Archive for the 'Odisha personalities' Category

Vote for Rajasmita to win the Dance India Danace 3 competition; voting open until April 21st 2012 (saturday) 7 PM. [Update: She wins it.]

Odisha dances, Odisha personalities 3 Comments »

She has been consistently good taking on tougher and tougher challenges every week. Pointers to all her performances are at http://www.orissalinks.com/orissagrowth/archives/5646. Please watch and judge for yourselves.

Update: Her performance in the finale starts from 5 minutes http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqa82w_dance-india-dance-3-21st-april-2012-part-5_shortfilms.

Rajasmita Kar of Rourkela on the verge of making to the finals of Dance India Dance 3; update: She makes it to the finals with number 1 ranking. [Update 2: She wins it.]

Odisha personalities, Rourkela- Kansbahal Comments Off on Rajasmita Kar of Rourkela on the verge of making to the finals of Dance India Dance 3; update: She makes it to the finals with number 1 ranking. [Update 2: She wins it.]
  • Dec 25th Kolkata auditions: From 5:40 minutes at http://www.indianpad.in/video/3793/DID-Season-3-25th-Dec-part4 . Also at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS5i7uY-p2I . She gets selected to top 36.
  • Jan 7th auditions: Around 15 minutes at http://www.indianpad.in/video/3803/DID-Season-3-7th-Jan-part2 she gets selected to top 18. See also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ebC99xlAI .
  • Jan 14th (with Shafeer) : From 11:40 minutes at http://www.indianpad.in/video/3811/DID-Season-3-14th-Jan-part2 . See also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRkDijF5yZ4 . (Contemporary style on the song "Halka Halka Sa")
  • Jan 21st (with Paul)  : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlkqYztH76Q (performed Lyrical Hip Hop on the song "Teri Meri Prem Kahani")
  • Jan 22nd: From 18:20 minute onwards http://www.indianpad.in/video/3823/DID-Season-3-22nd-Jan-part2( Contemporary style on the song  "Roundhe Hai Mujhko Tera Pyaar" )
  • Jan 28th  (with Shafeer and Riddhika Singhhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usVKA4MYfSo (performed on the song "Maula Mere" using India Flag colors.)
  • Feb 4th (with Abhik): From 1:40 minutes at http://www.indianpad.in/video/3836/DID-Season-3-4th-Feb-part3  (Aerial act on a ring on the song "Bol na halke halke")
  • Feb 18thhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6t2ZEgz_Gs (Semi classical on the song "More piyaa")
  • Feb 19th (with Abhik):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4RwiWLNXpw (She plays the role of Radha, Rukmani, Satyabhama and Meera dancing with Krishna)
  • Feb 25thhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy3-WFz3wAI (Dances with gas cylinder like props on the song "Gun gun guna re".)
  • Feb 26th (with Abhik)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wByEPDsCW2M (Lindy Hop and quickstep; acts like a school kind with a candy on the song "Tumse mili najar to asar")
  • March 3rdhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aBOGU4uinY (Freestyle on the song "sajna ve soniya ve")
  • March 4th (with Abhik)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eGVN8FFU38 (Freestyle using a bench as a prop on the song "Tu jahan main wonhan")
  • March 4th (with Paul): Judged the best of that day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeervS2j2co (On ice on the song "Jaaane do naa, paaas aaao naa")
  • March 10th (Ranked 3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=725jGtNk_gY (freestyle on the song "Main lagti hoon Sridevi lagti hoon")
  • March 11th (with Paul): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wblW1U_into (Bachata dance on the song "Jaanam I love you" done on a pool table.)
