Jitamitra Prasad Singh Deo and his research work on South Kosal

Following information is taken from D.K.Printworld website:

Paschim Orissa Agrani Sangathan (POAS) observe the Nuankhai festival

Following report is from The Telegraph:

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 12: The harvest festival of western Orissa, Nuakhai, may have been over few months back but the fervour still continues in the capital.

Members of the Paschim Orissa Agrani Sangathan (POAS) gathered in hundreds at the Adivasi Ground in the city to celebrate the 10th edition of the Nuakhai Bhetghat cultural festival on Sunday.

Students, corporate and government employees and people from all walks of life, including politicians belonging to western Orissa and those currently based in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, participated in the event.

A number of cultural programmes were showcased at the event that reflected the folk culture of the districts of Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Kalhandi and Bolangir that form western Orissa.

The folk dances included the famous Dalkhai dance, in which young girls wearing traditional handloom costumes performed swift movements on foot tapping beats of the drums.

The Dalkhai folk songs, the Raserkeli and traditional Sambalpuri folks enthralled the audience.

These dances are performed during various festivities of the Sambalpuri speaking region.

The Kalmuhi song accompanied with a little dance presented at the event was based on the importance of tress and a green environment.

The group of male singers who performed the Kalmuhi discussed among themselves various mythological, scientific and cultural aspects of importance of trees.

The Bajasal was a musical rendition where young girls and boys danced in pairs. Cymbals and traditional drums were played in such high spirits that captivated the audience.

“This is a traditional dance item performed before a marriage. Young girls and boys dance with the joy of starting a new life,” said Biplab Bhesra, a student from Balangir.

The artistes from Bhawanipatna, Bolangir, Padampur, Jharsuguda and Barpalli performed the folk dances and music at the event.

“Though the Nuakhai festivities are observed in the concerned districts much before, we hold the festival as a get together of members from Western Orissa who reside for job or studies in the cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack,” said working president of the POAS, Sibashankar Mishra. “People from all communities participate in the event and encourage us,” he added.

Young boys present at the event demanded for a performance of the internationally popular Rangabati song. As soon as artistes from Sambalpur began singing this song, college students started cheering loudly.

“This is the favourite song of almost everyone in western Orissa. No festivity is complete without Rangabati,” said a student Susanta Naik.

Literatteur Umashankar Panda, handloom artisan Surendra Meher, archaeologist J. P. Singh Deo, hockey player Lazrus Barla and singer Punyaprabha Panigrahi were felicitated during the event.

A sand art exhibition by sand artist Sudam Pradhan on the concept of environment and peace as well as a photo exhibition of earlier years of the event were held at the venue.

Maharaja Jitamitra Prasad Singhdeo and his research contributions

Following write-up is taken from navaratna news:

• Profile of Maharaja Jitamitra Prasad Singhdeo

1. Name	Jitamitra Prasad Singh Deo
2. Father’s Name     :	Raja Anup Singh Deo
Mother’s Name     :	Rani Shoubhagya Manjari Devi
3. Date of Birth         :	29th August 1946
4. Permanent Address        :	Palace Khariar  P.O. Khariar – 766 107 Dist. Nuapada  Orissa, India
5. Achievements through Discoveries:	(i)Discovered “Pre-historic Rock Art of Yogimath Donger,” on 21st Dec. 1970.(ii) Discovered “Pre-historic Rock Art of Ghat Ghumar,” on 13th March 1980.(iii)First person to draw the attention of Govts. of Orissa & India, including scholars to the Archacological importance of Maraguda Valley in Nuapada district, Orissa. (iv) Discovered the Sarabhapuriya Copper Plates set of Mahajayaraja (Vide : Indian Museum Bulletin, Vol. XI, No.1, January 1976). Discovered many Antiquities, Terra-cottas and Palm leave manuscripts of Western Orissa. His extensive Collections are Archaeological remains have been displayed in KHARIAR BRANCH MESEUM, a Museum specially constructed for this purpose and opened on21st October 1976, by Govt. of Orissa. Now functioning at District Head Quarter Nuapada. (v)Discovered many Archaeological antiquities in Kalahandi district and was instrumental in establishing ‘MANIKYAPUR MUSEUM,” at Bhawanipatna, the district headquarter of Kalahandi district in 1994. (vi)Antiquities of archaeological interest like Beads, Terra-cottas, STONE BULLA, name plate inscription, archivical three volume Records of Appeal to Privy Council, record by Khariar Raja Brajaraj Singh Deo and four Gold coins of Sarabhapuriya dynasty, belonging to Sri Prasannamatra were presented to start. “ Dr. NABIN KUMAR SAHU” museum; of the History Dept. of Sambalpur University, during its formation early period, where they are exhibited at presented. Presented one Gold coin of Sri Prasannamatra who belonged to Sarabhapuriya dynasties with other antiquities to Orissa State Museum, Bhubaneswar, where they are presented in coin cabinet and other Galleries
6. List of Published Books:	J.P. Singh Deo is author of Critical Research papers on Archaeology, History, Yoga, Culture and their synthesis. His Eleven (11) Books are already published and five more Books are under various stages of publications. He is author of in-numerable Research papers, which are published in Journals, Bulletins, Magazines, Souvenirs, Weeklies and papers.

Some of his books are :

• Cultural Profile of South Kosala,Gyan Publishing Houes, New Delhi, 1987, This book is included as a reference Course Book of History of Orissa, in course of P.G. Dept. of History, Sambalpur University.

• Origin of Jagannath Deity, Gyan publishing House, New Delhi, 1^st edition 1991 and second edition 2003

• Tantric art of Orissa, Kalpaz publications, Delhi, 2001

• Character Assacination in Modern History of Orissa, R.N. Bhattacharya Publication, Kolkata, 2001

• Some Tantric Esotericism of Orissa, R.N. Bhattacharya publication, Kolkata, 2001

• Role – of Raja Rajendra Narayan Bhanja Deo of Kanika (Orissa), R.N. Bhattacharya Publication, Kolkata, 2003

• Tantric Hedonism of Mahanadi Valley (Uddiyana Pitha), D.K. Print World (P.) Ltd. New Delhi, 2004

• Archaeology of Orissa : With Special Reference to Nuapada and Kalahandi, R.N. Bhattacharya Publication, Kolkata, 2006.

• Evenful Life of an Orissa Province Maker (Diaries of Raja Sir Rajendra Narayan Bhanja Deo of Kanika (1908 to 1922 A.D.), R.N. Bhattacharya Publication, Kolkata, 2006

• Socio-Cultural History of Orissa : A case study of Khariar Estate,Punthi Pustak, Kolkata, 2006