Orissa, the eastern Indian state of exotic natural beauty also offers its tourists an amazing array of both traditional and modern gifts and souvenirs. You can actually shop till you drop, whilst in Orissa!
Orissas Handloom weavers are world famous for their dexterity and skill. This form of textile weaving has endured generations and saris of Orissa today a hallmark of ensemble of hand-woven saris of India. The sari is the traditional attire worn by women almost all over India. Stellar examples of such handloom gems are the Sambalpuri (from Sambalpur, Sonepur etc.).
Ikat- that gloriously woven, blurry edged, Gem-colored design, in gorgeous yarn of silk and cotton has become synonymous with Orissa. Speaking eloquently of its old maritime linkages with Bali, the Ikat tradition of Orissa is the intricate process of Tie and Dye i.e. knotting selections of yarn before dipping them in separate colors one at a time and finally weaving them to produce one of the most delightful designs in multi-hued tones, in motifs drawn from the richness of nature, in threads both silken and gold. The double-ikat designs from Sambalpur are great buys. The Bomkai ikats have motifs drawn from the Shakti Cult. Tusser silk - produced from non-mulberry silk fabric is the famous hand-reeled fabric in nature tones.
A visit to Orissa will leave you spoilt for choice. Indeed, the sheer variety of gifts and collectibles for all occasions is sure to make any visitor beam with joy. Appliqué Art from Pipili is perhaps the brand ambassador of Orissas cottage industry. Handmade appliqué articles include garden umbrellas, fancy umbrellas, wall hangings, handbags, letter holders and lampshades. They all certainly add a dash of brightness and color to any room or home and they also make excellent gift items.
Among the more popular appliqué items today are garden umbrellas, a variant of chhati with wooden or aluminium stands, shoulder bags, ladies hand bags, wall hangings, lamp shades, bed covers, pillow covers, letter pouches, etc. Appliqué items are also being used in combination with other handicrafts to produce composite products. An interesting use is the superimposition of appliqué on grass mats and used as room partitions. Though earlier the art form was restricted to darji caste, today it is practiced by non-caste members. Unlike many other handicrafts, appliqué items are attractive artifacts of daily use apart from being decorative.
Dhokra or Brass and Bell Metal craft is Orissas single most important metal craft in terms of the number of artisans engaged in its practice. The craft is practiced by the people of the Kansari caste while a particular variety, 'dhokra', is a specialty of the Sithulias. Dhokra casting, a type of metal casting is a folk craft limited to a few sectors of Orissa. The symbolic motifs are inspired by the states folk culture. From the animal kingdom, the elephant is the most loved, the other motifs being those of human heads, kings, miniature pots and urns, images of deities like Ganesha and Durga and lamps (diyas); the last named being depicted in many intricate designs up to a hundred lamps perched on a single lamp stand. Dhokra is in fact a variety of metal casting is essentially a folk craft and is limited to a few pockets of Orissa that is Kuliana in Mayurbhanj district, Kaimati in Keonjhar district, Sadeiberini in Dhenkanal district and Haradagaria in Puri district being practiced by an aboriginal caste called sithulias. While the lost wax process is followed the raw materials used is not pure brass but contains miscellaneous scraps of other metals which give it is typically antique look. Its motifs are mostly drawn from folk culture.
Wood carved statues are another specialty of Orissas handicrafts. Craftsmen dexterously carve out beautiful statues from light colored wood. One can choose from an amazing array of such wood figurines which include animals, (elephants, tigers, deer) birds, and religious deities such as those of Lord Ganesha. Wood turned articles using the creamish gambhari and the harder and darker sisu or rose wood is a specialty of the artisans from Daspalla area in Nayagarh district. Popular items are small pitchers with mango leaves and coconut, glass, bowls, and incense stands. It is interesting to note that although the process of wood turning with small hand operated wooden lathe is also used else where in India, the Orissa artisans prefer to leave the surface plain and they do not lacquer it like the famous toy makers of Chennapatna in Karnataka. Samples of the excellence of the wood carvers of Orissa can be found in temple ceilings and carved wooden beams and doors in places like Birnchinarayan temple, Buguda, Charchika temple, Banki, Siva temple, Kapilas, and Laxmi-Nrusingha temple at Berhampur.
