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Functional Shifts in Odishi Music: Ritual Practice and Concert Culture
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Music
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718373
Abstract
Odishi music, one of the classical music traditions of India, has undergone substantial functional transformation over centuries. Historically rooted in temple ritual and devotional service, the music gradually evolved into a public performance-oriented tradition shaped by urbanization, institutionalization, media expansion and modern concert culture. This paper examines the functional shifts in Odishi music from ritual practice to concert presentation and analyzes how changing socio-cultural contexts transformed its meaning, aesthetics and performance practices. Drawing upon perspectives from Ethnomusicology, Performance Studies and Cultural Studies, the study investigates the transition of Odishi music from sacred offering to aesthetic performance. The paper further explores the impact of modernization, technology, audience transformation and commercialization on the musical tradition. It argues that while concert culture contributed to the visibility and preservation of Odishi music, it simultaneously altered its ritualistic ethos and devotional functionality. The study concludes that Odishi music today exists within a dynamic continuum where ritual memory and performative modernity coexist and negotiate cultural identity.
Keywords
Concert Culture, Jagannath Tradition, Odishi Music, Performance Studies, Ritual Music, Sacred Music
References
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[3] Becker, J. (2004). Deep listeners: Music, emotion and trancing. Indiana University Press.
[4] Bose, M. (1991). Movement and mimesis: The idea of dance in the Sanskritic tradition. Springer.
[5] Das, H. (2007). History of Odissi music. Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi.
[6] Deva, B. C. (1995). Musical traditions of India. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers.
[7] Mahapatra, K. (1990). Jagannath cult and culture. Sarup & Sons.
[8] Mohanty, P. K. (2014). Odisha: Society, culture and politics. Oxford University Press.
[9] Panigrahi, R. (2002). The classical heritage of Odisha music. Cuttack Cultural Publications.
[10] Qureshi, R. B. (2008). Music in South Asia: Experiencing music, expressing culture. Oxford University Press.
[11] Rath, N. K. (2018). Transformation of temple music traditions in Odisha. Journal of South Asian Cultural Studies, 8(2), 45–59.
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How to cite this paper
@article{1718373,
author = {Dr. Sarbeswar Baitharu},
title = {Functional Shifts in Odishi Music: Ritual Practice and Concert Culture},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {11},
pages = {4650-4654},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1718373.pdf},
abstract = {Odishi music, one of the classical music traditions of India, has undergone substantial functional transformation over centuries. Historically rooted in temple ritual and devotional service, the music gradually evolved into a public performance-oriented tradition shaped by urbanization, institutionalization, media expansion and modern concert culture. This paper examines the functional shifts in Odishi music from ritual practice to concert presentation and analyzes how changing socio-cultural contexts transformed its meaning, aesthetics and performance practices. Drawing upon perspectives from Ethnomusicology, Performance Studies and Cultural Studies, the study investigates the transition of Odishi music from sacred offering to aesthetic performance. The paper further explores the impact of modernization, technology, audience transformation and commercialization on the musical tradition. It argues that while concert culture contributed to the visibility and preservation of Odishi music, it simultaneously altered its ritualistic ethos and devotional functionality. The study concludes that Odishi music today exists within a dynamic continuum where ritual memory and performative modernity coexist and negotiate cultural identity.},
keywords = {Concert Culture, Jagannath Tradition, Odishi Music, Performance Studies, Ritual Music, Sacred Music},
month = {May},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718373}
}