Role of Color in Religious Attire in Odisha
Odisha, located on the east coast of India, is known for its vibrant culture, deep spiritual roots, and centuries-old religious traditions. In this culturally rich state, color is more than a visual delight—it’s a profound medium of expression, especially in religious attire. From the saffron robes of temple priests to the colorful garments of tribal shamans, every hue carries symbolic weight. This article examines the role of color in religious ceremonies of Odisha, exploring the underlying implications of the colors worn and how they represent social identities, belief systems, and spiritual objectives.
Spiritual Spectrum: Color as a Medium of Devotion
Color plays an integral role in religious attire in Odisha. Unlike random or aesthetic choices, the selection of colors is deeply intentional. Each shade signifies an aspect of spiritual belief, ritual purpose, or personal status. Clothing becomes a canvas of devotion, through which individuals express purity, surrender, power, and connectivity to the divine.
Saffron: The Hue of Renunciation and Devotion
Among all the colors, saffron-known as bhagwa-holds a place of unmatched reverence in Odisha’s religious context. Universally associated with ascetics, saints, and spiritual seekers across India, saffron represents renunciation of worldly life, purity, and the pursuit of divine knowledge.
In Odisha, this sacred hue is commonly seen in the robes of temple priests, especially at iconic shrines like the Jagannath Temple in Puri. Saffron attire signals a person’s dedication to God, his or her spiritual authority, and a life of disciplined service. During Rath Yatra, the famous chariot festival of Lord Jagannath, saffron clothing floods the streets, worn by throngs of devotees as a sign of deep reverence and spiritual excitement.
White: The Shade of Purity and Peace
White carries multiple layers of meaning in Odisha’s spiritual landscape. Traditionally linked to purity, peace, and spiritual detachment, white garments are often worn during pujas (rituals), temple visits, and moments of solemnity.
White is especially prominent in the context of mourning. Widows in Odisha commonly wear white to signify their separation from earthly pleasures and devotion to a more ascetic life. However, white is worn beyond grief to express cleanliness and readiness to enter sacred spaces. In tribal regions such as Koraput and Kandhamal, white clothing is used during ceremonies to invite benevolent spirits and ensure spiritual purity within the community.
Red: The Color of Power and Fertility
Red, a color of passion and potency, holds special significance in Odisha, especially among women. It symbolizes Shakti, the divine feminine energy, and is a marker of fertility, marital status, and auspiciousness.
Married women wear red sarees during religious ceremonies and festivals like Durga Puja. Red bangles, bindis, and sindoor (vermilion powder) in the hair parting are potent visual signs of a woman’s marital status and dedication to family and divine protection. Temples dedicated to goddesses-like Maa Tara Tarini in Ganjam-are adorned with red offerings: red flowers, red cloth, and red threads, intensifying the aura of feminine divinity and protective energy.
Yellow: Sacredness and Prosperity
Associated with auspiciousness, learning, and blessings, yellow is another key color in Odisha’s religious life. People commonly use the color during Lakshmi Puja, Saraswati Puja, and the harvest festival Nuakhai.
Yellow turmeric paste, often smeared on the skin or clothing, purifies and protects. Women in rural Odisha frequently wear yellow sarees during significant rituals to invite prosperity and good fortune. During the Upanayana (sacred thread ceremony) among Brahmin communities, yellow symbolizes the spiritual rebirth of a young boy entering a life of study and ritual responsibility.
Green and Blue: Life, Nature, and the Cosmic Order
In tribal and agrarian societies across Odisha, green represents nature, life, and fertility. During nature-based rituals such as Pus Parab or Sitala Puja, people wear green garments or adorn themselves with fresh leaves, flowers, and natural dyes. These practices reinforce their spiritual relationship with the land, forests, and natural elements.
Blue, on the other hand, signifies the cosmic and eternal. Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity of Odisha, often appears in a dark or blue-black complexion, representing his infinite and universal nature. Similarly, devotees of Lord Krishna-also traditionally shown in blue-wear blue during certain fasts or devotional activities to align themselves with divine playfulness and wisdom.
Tribal Beliefs and Colorful Attire
Odisha has more than 60 indigenous tribal communities with distinct cultural practices and beliefs. For these communities, color is sacred and protective, serving as a spiritual shield and an expression of ancestral identity.
- The Dongria Kondh community wears bright reds, greens, and yellows during rituals dedicated to their mountain deities, reflecting nature’s vitality and elemental force.
- To ensure spiritual direction and ward off evil spirits, the Saora community employs tattoos and colored threads.
- The Bonda women, famous for their traditional beaded attire, believe each bead’s color offers protection against specific types of malevolent forces.
In these cultures, clothing is more than functional-spiritual armor and ancestral storytelling woven into daily life.
Festivals and Colorful Devotion
Religious festivals in Odisha are kaleidoscopic events that transform entire villages and cities into vivid canvases of faith and celebration.
During Chandan Yatra, devotees wear vibrant attire and anoint the deity with sandalwood paste and fragrant water, offering comfort and adoration. In the Boita Bandana festival, people wear traditional, colorful clothing to honor ancient maritime traders by launching miniature boats in rivers-a blend of spirituality and historical pride.
These festivals are expressions of living tradition, where color takes center stage in honoring gods, ancestors, and community bonds.
A Living Palette of Faith
In Odisha, role color in religious attire is a language of the soul. It communicates one’s spiritual path, societal role, emotional state, and cultural heritage. Whether it is the tranquil white of a widow, the auspicious red of a goddess worshipper, or the nature-honoring greens of a tribal devotee, each color tells a story steeped in symbolism and spirituality.
As Odisha continues to evolve, its chromatic traditions remain vibrant and enduring, bridging the material and mystical. Through every thread and hue, the people of Odisha preserve a sacred legacy, painting their religious lives in timeless and transcendent colors.