  • March 11th (with Abhik): Performance was ranked the best of that day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWh7Ru_btvc (Free style and acrobatics on a camera trolley track on the song "Ye hasin wadiyaan" from Roja.)
  • March 17th (Ranked 1)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygaNdndqwUs   (Freestyle on the song "Kal ho na ho" on a circus prop looking like rings on a stand on the floor.) See also 5:55 onwards at http://www.indianpad.in/video/3888/DID-Season-3-17th-March-part1
  • March 18th (with Pradeep):  http://www.indianpad.in/video/3892/DID-Season-3-18th-March-part1 starting at 3:30 minutes. (Breaking and Hip-hop)
  • March 24th (Ranked 2): From 8:30 minutes at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpnsr2_dance-india-dance-3-24th-march-2012-part-2_videogames (Freestyle with the dancing doll prop on the song "Na me smjha .. Senorita" )
  • March 25th (With Siddhesh and Dharmesh Sir): From 12:50 minutes at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpofvp_dance-india-dance-3-25th-march-2012-part-4_shortfilms  (Bollywood style dance on the song "Aankh maare o ladka")
  • March 31st (Ranked 1): From 5:45 minutes at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xptdw2_dance-india-dance-3-31st-march-2012-part-3_videogames  (Contemporary style challenge by Terrance Lewis on the song "Oore peeya" with candles on teh stage)
  • April 1st (Dance ki takkar with Mohena)http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpu0jo_dance-india-dance-season-3-episode-21-1st-april-2012-pt8_shortfilms (Breaking style on the song "Karzy kia re" wearing army fatigues)
  • April 1st (with Abhik): From 12 minute onwards at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xptypj_dance-india-dance-3-1st-april-2012-part-1_shortfilms.  (Karakattam, an ancient folk dance of Tamil Nadu, style.) 
  • April 7th (Ranked 2)http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpz3ek_dance-india-dance-7th-april-2012-part-6_school ( Freestyle dance dressed like a Arab but acting like a ninja on the song "Marhabba O Marhabba") 
  • April 8th (emotional duet with Abhik): From 9:45 minute onwards at  http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpznut_dance-india-dance-3-8th-april-2012-part-1_school#rel-page-under-2  (Contemporary on the song "Jag soona soona laage" dressed up as an old lady) 
  • April 8th (with Abhik): From 5 minute onwards at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpzowk_dance-india-dance-3-8th-april-2012-part-4_videogames (Freestyle with a bit of magic showing the feminine side of her in a saree  on the Mr. India song "I love you" with light effects.)
  • April 14th (Ranked 1): http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq4o98_dance-india-dance-season-3-14th-april-2012-pt7_shortfilms. (Danced on the song "Jiya Jale").
  • April 15th: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq5ap0_dance-india-dance-season-3-15th-april-2012-part-3_shortfilms. (A very difficult and challenging performance on the song "Aaaja Naachle" performed on top of matkaas making the shape DID.)
  • April 15th: From 1:30 minutes at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq5b8t_dance-india-dance-season-3-15th-april-2012-video-watch-pt10_shortfilms. (Her dance ki takkar short performance that shows off her strong points. No one, even the boys, in the whole competition could make some of the moves she showed here.)
  • April 21st – Finale (Winner – ranked 1): From 5 minutes at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqa82w_dance-india-dance-3-21st-april-2012-part-5_shortfilms.

