Bharati Matha

Ramakanta Samantaray and Sailen Routray

Bharati Matha (From 'Hindu Monastic Life')

Amongst the mathas of Bhubaneswar, Bharati Matha is the oldest. It is also known as 'Sadavrata Matha'. It is also considered one of the major monasteries of the city belonging to the 'Bharati' sampradAya of the dasanAmi monastical sect instituted by Shankaracharya. 

This matha is surrounded by a stone wall that stands 10 feet high and 240 feet long. These walls enclose a space that is around 57, 600 square feet. One fourth of this area is occupied by a double-storied rectangular building constructed with stones, that measures 80 feet by 110 feet. 

Its inner courtyard houses a Kamakhya temple. The rest of the compound of the matha has quarters for servitors of the monastery, a cowshed and a burial place for the ascetics who have headed the institution.

Bharati Math is at least as old as the Lingaraj Temple. Some sources date it to the seventh century AD. On Yama Dwitiya, during the Dola festival in spring, deities from Lingaraj Temple visit the Bharati monastery. 

These deities also visit the matha during the Seetala Sashthi festival (the marriage of Shiva and Parvati held in summer) and the fourth day after this marriage. This matha was once an important place on the itinerary of Naga sadhus during the Rath Yatra festival. 

Reference

Miller, D.M. and Wertz, D.C., 1976. Hindu monastic life: The monks and monasteries of Bhubaneswar. McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP.

A Brief Discussion of the Book ‘Kalara Bichara’ by Odia Artist Gopal Kanungo

Ramakanta Samantaray and Sailen Routray

Cover of the Book 'Kalara Bichara'

This is the cover of the Odia book ‘KalAra BichAra’ by Odia artist Gopal Kanungo (1904-1971) which is now out of print. It was published in 1955 by Utkal University which was then housed in Cuttack. The printer was Bidhubhushan Misra, Maharaja Shri Ramachandra Utkal University Press, Cuttack. 

The print run was one thousand copies and the book was priced at five and half rupees. ‘KalAra BichAra’ was printed in 1/8 demy size with 161 pages. Including the cover it had 120 illustrations out of which six were colour plates.

The Floor Plan of Konark Temple
(Page 111 of 'Kalara Bichara')

The book’s introduction (originally written in Bengali and then translated into Odia) was by Ramendranath Chakravorty, a pioneer in Indian printmaking. He had written this half page note in 1950 when serving as the Principal of Government School of Art, Calcutta. This means it took around five years for the book’s manuscript to see the light of print. 

The volume had thirteen chapters that included themes ranging from Indian and various other Asian artistic traditions, European art forms and technical aspects of temple architecture, modern sculpture and architecture.

The Ashokan Elephant of Dhauli
(Page 129 of 'Kalara Bichara')

He was born in Lentigada village in undivided Puri district. His father Jagabandhu Kanungo, among other work, served as the Dewan of the princely state of Damapada and as the manager of the Sakhigopal temple near Puri. 

Gopal Kanungo did part of his school education in the famous nationalist institution Satyabadi Bana Bidyalaya. Then he went on to study for a BA degree in Ravenshaw College at Cuttack followed by a stint (1928-34) in Government School of Art, Calcutta. 

He then worked as an art teacher at Government High School Balasore. He also taught in Government Art School, Khallikote for some time.

Illustration of 'ChitA', a folk art form of Odia women
(Page 63 of 'Kalara Bichara')

Gopal Kanungo was a major artist and designer of his times and undertook one of the first experimentations with cubism and expressionism in the state. He was also a major writer in Odia and is now chiefly remembered as the translator of Omar Khayam’s ‘Rubaiyat’ (1954) into Odia. A major contribution of his to Odisa’s artistic discourse was the book ‘Utkalara ChitrakalA’ (1964) published by Orissa Lalit Kala Akademi.

The Sitabinjhi Fresco of North Orissa

Ramakanta Samantaray and Sailen Routray

A Photograph of the Sitabinjhi Fresco Taken in 2010 

The Rabanachhaya fresco (17 ft*10 ft) is to be found in the ceiling of a rock shelter in Sitabinjhi in Keonjhar district in north Orissa. This site is located near DanguApAni village on the banks of River Sita and is of great archeological importance. The painting, done in the tempera technique, depicts a royal procession of a King named Disha Bhanja and proceeds from right to left.

