The Capital City is all geared up for the fortnight-long annual Adivasi Mela (tribal fair) at the sprawling Adivasi Grounds here on Saturday.
One of the most exciting annual fairs in the Capital's cultural calendar, it is being hosted by the ST & SC Development Department to highlight tribal life, tradition and culture of the State. There are as many as 62 tribes and 13 Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs), accounting for nearly one-fourth of the population.
The fair, which was a week's affair was made a two-week affair in 2010 with addition of a festival of tribal culture. The theme of this year's Mela is 'Empowerment of Tribals'. "Nearly 140 stalls, including 20-odd huts of tribal communities, will be set up.
The venue will be transformed into a tribal village with five segments. These segments would replicate the tribal villages, give glimpses of the weekly haat, tribal handlooms and their cuisine besides showcasing tribal art and crafts. There will also be live demonstrations of weaving, wrought iron craft, paddy craft and Dokra casting by tribals.
The people of Odisha (Orissa) have always expressed their quest for creativity in any and every form. The Rajarani Music Festival held in the beautiful courtyard of the Rajarani Temple in Bhubaneswar is one such occasion to celebrate the richness and originality of Indian classical music. Evening concerts by great maestros of Indian Classical music fill the air with enchanting chimes. When these experts play on their musical instruments the listeners get captivated by the soul-lifting music.
International Odissi Dance Festival
Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre under the aegis of Deptt. of Tourism & Culture, Govt. of Odisha is organising the International Odissi Dance Festival from 23'd to 29th December at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar.
The main objective of this festival is to bring the legendary, established, senior and talented Odissi Dancers in to one platform in Order to facilitate interaction to enrich the nuances and different aspects of Odissi repertoire.
The stage is set for the three-day National Tribal Dance Festival which began on Monday.
Providing a glimpse into the rich tribal arts and dance forms, this year's festival feature tribal dance troupes from Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura and various parts of the State. Troupes representing 62 tribes, inhabiting the State, are slated to present their traditional dance and music during the evenings.
Organised by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRT), the festival has been mounted at the Utkal Kala Mandap on the premises of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya. It was inaugurated by the Chief Minister Sri Naveen Patnaik.
Being held for the third time, the festival last year attracted participation from Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
While troupes from Assam will perform Bihu, Tripura's Reang tribe will showcase Hojagiri dance. Gaor tribe from Meghalaya will perform Wangla dance. Similarly, Birli dance by Durua tribe, Dhap dance of Kandha tribe, Dhemsa by Gadaba tribe, Kalasi by Santhals, Madili by Gond and Karama dance by Oran tribals will be the other highlights of the festival.
The show will present a bouqet of fifteen colourful tribal dances in the open air auditorium of the Utkal Mandap, in the premises of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalay,Bhubaneswar during the 3-day tribal dance festival of gaiety.
One of nature's many wonders, the sea recedes massively from the beach during ebb and returns to fill the emptiness during high tide. This hide-and-seek of the sea comes to play twice a day and seeing the sea disappear and then return is an unforgettable experience.
Chandipur lies around 200 km from state capital Bhubaneswar. From here, one can either take the train to Balasore, the closest town at a distance of 10 km, and then travel by road, or take the entire journey by road on National Highway 5. One can be assured of a good journey thanks to the green scenery that follows you throughout and good roads.
Adding to the peaceful ambience are the swaying casuarina trees and the solitary sand dunes, with the constant hum of the waves as they rise and fall gently.
The Chandipur beach festival is scheduled to be held from 6th to 9th December on the golden sands of the famous Chandipur beach in Odisha (Orissa) against the back drop of the vast blue expanse of the Bay of Bengal. Chandipur beach festival is dedicated at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Gopinath Jew, the Lord of Universe who is the embodiment of equality, fraternity and unity irrespective of religion, cast, creed, language and faith.The aim of this festival is to promotes national integration, harmony, peace, cultural amity and international brotherhood in a beautiful manner through cultural cohesion and highlight the importance of Chandipur Beach in World Tourism.
Odisha (Orissa) Tourism presents International Sand Art Festival-Though short-lived,sand sculpture with exquisite sensibility can take you to ecstacy.As an art form,entqined with the rich cultural heriatge of artistic Odisha (Orissa),Sand Art stand apart as a class of its own.
