Konark: The 33rd edition of five-day-long Konark Festival was inaugurated here at the open-air auditorium against the backdrop of architectural marvel Sun Temple on Thursday.
While Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the grand confluence of classical dances virtually, Minister of Tourism and Odia Language & Culture Shri Aswini Kumar Patra, Minister of Electronic & IT, Sports & Youth Services Shri Tusharkanti Behera attended the event as honourable guests and lit the ceremonial lamp as part of the inaugural ceremony.
In his address, the CM said, “I welcome everyone to this beautiful open-air auditorium in the premises of this 13th century UNESCO World Heritage Site. With the Sun Temple acting as the grand backdrop for the stage, together we’ll witness the beauty of Indian classical dance performances by several prolific artistes from India and across the globe.”
As is the tradition, the evening’s first item was a group Odissi recital presented by Datuk Ramli Ibrahim & Group of Sutra Foundation, Malaysia. Led by accomplished classical dancer Shri Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, the maiden performance of the evening showcased Odissi dance recitals on Jaya Ram – Homage to Rama, Hero of the Ramayana-Mangalacharan-Shri Rama Dhyana, Sthai, Sita Swayambar and Remembering Rama. Conceptualised and choreographed by Guru Gajendra Kumar Panda and Shri Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, music composed by Guru Gajendra Kumar Panda, Pt. Gopal Chandra Panda, Guru Satchidananda Das and Smt. Sangita Panda.
The following item was a Kathak performance by Rajendra Gangani & group of Guru Kundanlal Gangani Foundation from New Delhi who showcased a Kathak dance recital named Chhand-Laya-Gati.
Konark Festival has been organised every year from December 1 to 5, since 1989. The five-day programme is organised by Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha in association with Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi and Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC).
The Chief Minister also inaugurated two more events. They were the 4th edition of Eco Retreat Odisha at six locations viz., Putsil, Sonapur, Satkosia, Bhitarkanika, Hirakud and Daringbadi and the 12th edition of International Sand Art Festival on the pristine beach of Chandrabhaga.
The sand art festival was inaugurated by Minister of Tourism and Odia Language & Culture Shri Aswini Kumar Patra, Minister of Electronic & IT, Sports & Youth Services Shri Tusharkanti Behera.
This year 103 artisans are participating in the event which includes five international artists from Spain, Singapore, Russia, Canada and Japan apart from national artists from Odisha and 9 other Indian states including Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. The theme for the inaugural day was Tourism and Culture on which various enchanting sand sculptures were created.
The live screening of the dance festival has been made available on the social media handles of Odisha Tourism apart from telecasting it live on DD Bharati and DD Odia in a bid to reach wider audience.
The festivals were attended by Member of Parliament Jagatsingpur Dr. Rajashree Mallick, Principal Secretary Tourism Shri Surendra Kumar, Chairman OTDC Shri Lenin Mohanty, Collector & District Magistrate Puri Shri Samarth Verma and Director Tourism Shri Sachin R. Jadhav and noted Sand Artist Padma Shri Sudarshan Patnaik among other government officials.
Photo courtesy: Odisha Tourism
