Once upon a time in Odisha, the word “Agyan” carried the weight of reverence, and “Babu” was not just a suffix—it was a sentiment. Today, in the age of linguistic outsourcing, even Odias greet each other with a pan-Indian “Ji,” as if the soul of Sambalpuri courtesy has been outsourced to a call centre in Noida. The transformation is not tragic—it is theatrical. Odisha, once the quiet custodian of layered rituals and lyrical memory, now pirouettes to the beat of Garba in every condominium courtyard.

Garba in Patia, Kanya Pujan across, and the Rise of Rituals Without Roots ADVERTISEMENT

The cultural calendar of Bhubaneswar reads like a west coast wedding planner’s diary. Garba classes are now more popular than Odissi workshops. Kanya Pujan, a ritual with deep North Indian roots, is now a

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