  • Barnali Hota in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2011 Lil Champs

    Odisha artists, Odisha personalities Comments Off on Barnali Hota in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2011 Lil Champs
    She got the best of the week award for the following performance.


    SaReGaMaPa Little Champs – 20th August 2011 Part 7 by 110043C
    She sang very well in the following performance. But the comments and discussions, especially the comments by Guru Kailash Kher, were obnoxious and brought her to tears.
    SaReGaMaPa Lil Champs – 19th August 2011 Part 2 by 110043C
    SaReGaMaPa Little Champs – 13th August 2011 Part 1 by 110043C
    SRGMP Lil Champs – 6th August 2011 Part 5 by 110043C

    Life and times of Nandini Satpathy: From Dharitri

    Odisha personalities 3 Comments »

    Many young Odias shine nationally in dance, music, literature, fashion designing and glamor areas

    Odisha personalities, THINGS ODISHA N ODIA 3 Comments »

    (UNFINISHED POST – work in progress; please suggest names and pointers that I am missing)

    In recent years several young Odias have attracted national attention and exposure in dance, music, fashion design and glamor areas, and many of them are graduates from engineering and management schools. Following are some names that come to mind.

    Sona Mohapatra: CET Bhubaneswar

    Sniti Mishra: IMIS (Institute of Management and Information Science) Bhubaneswar

    Pitobash Tripathy: Govt. College of Engineering and Leather Technology, Kolkata

    Ankita Mohapatra: Silicon Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar; MBA from Symbiosis Pune

    Harihar Dash: BPUT (GIET Gunupur ?)


    Bibhu Mohapatra: http://expressbuzz.com/entertainment/fashion/who-is-bibhu-mohapatra/268002.html

    Krishna Beura:

    Chandrahas Choudhury: Author of Arzee the Dwarf which was shortlisted for Commonwealth writer’s prize for best first book.

    Bhavna Pani: http://www.starswelove.com/scriptsphp/biography.php?artistid=80

    But when I secured 83 percent in my SSC exam, and was preparing to take up science, Abha Dharampal, the principal of Utpal Sanghvi School where I studied insisted I take up arts.

    Prince Dance Group:

    Manas Kumar Sahoo and group

    Manas Dash: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-06/shows/28685296_1_collection-painting-young-designer

     

    AMG India signs Sniti Mishra on its Artiste Roster for Exclusive management.

    Odia music, Odisha personalities 4 Comments »

    (Thanks to Satya babu for the pointer.)

    Following is from http://amgindia.in/2011/01/17/zee-saregamapas-most-remarkable-voice-winner-sniti-mishra-replaces-neha-bhasin-on-amg-roster/.

    AMG India is proud to announce having signed on one of the brightest young singers SNITI MISHRA on its Artiste Roster for Exclusive management.

    On the Dec 25th, ’10 grand finale on Zee TV, Sniti was chosen as the winner of the ‘Most Remarkable Voice’ award at the recently concluded SaReGaMaPa Singing Superstar. With her strong Indian classical training and her hauntingly unique voice, Sniti had wowed not only a worldwide TV audience but also the mentors and eminent guests on the program, including AR Rehman, Mahesh Bhatt, Vishal Bhardwaj, Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Some even compared her vocal uniqueness to that of legends such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Janis Joplin.

    The “SNITI MISHRA – Classically Unplugged” concert is already mesmerizing audiences worldwide, with it’s unique presentation, where Sniti and her young Acoustic band present Classics, both old and new, in a ‘simply-fresh’ style of their own.

    Her typical set-list includes her own unique version of :

    Iktara (Film: Wake Up Sid), Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha (Film: Anpadh), Sapnon Se Bhare Naina (Luck By Chance), Mora Saiyan (Band: Fuzon), Masakkali (Delhi 6), Chandni Raatein (Noorjahan), Mitwaa (Film: Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna), Jiya Jale (Dil Se), In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke (Umrao Jaan), Yeh Haunsla (Dor), Sajnaa Tere Bin Jiya Mora (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), Ay Hairathe Aashiqui (Film: Guru)

    Sniti has starred in extremely popular live shows for in several Indian cities , where she has continued to use her classical training to popularize traditional music as well as to innovate musically.

    With this latest addition to it’s Artiste Roster, Sniti Mishra replaces popstar Neha Bhasin, who was successfully managed by AMG for almost 6 years, helping her become into a ‘brand’ that today she has become. This is continuing with AMG’s commitment to nurturing upcoming talent !

    Harihar Dash in the new Airtel ad

    Berhampur- Gopalpur- Chhatrapur, Ganjam, Odisha personalities 1 Comment »

    Read about how this ad happened in this Indian Express article.

    Sniti Mishra from Balangir impresses in Saregamapa Singing Superstar Contest in ZeeTV

    Balangir, Odia music, Odisha personalities, THINGS ODISHA N ODIA 2 Comments »

    This site has high quality video of all her performances.

     

    Here are the performances.

    December 25th (Ik Tara – duet with Sugandha)

    November 13th (Nigahein Milaney Ko Ji Chahta Hai)

    November 12th (Barson Barson yaaron Barso Re)

    November 6th (Aap ki nazron ne)

    November 5th (Nach Baliye)

    October 30th (Surmayee Ankhiyon Mein Nanha Munna Ek Sapna De Ja Re)

    October 29th (Tere Bin Jiya Mora)

    October 23rd (Laga Chunri mein daag)

    October 22nd (Tere bina zindagi se koi)

    October 16th (Chaandni Raatein) : The judges and mentors gave her 9, 9 and 10.

