Reviving Indigenous Art: A Journey of Preservation and Promotion
The identity of a land is its culture, its art forms and its indigenous tribes. The western part of Odisha is not only a land of extensive clear waters, shady mountainous terrain and fertile soil rich with minerals, the densely populated region is doubly blessed with rich culture where the indigenous art forms, the music, the musical instruments and the dance form the fabric of folklore and tribal consciousness.
The folk art forms have been passed down through generations. However, with the advent of modern and westernised forms of entertainment, these traditional practices began to decline. The disappearance of princely states and their rituals, which once supported these arts, further contributed to their decline. Official patronage that once sustained these art forms has long disappeared. The younger population's inclination toward modernization also played a role.
As a result, some folk forms have nearly reached the brink of extinction, while others have already been lost. Thus, the dire need to resurrect, preserve and propagate. Fortunately, there has been a revitalisation of interest in these long-forgotten cultural traditions, with enterprise underway to resuscitate, conserve and propagate them.
Mr. Rajat Kumar Panigrahi of Raj Komna, Nuapada district, a young Zoology lecturer’s quest for these dying art forms of western part of Odisha is a must-know and must-read success story. In the last 13 years, he has travelled to nearly 1500 villages.
Along the journey, Mr. Rajat has documented many crafts and traditional artisans, creating an online repository, a YouTube channel ‘Matir Kala’ that inspires and can be used as reference by the future generations. According to Mr. Rajat, the artistes live in such remote areas that the villages are till date out of cell phone coverage area and the only way to establish a connection with them is by visiting in person.
In his own words, “The Chatar Jatra of Maa Samalei, where people would dress up as traditional Kandha tribal warriors and take out a procession, developed the zeal in me to know more about our lost culture and heritage. Started in 1590 AD, this ritual takes place every Dussehra where local artists gather and perform folk forms like Pala, Danda, Rahans (colloquially, Sri Krishna Rasleela) to name a few.
My village is a hub of culture and tradition. Seeing the cultural celebrations year after year since childhood, I was drawn towards our folk culture but as years passed, I watched these rituals wither away and so, I felt the need to preserve and propagate our cultural heritage. I began my documentation drive with traditional musical instruments in 2012 when I was pursuing graduation.
I started off by visiting villages in Nuapada in search of instruments during weekends and found many. These instruments were used in social and cultural events but people who played them had been impelled to abandon their craft due to fiscal constraints, leading to its eventual demise. I tried helping them by looking for buyers for the musical instruments and by God’s grace got many art aficionados to get them”, he recalls.
“In Western part of Odisha, there are various folk forms and instruments like Sankirtan, Pala, Ganabaja, Dulduli, Danda, Ghumura, Sarmangla, Dhol, Nisan, Tasa, Mahuri, Jhan and Jhunjhuni. Most of these are either string or percussion instruments, and are traditionally made of cowhide, wood or bamboo. Western part of Odisha has a kaleidoscope of various tribal communities and each community has a history, tradition, dance and music of their own.
About the challenges he faced, Mr. Rajat says, “Initially, people around were not very supportive, but with time everyone understood the need to restore the lost forms. When filming, convincing the tribal communities to face the camera becomes difficult.”
Eventually, Mr. Rajat decided to explore Kalahandi, Balangir and Sonepur to take his revival initiative a step forward and discover rare or lesser-known art forms. Two years later in 2014, he joined a college as a lecturer in zoology but continued his endeavour. Over the years, he was able to revive various performing art forms, which were on the verge of disappearance and also collected old wood carvings from Kalahandi, bamboo craft from Nuapada, traditional instruments, handicrafts and terracotta pieces from other parts of the region.
Mr. Rajat started his YouTube channel ‘Matir Kala’ in 2017, to document his findings. With the help of his cousin Satya Panigrahi and best friend Ganesh Pradhan who assist him in recording and editing the videos, he has not only been making videos on art forms but also interviews the artistes.
He has covered almost all the villages of Western part of Odisha and intends to take this one step ahead in the future. His videos showcase dance forms like Ghumura of Kalahandi, Dalkhai, Ghudka. He has also filmed the folk instrument players and folk culture of the Debgiriand the primitive Chukti Bhunjia tribe who live in Sunabeda sanctuary of Nuapada district, to name a few.
These art forms hold immense cultural value, but often the artists struggle to sustain themselves financially, which leads them to abandon their craft. Mr. Rajat contributes half of his salary to help these economically unstable artists. By partnering with them, he helps these traditional artists in various ways, including showcasing and promoting their craft to a larger audience through his YouTube channel and other social media platforms.
Through the platform provided by ‘Matir Kala’ artists get virtual recognition by millions of viewers worldwide who appreciate and value their unique art forms. This not only helps the artists and the forgotten art forms in getting exposure but also preserves and promotes these precious art forms of Western part of Odisha for the reference of future generations. His contribution to the revitalisation and conservation of interest in these long-forgotten cultural traditions, has inspired many including the youth of the region.
Recently, two engineering students gave a talk about Mr. Rajat and his persistence and determination to refuse to let these treasures fade away, in Silicon Institute of Technology, Sambalpur and Biju Patnaik University of Technology. Currently he is working towards establishing a museum in his village, which will conserve traditional musical instruments, Sambalpuri ornaments (like katria, bandria, etc.), tribal jewellery, materials used to make folk instruments, books and other things related to art and culture.
Resurrecting a lost form in the field of art is analogous to resurrecting a piece of history. It symbolises the persistence of artists, communities and art enthusiasts who refuse to let these die. Revitalising an art form necessitates investigation, documentation and the transmission of knowledge to the next generation.
It requires consistent efforts and community involvement. The resuscitation of forgotten art forms is not only a cultural awakening, but is also necessary for our identity and pride as an Odia. While Mr. Rajat’s success story provides encouragement, and problems remain in the resurrection of extinct traditional art forms of overall Odisha.
Financial constraints, a lack of institutional support, and waning enthusiasm among the younger generation are major hurdles. Artists who are often trying to make a living may find it challenging to devote their time and money to the preservation and practice of these creative forms.
Like Mr. Rajat Kumar Panigrahi, together, we can ensure that these art forms find their rightful place in the present and future, safeguarding the rich cultural legacy of western part of Odisha and Odisha as a whole.
