Art and Culture of Rourkela

The cultural heritage of Rourkela depends more or less on the cultural heritages of the entire district of Sundargarh. The district being surrounded by various other states has the influence of other languages, traditions and rituals on its own culture. It can be said that the city of Rourkela came into existence in the decade 1950 to 1960, before which it was just a part of Odisha not so known. The emergence of the Rourkela Steel plant completely changed the face of the city and it became the commercial capital of the state. After the city of Rourkela being declared as the urban area the changes started taking place with a much more pace.


The population of Rourkela also got a boost after the establishment of the Rourkela Steel Plant, and people flocked into the city from almost all parts of the country along with their own culture and that contributed to a mixed and vivid culture emerging at the steel city, Rourkela. The city of Rourkela is also said to be the first cosmopolitan of Odisha where people of all religion and caste settled, majorly from the states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh. The areas of Panposh were then also declared as urban area or Nazrul. Also due to the Educational institutions like Nit and other institutions several students reach out the city of Rourkela along with their own tradition and culture, yet the Odiya community people have their majority.

Tribal Culture in Rourkela

There are several tribes that have been residing from the very beginning in Rourkela. With the modernization and the changes in the lifestyle these tribes either migrated to other local areas or have also transformed. There are some of the well known tribes that are still residing in the outskirts of the city such as the Orams, Mundas, Khedias, Ho’s and the Kisans. These tribes are also known as the Adivasi’s or Harijan’s as termed by the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. These tribal community people are still dependent on the nature for their livelihood. Many tribal men work as labor in the mines and the factories in the city and the women work at the forest of collecting the firewood and fruits and vegetables from the forests. The language which these tribal people speak is known as SHADRI and it is also the major language which these people speak. It is also said that Rourkela is named such because of these tribes as the word Rourkela means Our Village in the tribal language.

Dance and Music of Rourkela

The tribal communities residing in the nearby localities of Rourkela are very much enthusiasts of the music and dances. The famous dance forms in the tribal community are the Kosli, PArbha Dance, Dula Bhia Dance, Dalkei Dance and Dana Dance. There are also several dance and music classes in the city of Rourkela which are mentioned below.

Bhanja Kala Kendra
Address: Bhanja Bhawan, Sector-5, Rourkela - 769002
Phone: +91-661-2641023, 2650077

Music Circle
Address: Infront Of Dav Chowk, , Rourkela - 769001
Phone: +91-661-2502424

Global Art And Culture
Address: Rourkela - 769012
Phone: +91-661-2400268

Guru Krupa Music Academy
Address: Rourkela Kutchery Road, Rourkela - 769012
Phone: +91-661-2476275

Ankur (Kala Sangam)
Address: M-22, Civil Town Ship, Rourkela 4, Rourkela - 769004
Phone: +91-9937006608, +91-661-6532801

Illusion
Address: Ground Floor, Bhanja Bhawan, Rourkela - 769004
Phone: +91-661-2475185

Roza Dance Academy
Address: Koel Club, Koel Nagar D Block, Shaktinagar, Rourkela - 769014
Phone: +91-9040745944, 9238575870

No doubt Rourkela is quite rich when it comes to analyses its art and culture. The Government is also taking all initiatives to encourage the prevailing culture in the region by launching various dance and music festivals from time to time.