The fresco consists of four infantry men, a cavalry man, the king and the mahout sitting on an elephant, and a handmaiden. The royal person holds a goad in his right hand and in his left hand something that looks like a flower. It is painted in a style reminiscent of the Ajanta frescoes. But the ground was not prepared like Ajanta here and the painting was created on a coating of lime. It is interesting to note here that the Sitabinjhi frescoes are very unlike those in Orissa that were painted later.   

By the time B.V. Lal, an official of Archeological Survey of India, started work on the site in 1950, the frescoes had already become quite faded. He chemically treated these and took photographs of the same. In the same year Odia artist Gopal Kanungo brought them to the notice of the then principal of Calcutta Art School and prepared a copy of the said fresco.

Artistic Impression by Gopal Kanungo of the RAbanachhAyA Fresco
(Plate between pages 42-43 of  'KalAra BichAra' by Gopal Kanungo)

The Brahmi script used in an inscription at the bottom of the fresco was deciphered by T. N. Ramachandran and according to him these can be dated to the fourth century AD. Other scholars opine differently and the time of the painting of these may be fixed between fourth and twelfth centuries of the Christian Era.

ଫ୍ରିଡ଼ା ଦାସ ହସ୍‌ୱର୍ଥ୍‌ଙ୍କର ଚିତ୍ର 'କୋଣାର୍କ'

ରମାକାନ୍ତ ସାମନ୍ତରାୟ ଓ ଶୈଲେନ ରାଉତରାୟ

ଫ୍ରିଡ଼ା ଦାସ ହସ୍‌ୱର୍ଥ୍‌  ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ ସମାଜବାଦୀ ନେତା ଓ ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା ସଙ୍ଗ୍ରାମୀ ସାରଙ୍ଗଧର ଦାସଙ୍କୁ ବାହା ହୋଇ ଓଡ଼ିଶାରେ ବେଶ୍ କିଛି ଦିନ କଟାଇଥିଲେ । 'ଏ ମ୍ୟାରେଜ୍ ଟୁ ଇଣ୍ଡିଆ' (୧୯୩୧) ଏବଂ 'ପର୍ଦ୍ଦା; ଦି ଷ୍ଟାଟସ୍ ଅଫ୍ ଇଣ୍ଡିଆନ୍ ୱିମେନ୍ (୧୯୩୨) ଆଦି ତାଙ୍କର ବହିଗୁଡ଼ିକ ଆମକୁ ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା ପୂର୍ବବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ସାମାଜିକ ଚିତ୍ର ପ୍ରଦାନ କରେ । 

ଲେଖାଲେଖି ଛଡ଼ା ଜଣେ ଚିତ୍ରକର ଭାବରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ତାଙ୍କର ପରିଚିତି ଥିଲା । ୧୯୨୭ ମସିହାରେ ସେ ଆଙ୍କିଥିବା ଗାନ୍ଧୀଜୀଙ୍କର ପୋଟ୍ରେଟ୍ ଏହି ବିଷୟକ ପ୍ରଥମ ଚିତ୍ର ଭିତରୁ ଗୋଟିଏ ।

ଆପଣ ଉପରେ ଦେଖୁଥିବା ଫ୍ରିଡ଼ା ଦାସ (୧୮୮୬-୧୯୭୪)ଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଅଙ୍କିତ 'କୋଣାର୍କ' ଚିତ୍ରଟିର ମାଧ୍ୟମ ତୈଳରଙ୍ଗ । ଶ୍ରୀମତୀ ଦାସ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ଅନେକଗୁଡ଼ିଏ ମନ୍ଦିରର ଚିତ୍ର ଆଙ୍କିଥିଲେ । ସେଗୁଡ଼ିକ ('କୋଣାର୍କ' ଚିତ୍ର ସହିତ) ପ୍ୟାରିସ ନଗରୀରେ ପ୍ରଦର୍ଶିତ ମଧ୍ୟ ହୋଇଥିଲା । 