    October 15th: Duet with Ali (Prem Jaal Mein)

    October 9th: (Duet with judge/mentor Shekhar); So far I liked this performance of her the best)

    October 2nd (Yeh Hosla Kaisey Jhuke)

    October 1st: Duet with Khurram Iqbal (Tere Chehre Se)

    September 24th – Performace of the day:

    September 24th (Mitwa):

    September 17th (Aye Herat-e-Aashiqi):

    September 10th (Sapno Se Bharey Naina):

    September 3rd (Mora Saiyan):

    August 27th (Jhoote Naina):

    August 21, Mega Audition (Hume Tumse Pyaar Kitna):

    August 14, Kolkata Audition (Mora Saiyyan To Hai Pardes):

    Debabrata Mohanty pays tribute to Guru Gangadahara Pradhan in Indian Express

    Konark Festival, Odisha Culture, Odisha personalities, Odissi 1 Comment »

    Following is from http://www.indianexpress.com/news/end-of-a-dance-odyssey/698852/0.


    Had it not been for his parents, Gangadhar Pradhan, renowned exponent of Odissi, who died at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar last Monday, would perhaps never have chosen the dance form. Moments after he was born at Parikul, a remote village of Puri district in 1948, Gangadhar did not cry, leading to fears that he may be stillborn. Gangadhar’s peasant father, Muralidhar Pradhan, and mother, Dwitika Devi, had already lost their three sons and two daughters earlier. Muralidhar vowed that if this child survived, he would serve the presiding deity, Lord Balunkeshwar, at Dimirisena village in Puri district, for five years.

    Gangadhar survived, and at the age of six years he was sent to the temple at Dimirisena, where he went through a rigorous training in Gotipua (literally meaning one boy) dance, under the direct guidance of Pandit Chandrasekhar Pattnaik.

    If the late Kelucharan Mohapatra made Odissi popular to the outside world, Gangadhar, one of his first disciples, was instrumental in carrying the dance form forward and giving it institutional support. A purist to the core like his guru, Gangadhar honed his skill at playing the mardal (a percussion instrument) by learning from Singhari Shyama Sundar Kar and Guru Banamali Maharana. He learnt the text of Odissi dance from well-known scholar Dhirendra Nath Patnaik. His alma mater, Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, also played a significant role in shaping Gangadhar, who matured into a dancer-choreographer of great sensitivity and skill.

    Gangadhar was the proverbial sculptor, hammering away day and night to keep the dance form robust and popular. “As a teacher, he never ran away from Odissi’s pure traditions. He was always grammatically correct and would not do anything that messed up the basic fabric of the dance form,” said noted danseuse Kumkum Mohanty.

    While Kelucharan crafted his own style, Gangadhar did not follow any particular style. But it was his vision to establish Odissi as a strong art form that distinguished him from other Odissi legends.

    In the late ’70s, the life of a performing artist, particularly that of a dancer, was difficult to say the least. But instead of giving up, Gangadhar came up with the idea of starting an institution. In 1975, he started the Odissi Dance Academy, later re-christened as the Orissa Dance Academy (ODA).

    The academy in Bhubaneswar is the single biggest repository of Odissi dance talent, having produced over 1,000 renowned dancers so far. “In the world of Odissi, you pick any known dancer today and chances are that he/she would be a product of the ODA,” says dance critic Shyamahari Chakra. Not surprisingly, there are 35 Odissi dance schools in the world affiliated to the ODA. But his unceremonious exit a few years ago hurt him badly.