Orissas Paintings, especially Pata paintings (called Pata Chitra) are famous and much sought after as wall hangings. The Patachitras are paintings on cloth. In the absence of paper, cloth gives an extended smooth surface and is easily transported. They tell a story, in pictorial form so eloquently! Even today the Chitrakars of Orissa use vegetable and mineral colors. Brushes are very crude and are made from the hair of domestic animals. The Talapatrachitras or the palm leaf engravings consist of frozen linear drawing as illustrations of manuscripts. In these engravings, colors are muted and play a very minor role. Apart from these three most important pictorial genres, there is a lot of folk art in Orissa. One of the most popular done on circular playing cards peculiar to Orissa. These are called Ganjapas (Ganjifa) and have elaborate borders with the central illustrations from either the Ramayana or the Dasavatara of Vishnu or from 'Krishna Lila'. The three main categories of Orissan painting, the Bhitichitra or the murals, the pata or the cloth painting and the Talpatachitra or the palm leaf engraving remain more or less the same in style and subject-matter during any given period of Orissan Art history.
Other very popular souvenir items that hail from Orissa are `silver filigree tarakasi decorative items and silver utensils. The silver filigree and other silver items have, like other handicrafts, a very important socio-cultural function. The child's first solid food, usually a sweet dish of rice, kheer, is served in a silver bowl and the elder specially grand-parents take pride in presenting the silver bowl for this function known as anna prasana. Like brass and bell metal items the bride is also usually presented a set of silver dishes which is reserved for offering food to the deities during religious festivals. Many temples have a set of silver ornaments for the presiding deities including silver crowns which are used on ceremonial occasions. Silver filigree has been an important export item of Orissa from ancient times and has been a symbol of the dizzying heights of excellence reached by Orissa's craftsmen. Lacquer work is yet another example of the exquisitely beautiful and appealing handcrafted gems that are given shape by the nimble fingers of Orissas gifted craftsmen.
Welcome to the world of ethnic Oriya arts and crafts under one roof - Utkalika
Orissa State Co-operative Handicrafts Corporation Limited has been organized by Govt. in Industries Dept. as an Apex Co-op Society to provide marketing support to Primary Handicrafts Co-Operative Societies/artisans. They have opened 17 Show rooms in the name and style of "Utkalika" both in and outside the State to undertake marketing of Handicrafts. Besides, they organize exhibitions in important cities regularly to augment their sales turnover. Steps are also taken by them to export Handicrafts goods. In course of these marketing activities, they study the demand of the product and pass on the feed back to the societies/artisans. In addition to marketing activities, they implement various developmental schemes of both the State & Central Government for promotion of Handicrafts and welfare of artisans of the State.
Purchases can be made from Utkalika (run by the Department of Handicrafts) or at the many privately run shops. Orissa State Co-operative Handicrafts Corporation Limited's very own Utkalika is by far the best venue stocking superior quality of handlooms and handicrafts.
Utkalika
Branch address
Telephone
Big Shop # 25 & 26 Sector-5, Rourkela - 2
Ph.- 0661-4640059
Baba Kharagsingh Marg, New Delhi
Ph.- 011-23364763 Fax - 011-23340763
State Emporium, Pantha Bhawan (OTDC), Sea Beach Road, Puri-752001.
