Sai Baba of Shirdi, also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master and fakir, considered to be a saint, revered by both Hindu and Muslim devotees during and after his lifetime.
Odisha, formerly Orissa, is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th-largest state by area, and the 11th-largest by population, with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the third-largest population of Scheduled Tribes in India. It neighbours the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the north, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Andhra Pradesh to the south. Odisha has a coastline of 485 kilometres (301 mi) along the Bay of Bengal in Indian Ocean. The region is also known as Utkala and is mentioned by this name in India's national anthem, "Jana Gana Mana". The language of Odisha is Odia, which is one of the Classical Languages of India.
Shirdi is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is located in the Rahata taluka of Ahmednagar District. It is accessible via the Ahmednagar–Malegaon State Highway No.10, approximately 83 km (52 mi) from Ahmednagar and 15 km (9.3 mi) from Kopargaon. It is located 185 km (115 mi) east of the Western Seashore line, a very busy route.
Ganjam district is a district in the Indian state of Odisha. Ganjam's total area is 8,206 km² (3,168 mi²). The district headquarters is Chhatrapur. Ganjam is divided into three sub-divisions Chhatrapur, Berhampur, and Bhanjanagar. The Imperial Gazetteer of India 1908 lists Ganjam, along with the Thanjavur and South Canara districts, as the three districts of the Madras Presidency where Brahmins were most numerous. As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Odisha.
Damanjodi is a town located in the Koraput district of Odisha, India. As of 2001 census, its population was 8,469. The town was founded as a residential area for employees of the National Aluminium Company (NALCO), a company that was established to harness the bauxite-rich deposits of the Panchpatmali Range. Damanjodi contains the NALCO Township, a residential area for NALCO employees, Mathalput, a semi-urban neighborhood with shops, and Bhejaput, a shopping complex. The population is considered cosmopolitan in nature with employees from all over India and locals from the tribal region.
Pratibha Ray is an Indian academic and writer of Odia-language novels and stories. For her contribution to the Indian literature, Ray received the Jnanpith Award in 2011. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2022.
Upasani Maharaj, born Kashinath Govindrao Upasni, was an Indian spiritual teacher, considered by his disciples to be a satguru. He lived in Sakori, British India, and is said to have received God-realization from Sai Baba of Shirdi. Upasani himself was one of the principal spiritual teachers of Meher Baba.
The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is the religious movement of the followers and devotees of the 19th- and early 20th-century Indian saint Sai Baba of Shirdi. It has spread from Indian Hindus and Muslims across the world. Sai Baba is worshipped by people of all regions and is called ‘Baba’, meaning father or grandfather, by devotees. He is a spiritual guru known for his divine powers and miracles.
Sambalpuri is an Indo-Aryan language variety spoken in western Odisha, India. It is alternatively known as Western Odia, and as Kosali, a recently popularised but controversial term, which draws on an association with the historical region of Dakshina Kosala, whose territories also included the present-day Sambalpur region.
Krishna Chandra Panigrahi, often referred to as K.C. Panigrahi, was a notable Indian historian, archaeologist and literary expert from Odisha.
Odissi music is a genre of classical music in India, originated from the eastern state of Odisha. The traditional ritual music for the service of Lord Jagannatha, Odissi music has a history spanning over two thousand years, authentic sangita-shastras or treatises, unique Ragas & Talas and a distinctive style of rendition.
Sri Shirdi Saibaba Mahathyam is a 1986 Telugu-language musical biograhical film written and directed by K. Vasu, based on the life of Shirdi Sai Baba, who has preached and practiced Religious humanism. Vijayachander portrayed the role of Baba. The film was a blockbuster and remained a cult classic. The film ran for 175 days in 12 centers, was screened at the International Film Festival of India and the Moscow Film Festival. The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics written by Acharya Aatreya, and received wide appreciation. The film was dubbed into Hindi as Shirdi Sai Baba Ki Kahani and into Tamil as Sri Shirdi Saibaba.
Kailash Chandra Meher is an Indian artist, inventor, and social activist. He is a painter of contemporary modern art paintings and traditional Tussar Pattachitra paintings of Odisha. He was a recipient of the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2013.
Prakruti Mishra is an Indian actress known for her work in Odia films and Hindi television. She is best known for her performance in the film Hello Arsi for which she won the National Film Award in 2018. She is also known for her roles in Hindi television shows and is known for her role as Devanyi In Jai Kanhaiya Lal Kion Star Bharat, as Bitti in Bitti Business Walion & TV and in the reality show of MTV Ace Of Space 2 in which she was 5th runner up.
Debi Prasanna Pattanayak is an Indian professor, linguist, social scientist and author. He was the founder-director of the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore and former chairman of Institute of Odia Studies and Research, Bhubaneswar. Pattanayak was awarded Padma Shri in 1987. for his contribution to formalize, and adding Bodo language in the 8th schedule of the Constitution of India. He also take a major role led Odia language to acquire the status of a "classical language".
Brahma Abadhuta Sri Guru Dayanidhi Paramahansa was an Indian sadguru, yogi, mystic and a Hindu spiritual leader well known in India. He was associated with the shakti school and viewed as a perfect spiritual master of gyan, yoga and prema or bhakti. His followers idealized him as their worshipped and beloved thakura (ठाकुर).
Prahallada Nataka is a traditional play native to the Indian state of Odisha. It narrates the story of Vishnu's man-lion avatar, Nrusingha or Narasimha, through over 200 songs based on almost 30 ragas of Odissi music. The play is based on a text by Raja Ramakrusna Chhotaraya, King of Jalantara, a small kingdom in former southern Odisha, now in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.
PanditGopal Chandra Panda is a Guru of Odissi classical music, vocalist, researcher and composer. A disciple of Singhari Shyamsundar Kar, he has authored several books such as Odissi Raga Ratnabali & Odissi Raga Darpana, and is acclaimed for his efforts to collect & document several traditional Odissi ragas from the hinterlands. Panda served as a lecturer and head of department in the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya for nearly three decades. He has performed in music festivals across the country and is the founder of the Gopal Panda Odissi Academy. In 2011, Panda received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contributions to Odissi music.
Desaraja AdiguruSinghari Shyamasundar Kar was a renowned Odissi musician, Guru, singer, scholar and composer. Born to a sebayata (servitor) family of the Jagannatha Temple, he was groomed under veteran masters of the temple tradition and soon rose to be one of the towering Gurus of Odissi classical music in the 20th century. He was most known for his powerful voice and intricate style, his command over the Mardala as well as his contribution towards the academic institutionalization of Odissi music education. Most of the performers of Odissi music, Mardala and Odissi dance of his period admit to having come under the commanding influence and knowledge of Singhari. He died on 16 March 1975.
