Traditional Martial Practices in ODISHA

Contents: Preface. 1. Paik hereditary foot soldiers. 2. Manika Goda. 3. Bolgarh. 4. Rasola. 5. Gurujanga. 6. Tanji. 7. Bachhra. 8. Gadamanitri. 9. Parikud. 10. Chitrada. 11. Jamda. 12. Dhenkanal. Appendices.

The book by the celebrity danseuse Padmasree Ileana Citarist vividly captures the martial arts of Odisha, specially the Paik dance of a bygone era, when Paiks derived from Padatik infantry foot soldiers of the then Kalinga the ancient name of Odisha kept themselves in war readiness by rigorously practicing the armed and unarmed combat styles. The book is all about such forgotten stories of valor, the skills developed with or without the swords and spears, all for the sake of protecting the motherland, the highest form of dedication and sacrifice which is faithfully portrayed by the dancer writer. Interwoven with the martial art form are the rituals the code of ethics and the religious practices which are still being practiced in the districts of Odisha. The book will give the reader an insight into these seemingly innocuous practices but suffused with folklores and associated with historical events that speak volumes of the heroism of the hereditary foot soldiers.