Sounding the Feminine Divine: Shakti, Laya and Power in Odishi Music

Author(s)	Dr. Sarbeswar Baitharu
Country	India
Abstract	Odishi music, one of India’s classical music traditions, is deeply embedded in the religious, cultural and philosophical landscape of Odisha. While existing scholarship has predominantly examined Odishi music through the lens of Vaishnavism and Jagannath consciousness, the Shakta dimension—particularly the sonic manifestation of feminine divine power—remains under-theorized. This paper explores Odishi music as a sonic articulation of Shakti, focusing on laya (rhythmic energy), melodic movement and performative embodiment as expressions of feminine power. Drawing from Indian aesthetic theory, Shakta philosophy, musicology and performance studies, the paper argues that Odishi music does not merely represent the feminine divine thematically but structurally encodes Shakti through rhythm, flow and controlled intensity. By reframing Odishi music as a Shakti-centric soundscape, the study challenges masculine-dominant interpretations of classical music systems and contributes to feminist re-readings of Indian performing arts. The paper also positions Odishi music as an indigenous epistemology of power where devotion, discipline and dynamism coalesce.
Keywords	Odishi music, Shakti, Laya, Feminine divine, Indian aesthetics, Rasa theory, Shakta philosophy
Field	Arts > Movies / Music / TV
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On	2026-03-29
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.72502

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