How can Odissi be differentiated from other Indian classical dance forms? Certainly because of its unique hair accessory, known as Tahiya, it is also the most important aspect of Lord Jagannath’s annual Rath Yatra, when Jagannath and his two brothers, Subhadra and Balarama, wear Tahiya as their crown. wear in.
“It has been an integral part of temple tradition and later became the most attractive feature of Odissi attire,” says Rupashree Mohapatra, an Odissi dancer from Puri.
“Like the dance form, tahiya has also evolved from mahri, which originated in temples and was performed by hereditary dancers. They used to wear trishikha tahiya (design with three sticks),” she says.
According to Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi, dancer and former president of Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, Tahiya was later added to Odissi dance attire. “It wasn’t there when I started dancing,” she says.
Odissi exponent Kumkum Mohanty, principal disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and former chief executive officer of the Odissi Research Center, agrees. “Tahiya initially replaced flowers as hair decorations,” she says. “Guruji himself would pluck the jasmine and tie them together with the stem of a coconut. Later, a tahiya made from the flowers of Shola Peeth (Indian cork) came into use. My guru, who hailed from the family of a traditional painter from the Puri region, was the brain behind this.”
Renowned Puri-based tahiya-maker, Netranand Moharana, whose late father Harihar Moharana is known as a pioneer in designing headgear, says, “I heard from my father that the design was finalized by three stalwarts – Guru Pankaj Charan Das. form was given. , scholar Dhirendranath Patnaik, and Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra – after several rounds of revisions. ”
tahiya making process
Talking about the process of making Tahiya, Moharana says that locally available Shola Peeth reeds are used to carve intricate floral designs. “After peeling off the brown covering of the reed, the white roll is cut into small blocks to shape individual flowers. Then they are tied with a wire. A long twig, known as a chuli, is placed on top of a hair bun to represent the spire of the Jagannath temple. It takes two days to make a tahiya.”
The Shola Peeth not only lends itself well to design making, it has significance for the dance form as the deities in the Jagannath Temple are also decorated with the flowers of the Peeth.
“Since this is part of the temple tradition, use in the craft of making tahiya is not allowed,” says Moharana.
Another famous disciple of Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sujatha Mohapatra says, “Tahiya is the most sacred element of Odissi attire; Unique identity of this dance tradition. Its sanctity has to be maintained.”
Bhubaneshwar-based journalist writes on culture.
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