Conversation so far:
What is Sequence?
Traditional Odissi repertoire sequence starts with an invocation called Mangalacharana
What is the invocation called Mangalacharana?
A shloka (hymn) in praise of a God or Goddess is sung, such as to Jagannath (an avatar of Vishnu), the meaning of which is expressed through dance
What happens next after Mangalacharana?
Mangalacharana is followed by Pushpanjali (offering of flowers) and Bhumi Pranam (salutation to mother earth).

Question: What is the Batu?
Self-contained rewrite: What is the Batu?