My Trip to Orissa - 6(Market Place)

Here are some of the pics of the local market here..

My Trip to Orissa - 4(Sculptures)

The gorgeously sculpted and inricately carved sun temple which was once called as black pagoda is a place to be visited in orissa. The picture below are 3 of the 24 wheels of the sun temple..

This is Mukteshwar temple standing gracefully with an elegant monolithic arch. This is known as Gem of orissan Sculpture.

These are other sculptures and temples u can see in orissa.

My Trip to Orissa - 3(Tribes)

Stepped in the mystery that surrounds their own traditional ways, the tribes in orissa continue to be a source of interest not only to social anthropologists and sociologists but also to the lay visitors soming to the state.
With 62 distinct tribal groupes constituting 25%of the total population, the tribes of orissa are the most colourful people. The most important tribes are the Khandhas, Bondas, Koyas, Sauras, Gadabas, Mundas and Juangas.
Each tribe has its own dance, music, and rich socio-cultural traits.

These are some of the pics of tribes that live here. and the last 2 pics are that of theis gods they worship.

My Trip to Orissa - 5(Rath Yatra)

Ratha Yatra is a major Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Orissa, India during the months of June or July (Rainy Season). Most of the city's society is based around the worship of Jagannath (Krishna) with the ancient temple being the fulcrum of the area. The festival commemorates Krishna's return to His home in Vrindavan after a long period of separation from the people there.

Usually the deities - Jagannath (Krishna), Baladeva and Subhadra are worshipped within the temple, but on the day of the Rath festival they are taken through the streets so that everyone can have the fortune of seeing them. Three richly decorated chariots, resembling temple structures, are pulled through the streets of Puri. This commemorates the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra to their aunt' s temple (Gundicha Mandir) which is situated at a distance of 2 km from their temple. New chariots are built every year. This is the only day when devotees who are not allowed in the temple premises such as non-Hindus and foreigners, can get their glimpse of the deities. During the festival, devotees from all over India go to Puri with an earnest desire to touch the rope of the chariot. They consider this a pious deed and risk their lives in the huge crowd. The huge processions accompanying the chariots play devotional songs with drums, tambourines, etc. Children line the streets through which the chariot will pass and add to the mass chorus. The Rath carts themselves are some approximately 45 feet high and are pulled by the thousands of pilgrims who turn up for the event. Millions of devotees congregate at Puri for this annual event from all over the country and abroad. It is also telecasted live on many Indian channels.

Rath Yatra consists of two words: rath, meaning a chariot; and yatra, which means a pilgrimage, a journey or a procession. Accordingly, rath yatra describes a procession of chariots, generally drawn by horses. Vedic scripture speaks of Rath in various contexts, and in the epic wars of the Mahabarath, Rathas formed a major means of movement of warriors. There were many famous Rath Yatras in Hindu legend.
The english word Juggernaut also originates from the Jaganath Rath Yatra.

The Ratha Yatra festival has become a common sight in most major cities of the world since 1968 through the Hare Krishna movement. Its leader A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada successfully transplanted the festival which now happens on an annual basis in places such as London, Paris and New York.



Here are som of the pics of the event at puri.









Just look at the rush here..

I hope u liked the pics..

these are the last ones from my trip to orissa..

Please post comments on what u felt about the pics.

My Trip to Orissa - 1(Crafts)

I am on a vacation in Bhubaneshwar so just thought of adding a few posts related to Orissa.

when i came here, i realised that orissa is india's best kept culture secret from outside world. A vibrant open air museum.
I was totally relaxed here and did a lot of sight seeing and also captured loads of pics. Here are a few pics for u..

These are the crafts practiced here.

These are lamps used for decorating trees and houses..

These showpieces are made from mixed metals.

These are designs made on palm leaves by incising it with stylus. Later, vegetable colours are rubbed on it to make it beautiful. And these pantings last for thousands of years.

Sculpture making in process..
The applique artists of Pipli (town near konark,orissa) are proud descendants of sculptors whose hands have chiselled the unsurpassable designs on orissa's famomus temples.

My Trip to Orissa - 2(Dances)

The elegance and grace of odissi and its music, the martial dance form of Chhow, the acrobatic Dandanata, the naga dance along with the folk and tribal dance of Koya, Sambalpuri, Baghanacha

Here are some pics for u..