88 years of Odisha: Let’s celebrate Utkal Divas with creativity & fun

88 years of Odisha: Let’s celebrate Utkal Divas with creativity & fun
The coming Monday is a special day in history, as one of the simplest states of India celebrates its 88th foundation day. Odisha celebrates its foundation day on April 1, which is also known as Utkal Divas.
As we join the celebrations, let’s learn from this beautiful state the art of making Jhoti Chita, a traditional art form. It’s not just for art, rather it’s known for establishing a relationship between the mystical and the material, thus are symbolic and meaningful.
Next, let’s feast on India’s first cheesecake: Chhena poda. Interestingly, it was invented in a culinary accident. Owner of a confectionery Sudarshana Sahoo decided to add sugar and seasonings to leftover cottage cheese and left it in a coal oven that was still warm from the earlier use. Ta-da, you had India’s first own cheesecake!
Test your knowledge on Odisha with a quiz and chill out.
Chhena poda
Ingredients
• 1.5 L Fresh Milk (Full Cream, Boiled)
• 2 tbsps Lemon Juice/White Vinegar (To curdle the milk)
• 2 tbsps Water (RT): To be mixed with the Lemon Juice or Vinegar
• 1.5 tsp Green Cardamom Powder
• 2-3 tbsps Sooji/Rava/Semolina
• 2-3 tbsps Whey: (Chhena curdled water)
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Dry Fruits (Any- That’s handy & available)
• 2 tsps Rose Water
• 1/2-1/3 Cup Sugar (Granulated/Castor)
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• as needed Garnish: A handful of Dry Fruits (Any)
• 1 Baking Tray/Pan: 6”/6”- Round: Pre-lined & greased with Ghee
Cooking Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl or Blender Jar: Add in all the aforementioned ingredients & blend it to a nice smooth mixture (neither too hard nor too runny/soft)
2. Pour it out into the baking pan/tray & tap it a few times to smoothen its top surface & release the trapped air inside (if any at all)
3. Garnish with your choicest dry fruits & put it for baking- in the preheated oven @180C for about 15-20 mins time approx:(temperature differs with different machine makes) or until the toothpick taste comes out clean
4. Enjoy the very authentic & traditional sweet dish from the land of the lord Jagannath Dev Odisha!
Jhoti Chhita
What you’ll need
• Dhau or red paste from geru
• Rice
Steps to go about it
1. Soak one cup of rice for 2 hours and blend it into semi-liquid paste.
2. Before starting the painting, you must smear an earthy red colour named ‘dhau’ on the walls or floors.
3. To draw a Jhoti or Chita, you can dip your fingers into the semi-liquid rice paste and made to trace out intricate patterns on the floor or walls. This combination of red and white signifies the worship of Shiva and Shakti.
4. You can also use a brush made from small piece of cloth attached at one end.
5. You can dip it into the white, semi-liquid rice paste to draw patterns on the wall.
6. The following design shown in picture can be prepared easily. Remember to start drawing from the centre.
Quiz Time
Q1. Who was the first Chief Minister of Odisha
(A) Biju Patnaik
(B) Nabakrushna Choudhury
(C) Harekrushna Mahatab
(D) Biswanath Das

Q2. In Ancient times, Odisha was known by the name of
(A) Konkan
(B) Kalinga
(C) Kurukshetra
(D) None of the above

Q3. The famous war of Kalinga was fought in the year
(A) 261 BC
(B) 265 BC
(C) 270 BC
(D) 296 BC

Q4. The Jagannath Puri Temple was built in the year
(A) 1001
(B) 1109
(C) 1150
(D) 1161

Q5. The Konark Sun Temple was included in the World Heritage Site status in the year
(A) 1970
(B) 1984
(C) 1986
(D) 1990

Q6. Which poet is known as the Kabi Samrata
(A) Radhanath Ray
(B) Baladev Ratha
(C) Upendra Bhanja
(D) Gopabandhu Dash

Q7. Who wrote the book Gita Govinda
(A) Narottama Dasa
(B) Jayadeva
(C) Vidyapati
(D) Gopabandhu Dash
Q8. Which one was the capital of Odisha before Bhubneswar
(A) Cuttack
(B) Puri
(C) Rourkela
(D) Berhampur

Answers
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. D
5. B
6. C
7. B
8. A