Chitrarekha Debota and Suryakanti Singh carry the traditional art of weaving in their fingertips and in their hearts. Belonging to Muktanagar, a quiet hamlet in Cuttack, life here moves to the rhythm of tradition. Here, more than 700 families have…
My childhood summers are filled with happy memories of Jhulan Pujo, a festival that felt less like a ritual imposed by elders and more like a play day. We were tasked with gently swinging Radha and Krishna on their decorated…
“When someone was pregnant in our village, we were told to bring bird meat,” says Sanatan as we return from a wonderful late afternoon boat ride in Manglajodi. I had asked him what happened before the Mahavir Pakshi Surakhya Samiti…
Tucked away on the fringes of Bhubaneswar, in the quiet village of Nuagaon, a craft once central to Odisha’s artistic identity now teeters on the edge of extinction. For generations, this village was celebrated as the terracotta heart of Khurda…
Every time I transit through Bhubaneswar airport, I pause at a wall showcasing magnificent, larger-than-life papier-mâché mask, each one a masterpiece, crafted with such precision that I often wonder about the hands behind their creation. Recently, I had the privilege…
My childhood in Assam is graced by the joyous celebration of Tuloni Biya (also known as Xoru Biya, Nua-tuloni, or Santi Biya) – a ceremony marking the beginning of a girl’s menstrual cycle. This cherished memory, shared with my mother…
As you tread through the narrow lanes of Bhubaneswar’s Old Town, just a stone’s throw from the towering Lingaraj Temple, the Chitrakarini Temple waits patient as a saint for the rare gaze that truly sees . Its architecture, a masterpiece…
They say when women gather to support each other, something quiet yet extraordinary takes root. I’ve been lucky enough to witness this extraordinary magic—stories written not only on palm leaves but in the calloused, hopeful hands of artisans in Odisha’s…
Under the golden haze at dawn, temple bells toll as if to wake up the world, a six-year-old boy stood transfixed as his sisters twirled like monsoon leaves in the courtyard, their anklets chiming as their father’s voice rose in…
The Tumba craft of Odisha is a remarkable example of how traditional art forms can be revitalized and transformed into sustainable livelihoods. Himanshu Shekhar Pandia, a visionary artist and master craftsman, has been instrumental in this transformation. For over 17…
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