Three-day festival concludes in Bhubaneswar with much fanfare

Sights and flavours of Mayurbhanj

ANWESHAAMBALY

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 8: From delicious food and fascinating tribal dance recitals to soak ing in Makar revelry, the three-day Mayurbhanj Utsav was a hit.

The annual festival, organ- ised by the Mayurbhanj Cul- tural Association, celebrates the district’s culture and her itage in Bhubaneswar. The as- sociation has been conducting the festival with much fanfare since 2011.

The festival concluded at Rashtra

Bhasha Prachar Sabha ground here today. It had attracted a large number of visitors who had the oppor- tunity to witness traditional

art forms of Mayurbhanj such as jhumur.

The swift movements and rhythmic twirls displayed by the artistes from Mayurbhanj during Chhau performances won appreciation of one and all. and all.

Actors Salil Mitra and Pappu Pom Pom were other at- tractions at the fest who en- thralled audience with their comedy shows. A handicrafts exhibition showcasing some of the local art forms, such as stone carvings, dokra and lac- quer art, also drew crowd.

Many dance recitals, por- traying the beliefs and tradi- tions of various tribal com- munities of the district, were also presented. A few students

A dancer performs at Mayurbhanj Utsav in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

of Odisha University of Agri- culture and Technology pre- sented dance recitals praising

the district’s natural beauty.

Many visitors also relished the traditional Odia snack mudhi mansa, which traces its origin to the Mayurbhanj dis- trict, at the fest venue.. Around

10 kiosks were set up that served culinary delights right from dala khichdi to ram ruchuka. Special offerings for deities, such as arisha, that are served at the Jagannath temple of Baripada were also available.

“I have been coming to the festival for the past three years. The performances are a visual treat and once can also enjoy the tasty delicacies. The fest offers wholesome enjoy- ment,” said Aishwarya Parija, a 36-year-old homemaker.

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Devkund waterfall Mayurbhanj was beautifully replicated on the backdrop of the stage where the cultural events were held.

In 2012, the backdrop had depicted the palace of the ma- haraja of Mayurbhanj.

In 2013 and 2014, Bare- hipani Falls and and the Kichakeswari temple of Khiching had been portrayed on it. In 2015, the Sriramchan- dra Library became the attrac tion, while the Subhadra Rath was erected as the backdrop to promote women empower- ment last year.

The fest t also aims to create awareness among people about various scenic and his- toric places of the district.