Ph.- 06752-221302
Grand Centre, Puri, Shop #.-16
Ph.- 06752- 220209
Devottar Market Complex, Jeypore
Ph.- 06854- 233567
Veer Surendra Sai Marg, Sambalpur
Ph.- 0663-2520058
Market Building, Ashoka Nagar, Bhubaneswar
Ph.- 0674-2530187
In front of Jail Road, Dargha Bazaar, Cuttack-753001
Ph.- 0671- 2623424
Oriya food is spicy and has a low calorie count as it is more often than not cooked with little or no oil. Curd and Coconut milk are also an inseparable part of the Oriya menu. People are also very fond of sweets and many Oriya delicacies are relished all over the country. 'Pancha-phutana' a wondrous blend consisting of cumin, mustard, fennel, fenugreek and kala zeera is used for tempering and seasoning vegetable curries and dals (pulses / lentil soups). while garam masala (curry powder) and haladi (turmeric) are commonly used for non-vegetarian curries. Oriyas are very fond of sweets and no Oriya repast is considered complete without some dessert at the end.
Ethnic Orissa cuisine offers a delectable variety to both, the vegetarian / non vegetarian palate! Typical dishes considered as Oriya delicacies include the `Poda Pitha, Arisa Pitha, Semolina Kakara, Semolina Manda, Chena jalebi, Potala rasa, Dalma, Khichudi and Kakara.
What comprises a typical Oriya meal
A typical meal in Orissa consists of a main course and a dessert. Typically breads (rotis or parathas) are served as the main course for breakfast and dinner whereas rice is eaten with lentils (dals) as lunch menu items. The main course also comprises one or two vegetable dishes, fish or mutton curries and pickles. Given the sweet tooth of the Oriya, desserts may consist of more than a single dish. Oriya sweetmeats are prepared with a range of ingredients, with milk, chena (a form of ricotta cheese), coconut, rice, and of course wheat flour.
POPULAR ORIYA FOOD ITEMS (Rice, Breads and lentils)
Chana Dali (chana dal seasoned with coconuts, raisins, dry fruits, mild spices) Dalma (mixed lentils with vegetables) Khichudi (Rice and lentils with vegetables and occasionally potato) Luchi (Unleavened flour bread deep fried in oil) Puri(Unleavened whole wheat flour dough deep fried in oil) Mitha Bhata (Mildly sweetened fragrant long grained rice with various spices.) Moong Dali (Moong bean dal cooked with coconut & mild spices) Parata (Layered wheat bread rolled out in a triangular or round shape and pan fried) Pulao (Rice in clarified butter embellished whole spices, vegetables, nuts and raisins. Pakhala (Rice fermented in water with yoghurt and seasonings.)
Curries, Vegetables, and other main course items
Alu Bhaja (Potato slices fried in oil with whole spices) Alu Dum (Potato spice curry) Alu Mattar (Potato and peas curry) Alu Phulkobi bhaja (potato and cauliflower spice seasoned curry) Alu Potala Rasa (gourd and potato curry) Besara (Vegetables stir fried in oil with 'pancha phutana' and curry paste) Charchari (mixed vegetables sautéed with mustard sauce) Chingudi Malai (Freshwater prawns richly cooked with spices and coconut milk) Crab Kalia (Spiced up crab curry) Dahi Baigana (Deep fried egg plant in masala yoghurt gravy sauce) Dahi Maccha (fish fry in a mild yoghurt gravy sauce) Ghanta (Mixed vegetable in spices) Kankara jhol (crab meat with potatoes in gravy) Maccha jhol (fish curry in spiced gravy with seasoning) Posta (poppy seed paste with bottle gourd / potatoes) Sorisa Maccha (fried fish in mustard sauce like gravy) Saga (fried spinach tempered with mustard seeds) Tomato Chutney (thick sweetened chutney with tomatoes, dates, raisins and sugar)
Arisa Pitha
There are no words to describe Pitha's except their sweet taste. They are made mostly during Festivals and are offered to God first, prior to consumption.
Ingredients :- 1 lb rice flour, 10oz jaggery or sugar & Oil or ghee for frying
Process :- 1. Heat a frying pan in medium heat and then put some water with Jaggery or sugar till it thickens into good syrup. 2. Add rice flour slowly and continuously stir it until it becomes a good dough and leave it aside until it becomes cold. 3. Make arisa pithas (small and thick rolls). 4. Heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry the arisa pithas. 5. Serve it hot or cold.
