Malayalees have immensely contributed to Odisha in various sectors, including health, education, culture and other areas. They are seen as sincere, hardworking people and were the first choice for engineering, scientist, banking and financial and secretarial services, nursing in the Government and private enterprises besides as IAS, IPS and IFS-cadre officials.
And the Kerala Kala Samiti, Bhubaneswar, established since 1966, is the voice of all Malayalees in the State capital and has been contributing in the fields of cultural integration and social service among the people of Odisha and Kerala. The Samiti has Benjamin Simon as its president supported by a very dynamic team. It has a membership of over 400 Malayalee families residing in Bhubaneswar. There are over a 1,000 families spread across the State.
The Malaylees celebrate Onam and Christmas, the two main cultural functions. This year, the Samiti celebrated its 48th annual Christmas and New Year at the Rabindra Mandap here. Tourism Minister Ashok Panda and Commissioner-cum-Secretary Arvind Padhee decided to have a cultural exchange between the people of Odisha and Kerala and sponsored the traditional Gotipua dance performed by artists from the Odisha Dance Academy.
The Minister also informed to have a road show in Kerala to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Odisha so that more people from Kerala can visit Odisha The Samiti’s artists performed various traditional Kerala folkdances and songs. There was also annual award presentation to the winners of the indoor games both junior and senior.
The journey of Malayalees from Kerala started to Odisha in 1955 when the Hirakud Dam construction work started. Then Odisha attracted more and more Malayalees to look for new pastures in life. As industries began growing in Rourkela, Damanjodi, Angul, Talcher, Paradip and Bhubaneswar, more and more opportunities opened up for them.
The Malayalees were the first to contribute to Odisha the taste of authentic South Indian cuisine, confectionery, tea and coffee cultivation, rubber, pepper estates in the tribal districts, prawn industry and fishing at Paradip, software sector. Now, even the AIIMS Bhubaneswar has taken over 100 candidates from Kerala besides a few in private hospitals.
The State also has the Malayalee Dhoranacharya Award-winning coach of the Sports Authority of India in Cuttack. South Indian banks like the Federal Bank, South Indian Bank, Catholic Syrian Bank, Muthoot Finance also started operating in Odisha.
Besides, NGO services were started by the Malayalees in Odisha reaching out to the people in remote areas. Some Malayalees have even married in the Odia community.
The Samiti is planning a grand celebration for its golden jubilee year.
There are over 30,000 Odias residing in Kerala.