The age-old martial arts and rural sports which were almost a traditional hallmark of Raja, Dussera, Kali Puja, Rath Yatra and other festivals, seem to be dying a slow death in Jajpur district and its nearby areas.
The ever-increasing reach and popularity of cable television also plays a role in this. But in villages like Khandtiri, Balichandrapur, Chhatia and Nalipur, people are exhibiting their martial and other sports during the ongoing three-day-long Raja festival.Many villagers in the past used to perform wrestling, sword fighting, Paika Akhada, Bagudi, horse dance and Kabadi. But presently, these sports are rarely played as the younger generation lacks in the rudimentary knowledge about them and, instead, is lured by the television, preferring to watch sports rather than take part in these events.
However, the village committee members of Bagada have been organising ancient sports including martial arts to revive the old art forms during the Raja festival. This year, the martial sports attracted thousands of people on the occasion.
“Raja is also called as the monsoon festival as farmers start cultivation after the Raja festivities. Each year, monsoons generally reach Odisha in the first week of June. But the delay of the arrival of the monsoons this year has dampened the Raja spirit in the State. However, the villagers here celebrated the Raja by organising rural sports,” said Fakir Behera, a villager of Khanditra.
According to noted social worker of Jajpur Dr Manzoor Ali, “We organised competitions for Kabadi, Bagudi, wrestling, sword-fighting and other traditional sports to encourage youth participation in the events during the Raja.”Around 70 youths of seven blocks of the district participated in Kabadi, Bagudi, sword-fighting and other rural sports.The craze of cricket for the youths is the main reason behind the death of many rural sports in the State, said Manas Das, a retired schoolteacher of Chhatia.
According to eminent historian Dr Basudev Das, many interesting legends surround the origin of the local arts. To defend the Hindu religion during the Mogul rule, many persons learnt martial arts to fight the Muslim invaders.These martial art practices have percolated down the generations through family patronage. Their popularity is on the wane but for the efforts of the village committees of Bagada and Itipur who are trying for their revival.It is high time the unique art forms were patronised by the Government. But the district administration has been paying only lip service towards these art forms, said Malay Mallick, a sword-fighter of Balichandrapur.