    Always on the lookout for ways to popularise Odissi, Gangadhar hit upon the idea of expanding its reach through festivals. One thing that always bothered him was that Odissi dancers in Orissa did not have a platform in their own state. So, in 1986, he started the first Konark Dance & Music Festival at the Konark Sun Temple and formed the Konark Natya Mandap. The Konark Natya Mandap is now an international centre where training in Odissi, Gotipua, Chhou, Pala, vocal and instrumental music are imparted to youngsters. Several years ago, Gangadhar started the Dhauli Dance Festival. Besides these, he also started several small dance festivals such as Nimapara Dance Festival, Chilika Dance Festival, Kalinga Kala Utsav, Basanta Utsav, Boita Bandana Utsav, Bhaunri Utsav, etc. The annual Chitralekha Dance Academy Festival in Canada was also held under his stewardship.

    Danseuse Aruna Mohanty, one of his first disciples, says Gangadhar was a visionary. “He found teaching Odissi his true calling,” said Mohanty.

    Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and Konark Natya Mandap

    Odia music, Odisha artists, Odisha Culture, Odisha dances, Odisha personalities, Puri Comments Off on Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and Konark Natya Mandap

    Following is an excerpt from an article in Deccan Herald.

    “My mother-in-law and social worker Sushilavati Swain asked me to start some cultural activity in Konark, so we acquired a piece of land in 1978. Two years later, we built a mud hut and called it the Konark Nata Mandap. Every Sunday we had a meeting and artistes from the nearby areas would come and spend the entire day singing, dancing and playing various musical instruments,” Gangadhar Pradhan says. This created an ambience of culture. The mandap’s activity started in 1980 as a small get-together but soon there was no looking back as it paved the way for the five-day international Konark Dance and Music Festival, that is held every year in this small town of Orissa.

    Besides, the Konark Nata Mandap was re-christened Konark Natya Mandap (KNM). It has undergone several changes over the years. And, it has finally taken the shape of the replica of the world famous Sun Temple.

    “The festival started in 1986 on the day of Shivaratri. But the seeds of the festival were sown in my mind when I had gone to the Swedish embassy and saw posters of the Khajuraho Festival there. That’s how the idea of the Konark Dance and Music Festival took shape in my mind,” remarks Pradhan.

    In the true sense, it was the harbinger of the contemporary festivals of Odisha. “The main objective of the festival is not merely to provide entertainment but to educate and refine. It aims to harmoniously blend the classical, spiritual, tribal and folk aspects of the glorious cultural traditions.”

    Built through the painstaking efforts of Gangadhar Pradhan, KNM now is a performer’s delight. A replica of the natyashala of the scintillating and stupendous Sun Temple of Konark, it provides the right kind of ambience for artistes, connoisseurs and art lovers from India and abroad.

    The KNM serves as a temple of learning. Following the glorious traditions of Guru Kula Parampara, it provides teaching and training in dance, music, yoga and theatre. Classes on Odissi dance, Gotipua dance, mardal, tabla and Odissi music are being conducted on its premises. Experienced gurus and teachers share their experience with students who get the privilege of presenting their skill on the three stages erected on the premises.

    That apart, KNM is functioning as an institution of cultural consultancy in the state for the growth and propagation of Odissi, tradition and classical art forms both at national and international levels. The mandap has shouldered a big responsibility of popularising Odissi dance and the sculptural epic Konark has metamorphosed into a living Konark.

    Talking about his dream, Gangadhar Pradhan says that something should be happening in KNM throughout the year. “Now there is a festival happening 220 days in a year.” He is confident of achieving his goal by the middle of this decade.

    Explaining about Living Konark, he said that people had seen Konark in stone, now they would see the living Konark and the dancing Konark. Once, this dream materialised, there would be a computerised film on Konark that would be screened.

    “When I had given wings to my imagination, I had dreamt of the future 1000 years’ history which takes into account the cultural, spiritual and ritualistic aspects. The triangle of Konark-Puri-Bhubaneswar-Chilka will develop tourism as well as culture. What the tourist sees in one place will not be repeated in other places, so he or she will get to see something new each time,” he added.

    World class Locking and Popping makes Berhampur’s Harihar Dash the second finalist from Odisha in India’s Got Talent Khoj (Season 2)

    Odisha dances, Odisha personalities, THINGS ODISHA N ODIA 4 Comments »

    Update: He did a wonderful performance in the finals and got 27 points from the judges (9+8+10), but did not win. The winning team got 28 (=9+9+10) points from the judges.