Poda Pitha
Ingredients :- Rice 500grams Black Gram Dal (Urad Dal ) 500grams Coconut (whole) 1 Gud (jaggery) / sugar 500grams Salt 2 tea spoonful Ginger 2 inchs (15gms) Black pepper powder 1 tsp Ghee 2 tsp
Process :- 1. Soak black gram dal and rice for about six hours. Wash the dal and rice cleanly and grind it. The paste should be fine and thick. Add salt and mix well. Keep paste aside for 2/3 hours. 2. Grate the coconut. 3. Cut ginger into very small cub sizes. 4. Then mix coconut, jaggery/sugar, ginger and black pepper powder and mix well. 5. Pre heat the oven for 10 minutes and grease it with ghee. 6. Pour the paste into the tray and keep it in the oven - Keep the oven very hot for 30 minutes. Then keep it moderately hot for 30 minutes. It should be checked with a needle and when its colour is golden brown the Poda Pitha is ready to eat. 7. Then remove the whole Poda Pitha (baked cake) from the oven and allow it to cool down. 8. Cut it into small pieces and serve it with any chutney preferably with coconut chutney.
Semolina Kakara
Ingredients :- 1 cup: Semolina / Powdered Rice 2 cup: Jaggery/sugar 1 cup: Flour 1 medium size: Coconut 1 teaspoon: Black peeper Refined oil or Ghee & Salt
Process :- 1. Grate the coconut. Mix with black peeper and one cup jaggery and fry it for 5 minutes. 2. Divide it into 20 parts. 3. Take the other cup of jaggery and salt. Add 3 cup water to it. When the water comes to 2/3 boils add the semolina / rice and flour to it and cook it for 5 minutes over low flames. 4. Mash the dough thus prepared nicely. Divide this dough into 20 parts. 5. Inside each part put the coconut stuffing and shape it. 6. Heat oil and fry the kakara.
Orissa Shopping
What an astonishing variety!
Orissa, the eastern Indian state of exotic natural beauty also offers its tourists an amazing array of both traditional and modern gifts and souvenirs. You can actually shop till you drop, whilst in Orissa!
Orissas Handloom weavers are world famous for their dexterity and skill. This form of textile weaving has endured generations and saris of Orissa today a hallmark of ensemble of hand-woven saris of India. The sari is the traditional attire worn by women almost all over India. Stellar examples of such handloom gems are the Sambalpuri (from Sambalpur, Sonepur etc.).
Ikat- that gloriously woven, blurry edged, Gem-colored design, in gorgeous yarn of silk and cotton has become synonymous with Orissa. Speaking eloquently of its old maritime linkages with Bali, the Ikat tradition of Orissa is the intricate process of Tie and Dye i.e. knotting selections of yarn before dipping them in separate colors one at a time and finally weaving them to produce one of the most delightful designs in multi-hued tones, in motifs drawn from the richness of nature, in threads both silken and gold. The double-ikat designs from Sambalpur are great buys. The Bomkai ikats have motifs drawn from the Shakti Cult. Tusser silk - produced from non-mulberry silk fabric is the famous hand-reeled fabric in nature tones.
A visit to Orissa will leave you spoilt for choice. Indeed, the sheer variety of gifts and collectibles for all occasions is sure to make any visitor beam with joy. Appliqué Art from Pipili is perhaps the brand ambassador of Orissas cottage industry. Handmade appliqué articles include garden umbrellas, fancy umbrellas, wall hangings, handbags, letter holders and lampshades. They all certainly add a dash of brightness and color to any room or home and they also make excellent gift items.
Among the more popular appliqué items today are garden umbrellas, a variant of chhati with wooden or aluminium stands, shoulder bags, ladies hand bags, wall hangings, lamp shades, bed covers, pillow covers, letter pouches, etc. Appliqué items are also being used in combination with other handicrafts to produce composite products. An interesting use is the superimposition of appliqué on grass mats and used as room partitions. Though earlier the art form was restricted to darji caste, today it is practiced by non-caste members. Unlike many other handicrafts, appliqué items are attractive artifacts of daily use apart from being decorative.
