Digital BABA

Building a Better Asia Retreat Program was held in Orissa, India during 08.02.2009 – 15.02.2009.

The themes of this Retreat were: livelihood, ecology and culture. So, I will start sharing some information about this city based on our visits and lectures. Our journey to Orissa began in Singapore Airport where all the participants met, except two participants – Mr.Akira Uchimura and Dr.Gustavo Kishimoto – that had some serious problems to arrive. Together, we took a flight to Delhi and from Delhi to Bhubaneshwar. We had more than 4 hours waiting in Delhi till the connection flight to Bhubaneshwar, but we had so many queues and bureaucracy to pass through and waiting time to get from one terminal to another that 4 hours passed by very quickly. Good thing is that we had plenty of time to get to know each other. We arrived at Bhubaneshwar airport and we took a taxi from the airport to Toshali Sands Resort where the Retreat was held, in Puri. It took approximately 1 hour to get there. I must say it was a real adventure. The Indians there have a very peculiar way to drive. They drive not in the left, not in the right side, but in the very middle of the road. In many occasions we were just about to collide with the cars coming from the opposite direction. Another interesting thing is that they just keep the hand in the horn. They use the horn so many times and I guess they like to make a lot of noise!!! The traffic is very chaotic, with no signs or traffic lights at all.

All the way from the airport to the hotel, we saw many cows and buffalos along the road. They are also part of the traffic. Actually, I was told that the cow is a sacred animal in India and inhabits 33 Gods. They are not allowed to eat the meat of the cow, but they are allowed to take the milk and to use the excrements as fertilizer and fuel. They use the leather too, after the cow is dead. The guide told us that they bury the cow’s body and in ancient times, there was a special person to do all the burying ritual. The city that this Retreat was held – Puri – is located (according to the taxi driver) approximately 60km from Bhubaneshwar, the capital city of Orissa state. Puri is one of the oldest cities in the eastern part of the country and it is considered to be a holy place of pilgrimage in India. It is situated on the coast of Bengal Bay and has a beautiful sea beach with its unique and fantastic views of sunsets and sunrises. The region of Orissa has also a great biodiversity of fauna and flora. It is known for its wildlife Sanctuaries of elephants, tigers and other wild animals. The Largest Lion Safari in India is located in Bhubaneshwar and is the only place of White Tiger Safari in the world. The Bengal bay cost is also known for its biodiversity and is one of the largest nesting places of a turtle species.

We also visited the Chilika Lake, the brackish lake that is known to be the second largest lagoon in the world. Chilika is the habitat of many fish species, thousands of migratory birds and is also famous to be the living place of a dolphin species. Although a lot of effort has been made to keep the clean environment to preserve this lake, some parts of the shore are very dirty with garbage and rubbish everywhere.

Orissa is also famous for its unique culture.

We had the chance to appreciate the typical Indian dance from this region. The Odissi dance expresses a story through a very peculiar body movements and facial expressions. Among other beautiful dances, we had the chance to see one that tells a classic story of Radha & Krishna. This story was about the love adventure of Radha with another woman while Krishna was home waiting for his return.
Another traditional dance from Orissa is performed by kids. With a flexible body movements they twist and dance according to the music in a very gracious  way.

One of our amazing visits was to the Konark Temple. This temple known as the Sun Temple was built in the 13^th century and the entire complex was designed in the form of a chariot with 7 horses, four in the right and three in the left. All the walls of this temple are surrounded by a remarkable stone work of erotic women and human figures that represents the Kama Sutra positions.

The region of Orissa has indeed an abundant nature and possesses a unique traditional culture. In recent years, due to its abundant natural resources, this region has been receiving many investments. Minerals like bauxite, iron, chromite and also coal have been attracting attention of the industries. However, since most of the population survives from the earnings of traditional agriculture, there are many concerns about the destruction of their natural environment. To get to know better about the livelihood in this region, we were divided into groups that visited different artisan villages. I was part of the group that visited a town called Pipli. This town is famous for the colorful appliqué handicrafts and most part of the community is engaged in its confection. We visited an organization called Darabar Sahitya Sansad that promotes livelihood for poor women. They support the women to work in handicrafts and provide financial aid for housing and life insurance. Since 1999, they also support the villagers when natural disasters, common to this region such as floods and cyclones occur.

Family house in Pipli – 8 people lives there.

The living conditions of the population in this region are miserable. They live below the poverty line and suffer the same problems from developing countries, except in a worse conditions.

This article was a short description of Orissa according to the themes of this Retreat – culture, livelihood, ecology. I hope you could have an idea about this state and I will post another article soon.

.