A Delectable Tale of Odisha's Architectural Journe disha has generally been footnote in Indian histo and comes to life whe Jaganath's Juggerna (Ratha Yatra) catches global atte’ Its weak macro - economic performance and low development footprints have been a statistician's delight insider's perennial lamen However, post-liberalization, there has been a paradigm shift; with city of Bhubaneswar, becoming the “educational hub of the east’and being adjudged the “smartest city Yet its architectural history has bee wrapped in infernal mystery except fo the temples that dot its cities. Mr. . Ray, a sui generis architect from th stable of J.J. School of Architecture and Kajti Misra, a polymath, hav brought up unique nuggets c Odisha's architectural history in recent book 'ODISHA: a architectural odyssey’. It captures th rich tapestry of diversity, purity an plurality that encapsulate the state o Odisha and gives us a kaleidoscopi view of the Ashokan times when warrior king became a religiou mascot of Buddhism in 2618C, leadin to germination of classicism in (1° 3 Century AD) to the moderntimes. The book begins with a unique Odi saying “Paka Kambala Pota Chhatao Suna Abolakara Kahuchi Katha’. This will roughly translate into a master saying the questioning pupil “Spread the blanket, plant the umbrella and | will you tell you a story’. Indeed Mr. Ray & Ms. Misra, along with their research team, have spun along story; both true and apocryphal attimes. The modern monastery of Dhauli which stands on a hillock on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar is a mute reminder of the war waged by Ashoka in the 261B8C and the blood that flowed to the river converting him to Buddhism. The Buddhist culture and architecture have become part of Odisha's architectural oeuvre. The millennium after Ashoka's rule in ‘Aerial view of Jagannath temple (Sour Source: ‘ODISHA: an architectural odyssey’ Odisha saw emergence of an enduring architecture dedicated to Buddhists and Jains; culminatinginto the Kalinga style at art. King Kharavela built rock cutouts on Udayagiri and Khandagiri hills, which gives a detailed account of life of Kharavela and State of Jainism of those times. This is now a place of major tourist attention. The temple building movement has its origins in the gradual spread of Brahminical Hinduism in Odisha from the north. However, it did not replace indigenous religion but was assimilative in character. Buddha's inclusion in the Hindu's pantheon as one of the incarnation of Vishnu is a testimony to this inclusive philosophy. “ODISHA: an architectural odyssey) 49 © THE NEPTUNE GLITZ Januny 2017The eclectic character of Hindu reflected in the variety of te constructed between 7°& centuries; straddling sects and like Vaishnavites, Shaivites, and Tantric. The classic st exemplified in many temple: Mukteswar, Rajarani, Ling Jagannath & Konark (10" century). Among these the Jaga’ temple stands out as a cult whose deity is consid symbolically mortal; with his t body renewed every 12/18 yea secret ‘Nabakalebara’, that hap) this year. It's not an accident of h that the best loved hymns written by Salabega, a Muslim po View of Rabindra Mandap (Source: 00'S The most turbulent but certain most transformative times in history were from 16"-18" cent the Gajapati lost his sovereig invaders the Afghan, Mughal, Ma and finally the British. The Mugh brought ina socio-cultural and p shift in Odisha history. It divide state into two administrative 1 the coastal belt under the Mug! and the feudatory kingdom of w Odisha which were recognia zomindars. The distinct cultural i foisted by Mughals then stil Odiapsyche; even today. 80.0 THENEPTUNE GUTZ ® vary 2017 mis nples 13 ults, jakta e is like ara, 13" inath igure red nber ina ened story were ot! y the disha ry as y to athas rule litical d the I rule stern das entity sters Aan architectural odyssey) The history of architecture, unlike that of rulers, is inked by the skills and artistry of its common people. It is interesting to note that the highly skilled and creative artisans and sculptors are sons the soil; and rarely brought from outside. It clearly establishes native imagination, ingenuity and inventiveness of the local population who sculpted these temples, spun the unique fabrics and decorated the chariots. It is indeed gratifying that their descendants still create the magic of artifacts of the temples and intricate designs in silver filigree. The stone sculptors of Lalitgiri go back to 1000 years, since they carved the Buddhist monasteries. In Raghurajpur area, Puri the artists still decorate the temples and rathos (chariots) of Jagannath. In Balakatiarea, bell metal work continues and brass gets fashioned into lamps. At the Natya Mandap, the traditional Gotipua dance is still taught to the current generation. TS. Eliot, wrote in Four Quartets “Time present and time Past, are both present in time future”, The artisans and artists of Odisha truly symbolize this cosmic connect between the past and the present, British rule in Odisha after 1803 brought new architectural styles; but it also led to economic downfall of the state. The Great Bengal famine of 1866 which claimed half a million lives is a testimony to this decadence. The modern imprint in architecture, after Odisha become a separate entity in 1936, owe its legacy to Dr. Otto Koenigsberger, a German architect and Julius Vaz, who cut his teeth in JJ. ‘School of Architecture. Vaz understood the local culture and its multi- dimensional The Rabindra Mandap, captures Var's Unique romance with Buddhist Stupa with an eye on local culture. tis indeed the cultural epicenter of the capital ty. architecture The aesthetic trajectory since the 1970s, is no different from the international mainstream. Mr. S.S Ray carries on the legacy of Vaz by creating the splendid architectural ‘magic in KIIT University, which houses 25,000 students and 25000 tribal children. It has become the educational hub of East India and spring board of optimism of the most vulnerable sections of the society. With the curiosity of a child and sensitivity of a thorough bred, Mr. Ray and Ms. Misra, along with theirresearch team, explore the stories of Odisha’s architectural history. And try their best to assert that Odisha's architecture is not merely the temples built. Yet the temples of Bhubeneswar, Puri and Konark stand out as the palimpsest of the past which no modern architecture can smudge or obliterate. The Hindu Brahminical tradition accommodates the casteless ethos of Buddhism; the coves of Khandagiri celebrate the ascetic renunciation of Jainism and the hymns Salabega brings to life the larger than the life of image of Jagannath. In the din of modernism that envelop India and strident Hinduism that besmirch the secular fabric of India, Odisha stands in sharp relief; as template of civility, secularism and humility, It marches slowly yet the steadily through the ‘magical pen of Soumyendu and Kajri; through a book of rare fervor, ‘thoroughness and eclecticism The authors observe that the new direction in international thinking of green architecture, of energy renewabilty is yet to emerge in any noticeable manner. With characteristic humility they also aver that they are only slightly ahead of other in discovering/discerning Odisha's rich cultural heritage. They provide basic architectural understanding in the book with technical features. The language is lucid and at times luminescent. Iti, not a typical fluffy coffee table book to be just glossed over. It has to be read, reread and ruminated; both by the connoisseur and the lay. Their curiosity of Odisha's architectural Largest Human Sentence formed by students of Kalinga institute of Socal Sciences (Courtesy: win) history would certainly be quenched as they sit under an appliquéd umbrella at Pipili, watch an Odissi dance performance at. Rabindra Mandap and pay obeisance at the Lingarajtemple. Prof. S.N. Misra, teaches Constitutional Law & Presently Dean, Schookaf Management "KlPUniversyreview ODISHA an architectural odyssey Soumyendu Shankar Ray Kajri Misra BLOOMSBURY 48.9 THE NEPTUNE GLITZ & January 2017