Sasan is a Brahmin settlement established by different Rajas of Orissa particularly the Gajapati Rajas of Khurda/Puri at places where they performed a Yagnya (fire worship or sacrifice). These settlements were donated to the Brahmins coming from Kanyakubja in order to help the Rajas in the performance of such Yagnyas. The most knowledgeable pandits and scholars among the Brahmins who were well conservant in religious Sastras, Puranas and Veddas, were given such land grants to establish Sasan villages. Depending upon the composition the Brahmin settlements are divided into three types, namely 1. Sasan villages 2. Karabada villages, 3. Bisa villages. The book on "Torch Bearers of Vedic Traditions: Brahmin Sasan villages in Orissa", gives an account of a Sasan village called Biranarasinghpur, a Karabada village called Malatipatpur and a Bisa village attached to Biranarasinghpur Sasan village. A study of Brahmin settlements is a matter of great importance because the Brahmins were the torch bearers and guardians of Vedic traditions which are under going changes under the impact of modern times. This study has also gone into the growing secularization of the Vedic tradition in Orissa. The forces which bring about such changes are also highlighted in this book.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nityananda Patnaik
Dr. Nityananda Patnaik, a reputed Anthropologist was born in 1927 and educated in Calcutta University. He has many publications in the form of books and papers all related to various aspects of Social Anthropology to his credit. His very recent published books are 1. Sacred Complex of Orissa and 2. Anthropological Studies on Indian Societies. Some of his forthcoming books are 1. The Santal Medicine (The Santal Worldview and Indigenous Health Practices and Herbal Medicine), 2. Torch Bearers of Vedic Traditioins: Brahmin Sasan Villages in Orissa, 3. Forest Tribes of Orissa-Vo.III, The Juang of Kendujhar and 4. Forest Tribes of Orissa-Vol.IV, The Bhuinya of Kendujhar, 5. Agricultural Practices among Tribal Communities of Orissa. He has been one of the teachers in Post-Graduate Department of Anthropology, Utkal University. Thereafter, he joined National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) as director of Anthropology. During his tenure at the NIRD, he received a fellowship from the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, where he concentrated his efforts and brought out a publication namely, Cultural Tradition in Puri. After serving for about 13 years at the NIRD he came back to Orissa to work as the Director of Tribal and Harijan Research-cum-Training Institute, Government of Orissa. After his retirement from the Government service he established his own research institute namely, Social Science and Development Research Institute (SSADRI) at Bhubaneswar which is engaged in social service, tribal development and also in research studies.
There are no reviews yet.