra paintings can be traced back to the 8th century AD and it is considered as one of the earliest forms of indigenous paintings. This iconic art form of folk significance is unique in the history of Indian as well as European paintings. The fantastic pictorial conceptions, the idiosyncratic conventions, the extra-ordinary system of line formations and vibrant use of colors make this art form stand by itself. It is assumed that the uniqueness of this school of painting was derived from some primitive forms of Aboriginal art from Orissa or its neighboring states.
Tikarpada
A small village in the bosom of nature, Tikarpada at Angul is strategically situated by the side of "Satakosia Gorge". The meandering Mahanadi flowing closely amidst bountiful hills form here the mightiest gorge of India, twenty-two km long. It is acclaimed as one of the World`s most enchanting spot. The place is ideal for boating, angling and adventure. The forests and hills around the village have varieties of fauna to fascinate the visitors. A Gharial Crocodile Sanctuary, setup here, has enhanced the importance of the place.
