Tales From the Land of Jagannatha

There are 30 short essays in this book. They were written by renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik over a ten-year period and published in various publications. He sought to share the heritage, art, culture, and mythology of not just of India, but also Odisha, with the wider world. As a non-resident Odia (NRO), born and raised in Mumbai, he realised long ago how homogenized religious and national identities, such as Hindu and Indian, are. They make people ignorant of rich local heritage. Through these essays he has aimed to introduce non-Odias to Odisha’s wealth of ideas and forms in an accessible, non-academic, way. At the heart of all things Odia is Shri Jagannatha, which is why these essays are linked in one or another to Odisha’s Mahaprabhu, who is Lord of the World. It makes us realise how in India, the particular becomes universal, all things Odia also reflects all things Hindu and India. In India, identity is as important as infinity.