Happy Utkal Dibasa - 2023

 A scene from the Hindi movie ASHOKA still rings a bell. When Prince Ashok, the Scion of powerful Magadh Empire played by the popular actor Sah Rukh Khan strays into the territory of KALING (modern day Odisha), he is offered food by a native who says "KALING MEIN KOI BHUKHA NAHI RAHTA" (nobody ever goes hungry in Odisha).

History has depicted Kalinga as an I

independent, indomitable Republic of the time. A maritime superpower, rich and robust enough to challenge the powerful Maurya empire. Emperor Chandragupta Maurya and his son Bindusara, both spectacularly failed to conquer it. Bindusara's ambitious son Ashok managed to win a pyrrhic victory against Kalinga after lot of bloodshed on both sides. 

The marauding War Elephants of Kalinga, an integral part of the military in those days was regarded as the best in Indian subcontinent. In a Hindi tele series on Chanakya, when the princess of Magadh, the daughter of the powerful Mahapadmananda is kidnapped, the King mad in rage suspected Kalinga - "EK KALING HAI JO AISA KAR SAKTA HAI", "Only Kaling could dare to kidnap the daughter of the Magadh Emperor".

Kalinga was powerful enough to earn the respect of its powerful neighbor in North.

However CHANDASHOK (Ashok, the Cruel), their scion, won a pyrrhic victory over his old adversary who fought bravely till the end. The war was bloody enough to transform CHANDASHOK (Ashok, the Cruel) into DHARMASHOK (Ashok, the Pious). Ashok was moved by the sight of the women and children of Kalinga fighting till they breathed their last, leaving him forlorn and leaving violence forever. Couple of centuries later, KHARABELA, the emperor of Kalinga avenged the defeat by conquering and ransacking Magadh (modern day Bihar). 

From 11th to 15th century AD, the Gajapati (Lord of Elephants) Kings of Odisha built embarkments on rivers, created impressive architectural feats like the Sun Temple of Konark (Black Pagoda), defended aggression from enemies and built a great civilization. At one point of time the Kalinga empire extended from Ganges in North to Godavari in the south under King Kapilendra Dev.

But in the age sans contraceptives, the mighty King maintained both Queens and Kepts who kept on delivering broods of legitimate and illegitimate progenies. He laid the seeds for future fratricidal wars. His descendants involved themselves in internecine fatricidal wars and managed to sow the seeds of the demise of the great Kalinga empire.

This downfall probably accentuated with the advent of BHAKTI (devotional) movement and KIRTAN (devotional chant) culture introduced by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a mendicant of 15th century from GOUDA (the modern day Bengal), who arguably was the harbinger of the beginning of the end of the Odias as a martial race. Our last independent rulers Pratap Rudra Deb, Mukunda Dev and their army of generals soon considered themselves as the Gopis of Lord Krishna, forgetting their warrior skills.

The soldiers known for their bravery laid down their arms and started begging alms; singing BHAJANs and doing KIRTAN in chorus. (This trait continues, as the state still prides begging from center and abroad). Their KHANDAA (sword) was replaced by KENDARAA (mini violins). The fearless soldiers, who for centuries walked with their heads held higher, now held KENDARAA high above his head, similar to the one held by Sri Chaitnanya Mahaprabhu.

Odisha was soon be conquered by the Islamic invaders and the marauding Marathas who never believed in KIRTANs (Marathas though had their share of Bhakti movement of Tukaram and Eknath did not relinquish their martial traits). It yet vindicated that swords carry more weight and conquer more effectively than the violins. Traces of the martial trait was still visible in the form of the resistance offered by Buxi Jagabandhu, leader of the PAIKAs (a warring class), who fought bravely against the British during early 18th century.

Now, as they say in Odia - KARPUPRA UDIJAICHI, KANAA PADICHI (camphor gone, cloth remains). It means what remains to cherish is the little perfume of past glory lying ruined in the drifting sands of time. Let's hope we can get back some of the past glory in our lifetime. BANDE UTKAL JANANI (Hail Mother Odisha) and HAPPY UTKAL DIBASA to all.