25-05-2025
Kalinga maritime legacy offers solutions for modern challenges: Guv
Bhubaneswar: "The past is not just history, it also provides inspiration to tackle modern global challenges," governor Hari Babu Kambhampati said while attending the valedictory ceremony of a two-day international conference on 'Kalinga and Southeast Asia - Civilizational Connections', organised here on Sunday.
The governor said the ancient maritime traditions of Kalinga offer important lessons in facing the environmental and developmental challenges of Southeast Asia. The history of Kalinga's maritime trade, research and cultural exchange with countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam is not only a matter of pride, but also serves as a guide for modern regional cooperation, he added.
"The influence of Kalinga's temple architecture can be seen in temples like Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Borobudur in Indonesia. The spread of epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata and festivals like Indonesia's Nyepi and Cambodia's Pchum Ben reflect deep cultural bonds," Kambhampati said.
He further mentioned that Kalinga maintained strong maritime and cultural ties with Southeast Asia for over 2,000 years. The people of Kalinga travelled globally to establish these connections, whose influence can still be seen today in architecture, inscriptions, traditions, and place names. Kalinga's maritime network played a significant role in spreading Indian culture and religion, the governor said.
