Published on 2 Jul 2019 in OrissaPOST Every year for the Ratha Jatra, three huge rathas or chariots are made by artisans in Puri. While being huge structures that must be capable of supporting several people at once, the rathas are also spectacular pieces of traditional art, combining multiple branches of craftsmanship into a harmonious whole. […]
Author Archives: pattaprateek
Sitala Sasthi, the divine wedlock
Published on 7 Jun 2019 in OrissaPOST One of the most fascinating poems in Odia is the 14th-century ‘Kalasa Chautisa’ of Bachha Dasa. Among the oldest extant texts in the language, it presents a farcical picture of the wedding of Shiva and Parvati. Minutes before Parvati’s wedding, her friends come rushing to her chamber — their […]
The Kaibartas of Odisha
The fisherfolk of Odisha and why they dance wearing horse-costumes in their ritual annual festival.
Ancient poetesses of Odisha
The ancient poetesses of Odisha— from queens to dombis— wonderful women who talk about everything from philosophy, devotion, culture to romance, warfare, society.
Varaha
Varaha. 13th-century Ananta Basudeba Temple, Bhubaneswar. One of the finest creations of the Ganga period in my humble opinion; look how supple the curves of his torso are, how intricate the jewelry & chakra are, and the fine curls of hair on his boar-head.
Chipping Away History : The Sorry State Of The Puri Temple’s Modern-Day Aesthetic
The sudden changes in the Puri temple’s aesthetic decisions bother me. This is why.
IYIL-2019 KISS
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Vivid backdrop of Kuanra Punei
Three autumn legends from Odisha.
Where mother is son
On the night of Janmastami, Jagannatha is the mother and Jagannatha is the son. This is a deeper look at this curious ritual.
Sacred Squabble
Jagannatha might be the ideal deity for millions of his devotees around the globe, but his one wife is not too impressed. The divine husband and wife have a heated argument after the Ratha Jatra.
Journey Toward Lord
A concise introduction to what the world famous Ratha Jatra of the Jagannatha Temple is all about.
In The Absence Of Jagannatha
What happens in the empty chambers of the Jagannatha temple when the deities are away for the Ratha Jatra? An ancient legend explores this question.
The extended family Of Jagannatha
Jagannatha has a brother, a sister, two wives, an uncle and an aunt; but no father or mother. All about the Odia gods and their elaborate families in local belief.
Researching the Rath Yatra
Answers to some questions about Ratha Jatra.
Curing A God: The Secret Of Anasara
Jagannatha bathes only once an year, and immediately afterwards, falls sick with fever. He lives inside a secret chamber. What actually happens inside nobody knows exactly.
Book 1 : Alphabet
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Fine pigment of sacred depiction
On the full moon day of the month of Jyestha, something peculiar happens – a god falls ill. For the 15 days of his sickness, a painting substitutes him. Therein lies the origin of the ancient Pattachitra art of Odisha.
A God’s Mother : Karama
It was when the King Nrupa Keshari ruled over ancient Odisha. Historians think that the years are 852–857. Karama, the old Marathi woman lived in one of Puri’s mutts. It had been a long time since she’d been there. She had come to Puri to search for her missing husband and look at Jagannatha, but hadn’t […]
A Pangram in Odia
A pangram is a sentence containing all the letters of the language it is written in. I tried making one in Odia.
Missionaries and Jagannatha
I recently came across a book called ‘The Wesleyan Juvenile Offering’. Multiple editions of this book are on Google Books, in case you would like to have a look. Curiously, there’s a bit about Jagannatha and the Dola Jatra of Puri. Without further ado, here’s what he says. Note that the author hasn’t actually said anything […]