Dhokra or Brass and Bell Metal craft is Orissas single most important metal craft in terms of the number of artisans engaged in its practice. The craft is practiced by the people of the Kansari caste while a particular variety, 'dhokra', is a specialty of the Sithulias. Dhokra casting, a type of metal casting is a folk craft limited to a few sectors of Orissa. The symbolic motifs are inspired by the states folk culture. From the animal kingdom, the elephant is the most loved, the other motifs being those of human heads, kings, miniature pots and urns, images of deities like Ganesha and Durga and lamps (diyas); the last named being depicted in many intricate designs up to a hundred lamps perched on a single lamp stand. Dhokra is in fact a variety of metal casting is essentially a folk craft and is limited to a few pockets of Orissa that is Kuliana in Mayurbhanj district, Kaimati in Keonjhar district, Sadeiberini in Dhenkanal district and Haradagaria in Puri district being practiced by an aboriginal caste called sithulias. While the lost wax process is followed the raw materials used is not pure brass but contains miscellaneous scraps of other metals which give it is typically antique look. Its motifs are mostly drawn from folk culture.
Wood carved statues are another specialty of Orissas handicrafts. Craftsmen dexterously carve out beautiful statues from light colored wood. One can choose from an amazing array of such wood figurines which include animals, (elephants, tigers, deer) birds, and religious deities such as those of Lord Ganesha. Wood turned articles using the creamish gambhari and the harder and darker sisu or rose wood is a specialty of the artisans from Daspalla area in Nayagarh district. Popular items are small pitchers with mango leaves and coconut, glass, bowls, and incense stands. It is interesting to note that although the process of wood turning with small hand operated wooden lathe is also used else where in India, the Orissa artisans prefer to leave the surface plain and they do not lacquer it like the famous toy makers of Chennapatna in Karnataka. Samples of the excellence of the wood carvers of Orissa can be found in temple ceilings and carved wooden beams and doors in places like Birnchinarayan temple, Buguda, Charchika temple, Banki, Siva temple, Kapilas, and Laxmi-Nrusingha temple at Berhampur.
Orissas Paintings, especially Pata paintings (called Pata Chitra) are famous and much sought after as wall hangings. The Patachitras are paintings on cloth. In the absence of paper, cloth gives an extended smooth surface and is easily transported. They tell a story, in pictorial form so eloquently! Even today the Chitrakars of Orissa use vegetable and mineral colors. Brushes are very crude and are made from the hair of domestic animals. The Talapatrachitras or the palm leaf engravings consist of frozen linear drawing as illustrations of manuscripts. In these engravings, colors are muted and play a very minor role. Apart from these three most important pictorial genres, there is a lot of folk art in Orissa. One of the most popular done on circular playing cards peculiar to Orissa. These are called Ganjapas (Ganjifa) and have elaborate borders with the central illustrations from either the Ramayana or the Dasavatara of Vishnu or from 'Krishna Lila'. The three main categories of Orissan painting, the Bhitichitra or the murals, the pata or the cloth painting and the Talpatachitra or the palm leaf engraving remain more or less the same in style and subject-matter during any given period of Orissan Art history.
Other very popular souvenir items that hail from Orissa are `silver filigree tarakasi decorative items and silver utensils. The silver filigree and other silver items have, like other handicrafts, a very important socio-cultural function. The child's first solid food, usually a sweet dish of rice, kheer, is served in a silver bowl and the elder specially grand-parents take pride in presenting the silver bowl for this function known as anna prasana. Like brass and bell metal items the bride is also usually presented a set of silver dishes which is reserved for offering food to the deities during religious festivals. Many temples have a set of silver ornaments for the presiding deities including silver crowns which are used on ceremonial occasions. Silver filigree has been an important export item of Orissa from ancient times and has been a symbol of the dizzying heights of excellence reached by Orissa's craftsmen. Lacquer work is yet another example of the exquisitely beautiful and appealing handcrafted gems that are given shape by the nimble fingers of Orissas gifted craftsmen.
