My recollections of evening walks through the cobbled streets of Puri, Odisha are littered with visions of vibrantly-painted makeshift stalls nestled against each other and teeming with tireless locals; amidst painstaking attempts to dodge autorickshaws possibly breaking much of the state’s speeding laws yet met with nonchalance from the locals, spiritedly engaged in evening activity. As I fumbled through conversations in heavily-anglicised Hindi with friendly locals, whilst sampling regional clay artwork and syrup-doused traditional sweets, the sounds of boisterous crowds and transport characterising streets would fade into that of the sea more gently lapping ahead. This, and the streets’ amalgamation of the frenetic and tranquil was, for me, less a disjointed paradox than a cohesive harmony. 

 

The idyllic coastal and agrarian state of Odisha, is one of India’s most visited states, receiving 46 million visitors annually (as of 2020) and receives one of the highest FDIs. Employing much of its population, the sector is predicated upon the state’s thousands-year old cultural heritage which continues to expand through forms of art, music and creative expression unique to the state. Odisha is home to a World UNESCO site- the Sun Temple of Konarak, dedicated to the Hindu God Surya- with the temple and the plethora of local markets constructed around it a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of locals. Urban settlements gently dip into its expansive coastline of 450km, best enjoyed (from personal experience), close up with homemade coconut water in hand and feet dipped into the shallow waters. 

Whilst perhaps a far cry from the coastal towns of southern England, I (as with most tourists) fell in love instinctively with the region’s nuances. Amidst an inhospitable climate of globalisation, Odisha’s vibrant industrial landscape almost serves as a bold and ingenious defiance to the norms of India’s heavily westernised capitalist expansion. The state has not yet fallen prey to the homogenization of cultures symptomatic of globalisation. In fact, the phenomenon has left only a positive impact. Environmental sustainability is entrenched within its regional business and art forms, with food and materials locally sourced and produced through sustainable means. It is far more common to see residents wearing clothes locally-spun fabrics influenced by its local plant and animal species as well as mythology than Western fashion. The preservation of culture is supported greatly by tourism and is perhaps cohesive to that of its tribal population which makes up 10% of that of India. 

Yet Odisha, as with many other agrarian-touristic states remains the human equivalent of an endangered ecosystem amidst economic change. With 32.6% of residents living beneath the poverty line, the poorest of its residents continue to contend with overall rising prices of services in India and the nation’s demand for agricultural produce at low prices. Whilst home to many nationally and internationally recognised educational institutions, the outwards migration moreover leaves secondary educational and medical services of a poor quality, causing Odisha’s death and maternal mortality rates to be far greater than that of India overall and higher education GER to be lower. This is exacerbated by its risk of tropical storms of the area, not least those of similar magnitude to the 1999 cyclone which resulted in $4.4 bn economic damage. This overall fuels the regional decline of certain areas, with a prevalence of unstable  infrastructure leaving the future of its tourism teetering in balance. 

Named India’s ‘best kept secret’ by its tourism board, this particular wording may foreground a waning of the state’s tourism revenue here in favour of far-more commercialised and well-known areas of India. The industrialisation pervading nearly all Indian states moreover, whilst improving efficiency, has neglected the needs of Odisha’s agrarian and tribal communities, with many suffering from malnutrition and poverty due to crop failures and land clearances for building. The evolution of India’s economy is indeed reminiscent of other EDCs, with a productivity-centric economy and cultural neocolonialism putting several local environments and traditions under strain. This, along with the regional decline, threatens the culture and biodiversity that its tourism is predicated on, with similar economic problems faced by tourism-reliant EDCs such as Jamaica and the Maldives with hindered potential for growth. 

Against many odds, nonetheless, Odisha remains a state thriving due to the unshakeable strength of its heritage and industrial diversity. After returning, I was left with the impression of a community as spirited as it was bruised. Nonetheless, investment into Odisha’s public services remains ever-important for the retention of its physical landscapes and cultural diversity.