Oriya Theatre culture dates back to primitive times though the first evidence of our stage craft on stone was visible during the Ist. century A.D. Oriya playwrights in Sanskrit contributed immensely to the Indian Theatre culture at one time. The British subjugation of Orissa had an adverse effect and our theatrical tradition suffered a heavy blow. But it has revived in various modes during the post-independence era. The Government takes every possible care to nurture dramatic performances, by arranging seminars, dance and music recitals, festivals and competitions.
In a time of media explosion, when the other states are making attempts to document their cultural heritage for the consumption of outsiders, we felt the necessity of publishing this book that deals with the Odissi Theatre culture from multiple perspectives.
The present generation of children are mostly taught in English medium schools aiming at a globilized culture. But since there are no books to educate them about the culture of their own state, they feel alienated from their roots. This book would be of great help to them since it provides a detailed picture of their theatre culture.
The book also records the socio-political history of Orissa at different phases of history. The changes in the theatrical taste of our people varies according to the demands of the changing culture. So, there are various movements through our history of theatre.
The Department of Culture has been publishing extant books retrieved from the palm leaves. But it seems much more is yet to be written on the contemporary times. I hope the book will cater to the need of the people in Orissa and outside. This may be taken as a gift from the Akademi on the eve of celebrating 50 years of our independence.
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