(Top) Tamil women prepare ‘pongal’ and (above) participate in a group song during a cultural festival of the community in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 7: Renuka Devi, 67, who has been in Bhubaneswar for the past five decades, proudly says that though she hails from Madurai, it is the Temple City where her heart and soul lie.

Many Tamilians residing in the city for several years readily second Renuka’s opinion. Thousand mile-separation from their home state has never left them heavyhearted — Orissa, for them, is another home away from home.

Adjusting to a place with different language and cuisine is a Herculean task by itself. However, over the years, members of the Tamil community have blended completely with the culture of Bhubaneswar while still managing to keep their traditions alive.

“Initially, whenever I would go shopping, both the shopkeeper and I would struggle to understand each other. At times even sign language failed. It took a few years to get a hold over the language and now, I can speak Oriya fluently,” smiled Renuka.

To keep in touch with each other, the Tamilians have set up an association. The Bhubaneswar Tamil Sangam — where the community can congregate and celebrate festivals.

Founded in 1992, the Sangam has cemented the Tamilian-Oriya bond. It has undertaken several initiatives and welfare programmes for the benefit of the state. The members have also set up funding programmes for the education of the needy and a calamity-fund project to disburse funds during emergency situations such as the 1999 Super Cyclone. The community centre also arranges for blood donation camps.

“The Sangam was founded to create a venue for addressing our community’s grievances and sharing our happiness. However, in the long run, we have realised that the centre has also brought us closer to our Oriya fraternity. Now, on any of our festivals, many Oriya friends join in. Both the states being located on the coastal belt, we have an uncanny similarity in our cultures,” said vice-president of the Sangam, T.B.T. Ansari.

Though there might be many cultural similarities in the lifestyles of the two states, their distinct food habits, however, was a cause of concern for the first generation Tamilians, with there being only one restaurant in the city serving authentic south Indian cuisine.

“Today, all the stores and supermarkets are stuffed with foodstuff and ingredients necessary for a south Indian meal. But, 10 years ago we had to request our Tamilian friends travelling to Tamil Nadu to bring along tamarind, til oil and definitely coffee on their return. Today, it has become a ritual for anyone visiting Tamil Nadu to bring along some foodstuff with them,” said Renuka.

Apart from Bhubaneswar, Tamilians reside in cities such as Paradip, Cuttack, Angul, Nabrangpur, Rourkela, Dhenkanal and Jharsuguda. While Orissa has given them a second home, the Tamilians, in return, have gifted the state with efficient businessmen and proficient bureaucrats.

Of the 5,000 Tamilians spread across the state, many are associated with the Indian administration. K.S. Srinivasan, G. Sunder Rajan are a few of the IAS officers from the state.

Duraiswamy, president of the Sangam, runs one of the best borewell companies in the state. Tamil scholar R. Balakrishnan, who is fond of Oriya culture and language, has done extensive research work on origin and meaning of the names of cities and districts in the state.

“Since our children are born and brought up in Orissa, they speak Oriya quite well. We also wanted them to have a thorough knowledge of the Tamil culture and language. So, the Sangam, with help from Utkal University of Culture, has come up with a Tamil language course. A number of Oriyas have also enrolled for the course,” said Ansari.

Members of the Tamil community have blended into the local society and share a strong bond with the other residents.

“Renuka has always been by my side through thick and thin. It is wonderful to see her family’s love for Orissa,” said Renu Mohanty, a friend of Renuka.

Tamilians believe that they are as much Oriya as the rest of the people in Bhubaneswar.