Bhima Bhoi

Mahima Dharma (‘the Dharma of Glory’) is one of the most fascinating living religious traditions of Orissa. It originated during the 19th century as an autochthonous reform movement, emerging out of the nirguna bhakti tradition of India. The earliest authentic testimonies of this movement are the impressive compositions of Bhima Bhoi, a lay guru, who fought against social evils such as caste and ritualized piety and initiated women into his community.
The present volume is the first representative and comprehensive anthology of Bhima Bhoi’s religious poetry. It offers a detailed introduction, which discusses the poet and his work in its social, religious, and philosophical contexts. All poems are given in their original, local Oriya language and transliterated in Latin script. The critical edition – the first ever made - is based on two manuscripts, available now in the internet at www.mahimadharma.de. A fresh and elegant translation with numerous footnotes contributes to its philological deepness but keeps the book easily readable. Since Bhima Bhoi’s poetry is above all oral poetry, and his songs are still recited by Mahima Dharmees, the editors decided to complete the written text by authentic audio samples from Orissa. An audio CD, recorded in the area of Sonepur and Sambalpur offers a selection of popular bhajans of Bhima Bhoi sung by practicing Mahima Dharmees. 
In the end, the volume brings to the international public an outstanding poet, widely unknown poet outside. It is the aim of the editors to give the overdue recognition of Orissa’s most oscillating saint and poet.

Colonialism had drastically changed the nature of society and the polity of India. Orissa one of the eastern states comes under colonial supervision in 1803. Due to British intervention power dynamics was gradually changed over a period of time. With the changing nature of power dynamics, different groups have responded differently to this change. There were signs of revolt against the colonial dominance as well as the dominance of local elites in colonial Orissa. In this context, Bhima Bhoi (1850-1895) a leader of the ‘depressed classes’ in late nineteenth Century Orissa, started his campaign against the domination of such local elites and dominant culture. His teaching was widespread and accepted by all the communities. Today in contemporary Orissa his followers mostly from the Dalits and Adivasi background in the western part of Odisha. Before Bhima Bhoi in the middle of the 19th century, there was a protestant, religion called Mahima Dharma. It was started in the eastern part of Orissa. The founder of the religion was Mahima Goswami who was born as an untouchable community in the eastern part of Orissa. This religion basically preached humanity, believe in one god, anti-caste, and anti idol worship in nature. Followers of this religion were from all castes except Brahmins. Coming of the Bhima Bhoi after Mahima Goswami radicalized this movement since the leaders from an Adivasi background. Bhima Bhoi ruthlessly attacked the caste system, Vedas, Idol worship, superstition, and so on. He and including his followers attacked Jagannath Temple thrice. After the demise of Bhima Bhoi, this movement gradually loses its authenticity and the process of appropriation took place. This paper will deal with four different important aspects. The first part tries to deal with the politics of anthropology and colonial power with the connection of the ruling elites of Orissa. The second part tries to engage with the questions of change with the connection of the British and the upper caste and the other ruling elite of the Odisha. Thirdly how Adivasis and lower castes responded to the changing nature of the dynamics of power and growing dominance of local elites, caste system, and inequality in Orissa. Here I have tried to show Bhima Bhoi as the historical agent who not only saw the growing emergence of the dominance of upper caste, changing nature of power relations in colonial Orissa but also challenged the different processes which were taking place. And lastly paper will deal with how the radical movement led by Bhima Bhoi over a period of time appropriated by Brahmanism through different processes. In the question of appropriation, I have taken Biswanath Baba one of the most important leaders of the Mahima Dharma after Bhima Bhoi as an example, as a historical agent who not only misrepresent the teaching of Bhima Bhoi but also linked it with Hinduism, Veda, Upanashida, Geeta and all of others things which were opposed by Bhima Bhoi.