    This year there are two (out of 9) finalists from Odisha in India’s Got Talent Khoj (Season 2). [Last year Prince dance group from Berhampur, Odisha was the champion.] One of this year’s finalist is the fabulous sand animation group. Earlier we wrote about them. While they made it to the finals through the wild card round, Harihar Dash from Berhampur made it to the finals directly from his semifinal round for his world class locking and popping dance and it looked like his was the most vote getter from that round. Here are his youtube videos.

    Semifinal:

    Quarterfinal:

    Audtion:

    Performance from college days:

    Livemint writes about Balangir MP Kalikesh Singh Deo in its article on legislative assistants

    Balangir, Odisha personalities 1 Comment »

    See http://www.livemint.com/mp-assistants.htm for a video interview with Mr. Singh Deo. The following article is by Pallavi Singh.

    Bollywood playback singer Krishna Beura; well known for singing “sufi” songs

    Odisha personalities 4 Comments »

    Following is from Samaja.

    Some of his famous songs are:

    "Maula Mere" from the film Chak De India He won the Stardust 2008 Award for New Musical sensation(male) for this song.

    "Soniyo from the Heart" (Raaz-2)

    Deewaar (song: "Ali Ali")

    His wikipedia page is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Beura.

    Short Biography of former Indian Hockey Captain Dilip Tirkey: Samaja

    Men's hockey, Odisha personalities Comments Off on Short Biography of former Indian Hockey Captain Dilip Tirkey: Samaja

    As a tribute to Pathani Samanta, Khandapada in Nayagarh district to have an observatory

    Nayagarha, Odisha personalities, TOURISM, ENTERTAINMENT and SHOPPING 1 Comment »

    Following is an excerpt from a tathya.in report in Pioneer.

    As a royal tribute to the illustrious astronomer of Odisha, Samanta Chandrasekhar, popularly known as Pathani Samanta, the State Government has decided to set up an observatory, a science park and an information centre at the place of his birth and work, Khandapada. The Pathani Samanta Planetarium Governing Body has decided to set up a huge complex as memorial to the renowned astronomer.

    Pathani Samanta made his astronomical research during the period 1835 to 1904 without any knowledge of telescopes, binoculars and other modern instruments. His magnum opus Siddhanta Darpan in Sanskrit, which was published in 1899, was highly acclaimed by Western scientific journals Nature and Knowledge.

    … The observatory proposed at Khandapada would entail Rs 10 crore, he said.

    A science park would need 25 acres of land and its project cost would be Rs 6.50 crore, which would be borne by State Government. 

    The article here has a long biography on the naked eye astronomer Samanta Chandra Sekhar, who is otherwise known as Pathani Samanta.

    Three dieties including Lord Jagannath in 32 attractive dresses: Samaja

    Lord Jagannath, Odisha Culture, Odisha personalities, Ratha yatra 1 Comment »

    Chandrahas Choudhury’s Arzee the Dwarf among the finalists for the Commonwealth prize

    Odia literature, Odisha personalities Comments Off on Chandrahas Choudhury’s Arzee the Dwarf among the finalists for the Commonwealth prize

    The list of finalists is at http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/news/news/detail.cfm?id=601. Following is from Samaja:

    Sanghamitra Jena, founder of Eastern Treasure India Tours, brings Orissa to the world

    Bhitarakanika, Chandaka, Chilika, Circuit: Bhubaneswar-Chilika-Puri, Ecotourism, Gopalpur-on-Sea, National Parks and Sanctuaries, Odisha personalities, Puri, Raghurajpur, Similpal, Tour Operators, Tourist promotion, Village Tourism, Wild life 4 Comments »

    Following are excerpts from a beautiful Forbes India piece by Mindtree CEO Subroto Bagchi.

    … it is called Dangamal.

    This is a tiny village bordering 672 sq. km. of luxuriant mangroves that are home to the giant Indian saltwater crocodiles. It is an unbelievably beautiful and relatively un-spoilt place. There is the usual forest rest house here, but for the real enthusiast, there is tented accommodation of commendable quality run by a first generation woman entrepreneur named Sanghamitra Jena. I am here to see her.

