Cuttack: Retired Professor Dr Ajay Kumar Mishra’s magical hands recreates traditional items that we have somehow forgotten overtime time. His recreations, some miniature and some functional, are surprisingly from things that are otherwise considered waste.
Ajay is a retired Associate Professor of Odia Literature and resides in Madhupatna, Cuttack. He also dabs his hands in writing, research on folk tradition and culture, art & literature of Odisha and oration on Jagannath culture too. He spoke to OMMCOM NEWS at length and spoke of his love for Odia culture. “I was surprised during my interactions with the younger generation that they know nothing about traditional items or their uses,” said Ajay.
He added,” We as a State have made several advancements in technology which has helped us grow, but the ethnic items have been somewhat lost in time.”
Taking the task at hand, he started making such items such as bullock cart, plougher, wooden beater for de-husking, kathau chappals, hand fan, daskathia (pair of wooden castanets), Odisha’s traditional single-stringed instrument such as kendara and dhuduki. The retired professor also uses traditional mechanisms to create these complete functional models.
“My sole aim is for people to remind people of Odisha’s rich tradition and the usage of such items which we have stopped using. I wish to open a unique museum with ethnic Odia items,” said Ajay.
Through this article, he also urged the younger generation to come forward and learn how to make and use these. The retired professor requested everyone to switch back to traditional decorative items instead of foreign plastic ones. This in turn will help provide employment to youth and also boost the local economy, argues Dr Ajay Kumar Mishra.