Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged the Centre to accord classical status to Odissi music as it has at least 2,000-years old tradition and is based on ‘Shastra’ having its own ‘Raga’.
Patnaik in a letter to Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel on Friday said, “It (Odissi music) has a distinctive rendition style based on codified grammar, the characteristic giti system of classical texts and having its own tala, different from Hindustani and Carnatic music.” “No doubt Odissi music has all the requisite and exclusive characteristics to be recognised as classical music,” the letter said.
Patnaiks letter came a few days after the state’s Heritage Cabinet approved a proposal to move the Centre seeking classical tag for Odissi Music (vocal and instrumental).
The chief minister in the letter said the Odisha government has…