35th Konark Festival & 14th International Sand Art Festival inaugurated
Konark(01/12/2024): Odisha’s vibrant tourism season began its most anticipated chapter on Sunday as the 35th edition of Konark Festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti Pravati Parida by lighting the ceremonial lamp.
The five-day festival is being hosted by Odisha Tourism in collaboration with Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi (OSNA) and Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC). The opening evening of the Konark Festival celebrated India’s rich classical dance traditions.
The event commenced with an Odissi dance recital by Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Bhubaneswar, followed by Kathak performance by Malti Shyam and Group, New Delhi. The Odissi performance began with a soulful invocation to Lord Jagannath, based on Sri Jagannath Astakam by Adi Shankaracharya.
It transitioned into “Bhavranga” and “Shakti,” narrating tales of divine power and the dynamic energy of Lord Shiva embodied in the feminine form of Shakti.
The performance was masterfully choreographed by Guru Shri Lingaraj Pradhan and Guru Shri Pankaj Kumar Pradhan and music composed by Dr.Bijay Kumar Jena and Dr.Bijay Kumar Barik. The evening continued with the Kathak dance recital, Nartan Manjari, performed by Malti Shyam’s group from New Delhi, celebrating the eternal bond between the divine and the devotee through intricate rhythms and fluid movements.
The dance was choreographed by Malti Shyam. The event was attended by eminent personalities, including MP Jagatsinghpur Bibhu Prasad Tarai, MLA Pipili Ashrit Pattanayak, MLA Satyabadi Om Prakash Mishra, MLA Brahmagiri Upasana Mahapatra, MLA Kakatpur Tusharkanti Behera, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Tourism Balwant Singh, Director Tourism Samarth Verma, Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain, and SP Puri Vineet Agarwal. Simultaneously, the 14th International Sand Art Festival transformed the pristine Chandrabhaga Beach into a canvas of creativity.
Featuring 129 celebrated sand artists, including 8 international participations from the UK, Mexico, Germany, Japan, Russia, Portugal, Spain, and Sri Lanka, the festival highlighted this year’s thematic masterpieces alongside contributions from national artists representing Odisha and seven other Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
A total of 35 Sand Art Creations were made on the themes of Women Empowerment, Odia Ashmita and World Heritage and Monuments. Reaching Global Audiences To ensure greater reach, the Konark Festival is being live streamed across Odisha Tourism’s social media platforms and telecast live on DD Bharati from December 1 to 5. Odisha invites the world to partake in these spectacular celebrations of art, culture, and nature, heralding the tourist season with unmatched grandeur.
