Ethnic Dances and Music Of Western Orissa (An Anthropological Study Towards Promoting Eco-Tourism)

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About the Author Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Mahapatra, is an alumni of Khalikote Autonomous College, Berhampur and had completed her M.Sc. in Anthropology in 1984. An educationist by profession, she had done B.Ed., followed by Diploma in Computers and had teaching experience in various schools in Delhi, Hyderabad and Wellington. She was awarded Ph.D. in Anthropology in the year 2004 by the Berhampur University on the "Didayi", a primitive tribal group of Orissa.

Subsequently, she had pursued her research career in the Council of Analytical Tribal Studies (COATS), Koraput, Orissa, a Project Fellow in UGC sponsored Project in Government College, Phulbani, Orissa. Now she is a Senior Fellow under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Dr. Bhagyalaxmi is now running a NGO named ASPIRE (Action for Socio-Economic Progress in Rural Environment) and working with a Motto "Aspire to Inspire" for the development of women, youths and children of Orissa.

Currently working as a State Level Trainer in the State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) of Government of Orissa, she has been imparting capacity building training to the PRIS of Orissa.

Foreword Tourism in a number of States has become the major sector which has led to significant growth in income and employment. Each State with tourism potential has tried to highlight and take advantage of the natural and cultural heritage through attractive forms of packaging. The uniqueness of a particular natural and cultural factor has been adequately emphasized to attract tourists.

That Orissa has tremendous tourism potential is undeniable. So far, we have been able to harness only a small fraction of it. The ethnic dimension in the broad sense should actually be given maximum attention. Because eco-tourism in the upland region of Orissa generates a number of forms, it can at the same time promote conservation of natural resources, bio-diversity, etc. besides many economic benefits.

In this context, the comprehensive study by Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Mahapatra of how ethnic dances and music of Western Orissa can be used as a vibrant medium of development of tourism is of great value since it brings to light the factors which influence the functioning of these cultural forms. It brings out the tremendous variety of folk dances and music which is argument for developing eco-tourism in Western Orissa in a viable manner. I do hope the study is seriously taken by folk scholars, policy-makers and administrators. I congratulate Dr. Mahapatra for carrying out such a comprehensive study in a relatively unexplored yet important area.

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