Folk Life and Culture of Odisha

About the Book This book attempts present the folk life culture of Odisha during the colonial from historical point view. the south natural highway along the castern coast India, Odisha acts like a cultural bridge between Aryan culture of north and Dravidian culture south. This region occupies distinct place the folk cultural tradition India. The geographical location, the topographic feature, religious and literary background, the beauty and bounty the nature have jointly contributed significantly towards culmination of unique pattern of folk culture. It regarded the many folk dances, music, festivals, beliefs art. Drawing primarily upon original sources the book encompasses, the and composition folk varieties folk tales, origin growth songs, folk dances and theatres. Meticulous care been taken to throw light the folk festivals, beliefs, folk and crafts, medicines and folk methods of treatment.

The work be highly useful the administrators and the general readers as well.

About the Author Prof. History Reader in 2002. After serving Reader in different colleges of Department of History, Berhampur University Professor in 2011 and became the during academic 2011-12 2012-13. He served the University as Warden, Hostels; Chairman, Board Studies History; Secretary, Sports Council and also the Member the Senate the Academic Council.

contributed large number of research papers and articles many edited Books and conferences, seminars and workshops. His scholarly books include Princely States Orissa under British Crown: 1858-1905: Cultural History Orissa: 1435-1751; and Socio Economic Cultural History Orissa. Presently working as Professor History in Berhampur University and engaged various research activities.

Preface This work is the first of its kind to bring to light the various aspects the folk of Odisha comprehensive, critical and compact manner during the colonial era from historical point view. The period covered fact, most significant and formative the administrative political point view. The witnessed British of Odisha, Resistance Movement, the Socio-Religious Reform Movement, growth of renaissance Odia Nationalism, Utkal Union Movement unification Odia speaking the freedom struggle for the independence.

The southern part of modern comprising of seven districts Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangapur, Malkangiri and Kandhamal originally formed a part of the ancient kingdom Kalinga was supposed to have been in 9th century B.C. Hemmed in the by the sea, and on all by ranges of mountains and dense forests, intersected by rivers, south Odisha, has a distinct pattern of life, art and her own. Her gods, goddess’s temples, structure, dance and festivals have all developed fascinating individual variants as in India.

Introduction The Subaltern study as well as the history of rural folk has emerged as a recent trend of historical research. Now-a-days, it has drawn the attention of teachers, research scholars and intellectuals of the whole world to highlight the different aspects of the culture of the rural mass.

The study of folk culture, particularly of a region, is of prime importance because "the history of a nation or country cannot be comprehensive or exhaustive without the proper study of its component parts. The history of the component units subscribes much to the main-stream of national history. The richer the regional history, national history becomes more extensive and comprehensive". In this perceptive, the study of the different aspects of the folk culture of south Odisha during 19th and 20th centuries seems to be quite imperative and relevant.

Several factors are attributed to shape south Odisha's folk cultural heritage. The geographical situation of the region is the prime factor to rear up of such a culture. Lying between north and south India across a natural highway along the eastern coast of India, south Odisha acts like a bridge between the Aryan culture of north and Dravidian culture of south.

**Contents and Sample Pages**