    … After some years, when we came back to Bhubaneswar, I contacted the government-run tourist office to check if they ran courses for would-be tour guides. There was a three-month course coming up and I signed up after paying a fee of Rs. 200.

    … But how did you end up becoming an entrepreneur?” I ask. “It was a story of adversity,” she says. “After many years in the same organisation, I had to leave because of disagreements with a new supervisor. For a moment, I was at the crossroads. To my surprise and delight, it led to a flood of offers from other tour operators who had known my work. Seeing that, I told myself that these people are reaching out to me because they have confidence that I could bring them business. So why wasn’t I doing it for myself?

    “I had a saving of just Rs. 40,000. I bought a laptop and started sending mails to people I knew from a cyber-café. Eastern Treasure India Tours was born. Clients started coming, I took them on my off-the-beaten track tours to not just places in Orissa but also Pelling, Gangtok and Kaziranga. Word spread. Business grew. Then one day, I felt I should have a product that enables the nature-lover to enjoy a place like the mangroves of Dangamal by living in a completely rural setting. So, I came to this village and I leased a plot of land for five years. I started a high-quality, tented accommodation, complete with Western-style toilets and clean food in a completely rural surrounding. I built a make-do Web site so people could check out the options and pay online.”

    … I am not in Mumbai or Bangalore. This is Orissa. This is not a land of enterprise. For girls, there is a cul-de-sac called marriage. Yet, here is Sanghamitra who has built a business in the middle of nowhere.
    Before we leave for the creeks to see the giant crocs basking under the mangroves, I ask her the size of her business this year.

    She is bashful for a moment. Then she replies, “I will touch a crore this year”.

    Tathya.in also has a nice article on her at http://www.tathya.in/2009/story.asp?sno=3724.

    Links:

    Sahitya Academy fellows from Orissa: Poet Ramakanta Rath is the latest

    Odia literature, Odisha personalities 3 Comments »

    So far there have been five Sahitya Academy fellows from Orissa. The latest is Ramakanta Rath, who received the fellowship this year. The list of five (extracted from wikipedia) are:

    At anytime there are at most 21 fellows. So currently there are two from Orissa.

    Following is a report from Sambada on Ramakanta Rath receiving the fellowship.

     


    There are three Jnanpith award winners from Orissa. They are:

    Pragyan Ojha is the third Odia to play test match for India and first Odia to play all three forms (test, one-day and 20-20): Samaja

    Odisha personalities, Odisha sports 4 Comments »

    J B (Janaki Bhallav) Patnaik appointed as Governor of Assam

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    Following are some biographical pointers excerpted from this article in tathya.in.

    JB born on 3 January, 1927 is one of the senior most leader of the Indian National Congress.

    And as former Chief Minister of Odisha he served for the longest time on record. 

    After the completion of his early education at Khurda High School, he passed his B.A. degree in Sanskrit from the Utkal University in 1947. 

    He passed his M.A. degree in Political Science from the Banaras Hindu University in 1949. 

    In 1950, he became the President of the Odisha State unit of the Youth Congress. 

    He edited Prajatantra and Eastern Times for a long period.

    In 1980, he became the Union Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation and Labour. And later he took over as the Chief Minister of Odisha. 

    He continued till 1989 and later in 1995 he became CM for the third time and handed over the reins to Giridhar Gamang in 1999. 

    Later in 2004 he became the Leader of Opposition and continued till 2008. 

    He is recognised as an eminent poet and writer, and has won awards from the Odisha Sahitya Akademi and Kendriya Sahitya Akademi.

    Prince Dance group from Berhampur wins the India’s Got Talent competition: links to their performances

    Odisha artists, Odisha dances, Odisha personalities 7 Comments »

    Following are youtube links to their final, semifinal and initial performances.

     

    Final (Dasavatar act):

    Semifinal (Flag act):

    Initial (Krishna act):

    Srikant Jena: Overcoming obstacles at various stages (A Samaja portrait)

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