Among   the  many  un-researched and less researched aspects of the heritage of Orissa  are the following.  She had a self sustaining  system , augmented by  maritime trade , maintained by agriculture that was nourished by  copious amounts of  seasonal rainfall and seasonal flooding. Her  people  never  migrated  out en-mass. There was no self inflicted cause as that is noted in the case of  Greece, not  that such geography was sans natural calamities.  If  they  went out , it was for  trade , as much alike the East India Company  did  a millennium later. If  they survived the natural calamities, it is because they self designed , unique survival techniques for  en-mass survival.  Immigration happened continuously. They had disdain for anything foreign. Even for Sanskrit. They adopted non. A  good  percentage  of  her  ethnic  stock  is comprised  of  the  warrior  segment  known as Khandaits.  A term that remains unreported from elsewhere. Panini has mentioned Yuadhyas , a class of Siva Vhagavatas , who yielded a  mace or  a striking devise and roamed about. That is the nearest description in ancient secondary sources. The Khandaits  had  been  the  prime mover(s)  in the early period of Orissa.  They  also  attracted  the  others ( such as  a  new  pratipalaka )  as  much  as  they were  repelled by a invader or a encroacher.  Interestingly , they  also mastered  the  domains  of   physical  work  such  as  navigation  , fine arts such as music , to  mental  works  such  as astronomy and mathematics. Invariably, the master sthapati(s) were Khandait(s).   The  Das and the Mohanty  segment is  singular  in  the  whole of  the sub-continent.  Prima facie the Das was  entitled with accounts , while the Mohanty with  physical  contents.  The  Sahoos  and  the  various Naiks,  it  seems,  had  something to do  with the matters  across the  geographical and political boundaries. They bear a pan India title , yet present genuine ethnic Oriya morphometry.  The law giver Manu’s  Varna  system  had no place.  Whenever there was any  thought change  ( including faith ) it was led and abetted by the Khandaits. When  they  laid  down  the  guard  and  took  to the way  of  life of  Balo Haribol ! as was enunciated by  the immortal Netai Gouranga ( 16^th AD ) , Orissa lapsed into  a  dark era.  The  data  remains  embedded.

Even around 6^th AD , there  were  a sizable number  of  Brahmins , as a sub-population . They, concentrated on the anicon of Siva , used water for avisek , did not   practice fire warship , neither  concentrated on Brahma nor on Indra. They,  were Pasupats and Sidhantims. The  medium of public instruction was chitra-bhasa.  Yet the most regal icon of Brahma was sculpated  and installed around 10^th AD.  It  appears , their dialect was Pisachi ( goblin’s lingua ), because ,  Gunadhya , a erstwhile Sanskrit scholar ( 1^st BC – 4^th AD ) , had  abdicated Sanskrit , its patron and the  territory . As a challenge, he had taken up Pisachi . It could possibly mean Prachya bhasa or even Prachi bhasa ( oriental dialect ). The term Pisachi is  not  a  Prakrit  phone. Gunadhya had  authored  a  manuscript termed  Bratha-Katha ( the story of genesis ) consisting of  100,000 verse. No Sanskrit verse based manuscript, had ever touched this mark. Bratha-Katha was subsequently , in the following millennium, was plagiarised and looted most extensively by the Sanskritists.   Gunadhya , in his preface had acknowledged,  that  his  new Patron-in-chief  was  Kalingasena , who’s wife   was Padmavati.  The medium was there, achievers  were there, so  were there  partipalakas ( patrons ). 

The  known  nautical distances that was regularly  traveled  by  the  Kalingan  mariners  is  far  in excess  of  any thing  that is  ascribable  to the legendary Vikings.  Not  for piracy , nor  for  empire , but  for  trade and  faith , such external territories were explored.  When  Asoka  ( 3^rd BC ) wanted to send his  daughter  Sanghamitra to Siri-Lanka , she was put in the safe hands of Kalinga master mariners , Kalingan ships and  Khandaits. Without  a  compass  all these  could  not  have  happened. It  would  be  naïve to give  away the compass  to  any  one  else.  Yet again, the  master craftsmen of  the    Kalingiya  society  over the centuries , have time and time  indicated  a  exclusive signature , that  suggests a strange affinity  with or for the  Vikings.  Yes, I  write consciously  thus, as always , on the basis  of dated  art and dated archaeology.