ଆମେ ବ୍ୟବହାର କରିଥିବା ଚିତ୍ରଟିର ଏହି ପ୍ରତିଛବିଟି ମାସିକ ପତ୍ରିକା 'ବାରୁଣୀ'ର ପ୍ରଥମ ସଙ୍ଖ୍ୟାରୁ ନିଆଯାଇଛି । ପତ୍ରିକାଟି ରାୟବାହାଦୁର ରାଜକିଶୋର ଦାସଙ୍କ ସମ୍ପାଦନାରେ କଟକରୁ ପ୍ରକାଶିତ ହୋଇଥିଲା । 

୧୯୨୩ ମସିହାରେ ଏହାର ପ୍ରକାଶନ ଆରମ୍ଭ ହୋଇ ସେହି ବର୍ଷ ହିଁ ପାଞ୍ଚଟି ସଙ୍ଖ୍ୟା ଛପା ହେବା ପରେ ବନ୍ଦ ହୋଇଯାଇଥିଲା । ପତ୍ରିକାର ଅଳଙ୍କରଣ ଓ ପରିପାଟୀ ଆକର୍ଷଣୀୟ ଥିଲା ଏବଂ ଏହାର ଦାୟିତ୍ୱ ଚିତ୍ରଶିଳ୍ପୀ ଉପେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଦାସ ସମ୍ଭାଳୁଥିଲେ ।

ବି.ଦ୍ର. - ଆମେ ବ୍ୟବହାର କରିଥିବା 'ବାରୁଣୀ' ପତ୍ରିକାର ସଙ୍ଖ୍ୟାଟି ସୃଜନିକା ସଂସ୍ଥାଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ପରିଚାଳିତ 'ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବିଭବ' ୱେବ୍‌ସାଇଟ୍‌ରୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହୋଇଛି । ଆମେ ଏଥି ପାଇଁ ତାଙ୍କ ନିକଟରେ କୃତଜ୍ଞ ।

A 19th Century Photograph of the Lingaraj Temple Complex in Bhubaneswar

Ramakanta Samantaray and Sailen Routray

This is perhaps one of the first photographic images of the Lingaraj temple complex by an Indian photographer taken from a vantage point near the Uttareswar Temple. The photographer is the Bengali indologist and historian Rajendra Lal Mitra (1824-1891). 

He was also one the early photography enthusiasts of India. His two volume ‘Antiquities of Orissa’ (published in 1875 and 1880) remains a landmark of architectural history and is still in print. 

The fieldwork for this book took place in 1868-69. The photograph provided above must have been taken during this period of time. 

A short note about the painting 'Pratikhyamaanaa' by Upendra Kisore Das

Ramakanta Samantaray and Sailen Routray

This is a tri-colour reproduction of the painting 'Pratikhyamaanaa' by Upendra Kisore Das (1901-1972). This water colour painting models itself after the artistic inspirations of Odishan temple architecture and the frescoes of Ajanta. 

This was part of a larger Odishan artistic milieu of the times which was influenced by the nationalistic revivalism of the Bengal School. It was printed in the year 1923 in the second issue of the Odia magazine 'Baruni'. 

This magazine was started by the artist himself. After publishing five issues, the magazine was folded up. With respect to designing, layout and content of magazines, it broke new ground in Odia publishing. Upendra Kisore himself did most of the design work and illustrations. He was a self-taught artist.

He belonged to the landed aristocracy of colonial Orissa. He was the biological son of Rai Bahadur Raj Kisore das who lent his name as the editor of 'Baruni'. Later he was adopted by Gopal Ballav Das, the younger brother of Odia nationalist leader Madhusudan Das. 

Upendra Kisore was the founder of 'Prachi Bidya Samiti', an organisation that made efforts in publishing ancient Odia texts. He was also a popular writer of his times and is now principally known as the author of the Odia novel 'Malajanha'. 

Later it was made into an eponymous Odia feature film directed by Nitai Palit and released in 1965. The film received a certificate of merit for the best Odia film in the National Film Awards for the same year.