Sadhaba Jhia

In centuries past sadhabas, seafaring merchants from Odisha ranged over south and south-east Asia. When the winds were right, laden ships sailed the Indian Ocean onto Siam, Bali, Java, Sumatra and other countries, and returned with goods from those countries. Lores about sadhabas loom large in Odisha culture, and several festivals celebrate the stories of the sadhabas. Mayadhar Mansinha presents Sadhaba Jhia as a kavya, a story with interwoven poems, about the tragic romance of a daughter (jhia) of a sadhaba family who locks glances with an unknown handsome sadhaba young man, just as his ship was leaving port. That momentary glance was sufficient for the two young strangers to feel united in destiny. Each started on a long tortuous search for the other, tragically finding each other united only after death.