With  the  advent  of  the period  of   structural  engineering ( 6^th –7^th AD ), the    Kalingiya  society  gave  to itself  the  wonderful yet robust curveliner  architecture.  Buttress  columns  termed  as  Raha paga  was  enmeshed into  the  structure  in such a manner that it  negated  the horizontal component of the thrust , irrespective of the height of the hollowed, load structure. The anla ( circular cranium ) at the top, also acted as  alike a disc balance ( new concept ) that  would register and reflect even the minutest of  structural defect. No exclusive route for climbing to the top was ever kept. A unique methodology  involving the principle of  hypotenuse  was incorporated to enable instant height measurement. A unique concept of fractals was incorporated . Smooth mobious curves were built into for maximising surface area to facilitate drying , cooling, dispersion of  thrust ,etc.  Many things more remain, one enmeshed into the other.  While the concepts , designs are original to the native people, no where on the earth has similar  calculative engineering ever  fulminated within a linguistic geo-political zone and  perused for more than a millennium.  The architecture in one stroke also ensures that  it  is a robust  anti-thesis of the Hinayana  concept(s) , cultivates the Siddhanta  philosophy on the other, and introduces mimansa i.e intra-society compromise as different from inter-society compromise , which it simultaneously, resoundingly negates. Sans mimamsa, the Siddhantims  and the Sadasivas  from  all  over  India would not have gravitated to  such territories and would not have got state patronage.

These apart,  the monuments and their elements, cumulatively  and severally offer the very rare school of the science of Archaeoastronomy and History of science. Iconology and Art history are the Humanities chapters. The temple was  converted into a almanac and as well into a multi-disciplinary text book. If the Nile civilization had chosen to embalm the biological being and then had protected it from the elements of weather and the human gaze.  The Kalingans, who burnt their dead , chose a different route. From such perspective, the  Kalingiya bakrakara rekha  deula , in fact , vis-à-vis the practice of mandira  gatra katha , uncovers  the barrenness  of  mental application  elsewhere .   

While  these  were  the  assets ,  the  kingship consciously used  locations  of  geo-strategic  importance  and  advantage  to  build  a  unique  defense  concept ,  that  is  also  yet another brain teaser. The term Kataka means  cantonment.  As many as six Katakas were  established in six  geo-strategic vantage points. All  of  them  guard important and vulnerable riparian and inter-valley routes. The term Kataka is of  Prakrit  genealogy.  Therefore, such defense  concept  cannot  be  new.

Aihtiha  alias  heritage  has been  innate  to  every   segment  of  the society , at all times and at  all places.  Orissa , as a society , as a people , as a race , in all its form , shape , and size of  histo-geographical entity  and varying constituents thereof, has  had a  heritage.  Interestingly,  a overwhelming much remains unreported in Anglo-Saxon  lingua and script.  It  is  not  that  her  present  members do not know. Her villages , her art , her traditions , are gigantic repositories , know them for sure.  It is a idiopathic fallacy , that catalyses irreversible, and  profound neuro-cerebral morbidity when  one thinks, that  enough has been researched and reported about Orissa’s heritage. Much would have been carried away, had it been exposed by  non die hard  researchers.  Die hard researchers are the need of the hour. Pratipalaka        ( patron ) is also as much a need. Among  the  various unconsidered and unreported  facets and aspects , shades and sides of the heritage of Orissa , is her national character. That character is of  conservatism on side and  belligerency on the other.  Her  belligerent  attitude  gave to her  a   vinna  tala  in every aspect of human thought , action , while always being a part of  Varatvarsha . While her  conservative attitude  has  led to a system of anusilan           ( practice ) of conscious  preservation  of   such vinna  tala  in all the  domains.   Her face is that of  a  arrogance-less simpleton.  It  has foxed many a  well equipped researcher. Her meteorology and malaria have also acted as natural and unending impediments. Delivery of proprietorial defense is noted.   Cumulatively, these aspects of unique national character, have as well been of  immense help to Varatvarsha as and when it mattered most. This is also Orissa’s heritage.

It  is  the  bounden  duty  of  a  modern  researcher  to  develop a  equally sharp model , a methodology and then present a  desideratum  covering  each  and every  such aspect.  Then and only then , many , many aspects and facets of the vinna tala will  stand exfoliated.  Such exfoliations will  extend  the  boundaries  of  knowledge  as to  how  the  ancient  mind thought  and  how  he  sought  to  preserve  them in this part of  the earth.

Author:
Deepak  Bhattacharya
Bhubaneswar - India. – 751002; Studio Building , Kedar  Gouri  Road
91-[0]674-2430407 & 9861113858.  oddisilab@sancharnet.in

Capriconian  Solstice 2005
[ the author is a scion of a siddhanta parivar ]