As many 20 Indian and 10 foreign artists will be participating in the second edition of the International Sand Art festival to be held on the Chandrabhaga beach, Konark, coinciding with the Konark Festival from 01st-05th December,
The five-day event with the theme 'Tourism linking cultures' is expected to feature artists from 10 countries, including Canada and the US, apart from 20 sculptors from across the country.
The culture of any community is closely associated and assimilated with its history since time immemorial. Further the existence of culture is the base of history. Therefore, the craze to know the way of life of any community requires study and analysis of cultural history of that tribe deeply. If one thinks of cultural history of primitive tribes one must turn towards South Odisha, the hub of tribals. Koraput region being the mosaic of tribal life and culture and heritage of the country highlights its cultural heritage through PARAB.
PARAB is a State Level Tribal Festival, a festival of the sons and daughters of the soil of Koraput, (Orissa). It has been organised by the District Council of Culture, Koraput since 1996.It is a leading festival of the State and is unique in its aim of spotting hidden talents in the field of art, culture and sports at the grass-root level as well as to promote the rich cultural heritage of this region.
Odisha (Orissa) Koraput Parab Festival The objective of PARAB is to give an opening to the talented youth hidden in the rural areas and to encourage them to come forward and join hands with the district administration to attain the ultimate goal of nation building. It is a month-long festival. More than 60,000 artists and sportspersons participate in the Gram Panchayat/ Block/Urban Local Bodies level and District level competitions and celebrations.
Conduct of competitions in traditional tribal events like tribal music, dance, art and craft, traditional sports, etc has helped in preserving the heritage of this region against the threat of extinction through negligence and apathy due to spread of the dark side of rapid industrialization, urbanization and other cultural invasions.
Besides various cultural programmes like tribal and folk dance festival, Craft-Mela, Pallishree Mela, Book-fair, Artist camp-cum-Art Exhibition, Seminar are also organised by inviting eminent artists and troupes from and outside the State. It is a forum of interaction and exchange among different kinds of tribal cultures from all over the country. The District Council of Culture, Koraput is one of the leading councils of the State for the promotion of art, culture and literature and its brainchild "PARAB", has brought a cultural revolution in the State.
Since 1996, Utkal Yuva Sanskrutik Sangh has been organising India Theatre Olympiad as International Theatre Festival in the miilennium city of Cuttack, Orissa. This annual International Theatre Festival ( Drama, Dance & Music ) is only of its kind in the country and this year it will be held from 12th to 16th October
Thirteen countries will take part in the international theatre festival that will be conducted as a part of the 20th Indian Theatre Olympiad here. The Olympiad is organised in the city in September and October each year.
India Surf Festival commences on January 25th - 27th. Beach lovers from all over the world would love to be here and to riders across all states, here is an event you'll love to ride to.The spirit of the event is to encourage ONENESS of all kinds of surfers,and experiment sharing the wisdom pools that allow us to become changemakers.Expect many events at the venue from music, visuals art & installations to sup yoga & yoga, Surf Expressions.
Join the gathering global artist,musicians and designers while sharing the joy of surf adventures on sunny unspoilt beach of Odisha.
Mukteswar Temple in Bhubaneswar, famous for its elegantly carved arched gateway is considered as one of the finest examples of Orissan architecture.The complex of this legendary temple serves as the venue of the Mukteswar Dance Festival. This festival celebrates the unrivalled charisma of Odissi, the classical dance form of Odisha (Orissa). Star Odissi dancers tapping their feet to the strokes of the accompanying instruments like mardal mesmerize the audience with their classic attire and graceful movements.Solo, duet and group performances by these dancers, their abhinaya, bhangi and mudra give the onlookers a transcendental experience.
Held in the idyllic setting of the temple city of Bhubaneswar, Toshali National Crafts Mela is a unique showcase of the spirit of rural India. This event provides a huge platform for various talented artists, painters, weavers, sculptors and craftsmen from around the country as well as other SAARC nations to display their creativity.
An ambience resembling the typical setting of Indian Rural Haat is created to infuse life into this unique concept. This 13-day long Mela gives an opportunity to the visitors to interact with nationally and internationally acclaimed craftsmen and buy their exclusive creations.
Various stalls display some of the best handicrafts and handlooms of India like cane craft from North East, chiki woodcraft from Kashmir, wood and cane inlay work from South India, oxidized jewellery, sea-shell decorations from Rajasthan, patola and bandhni from Gujarat and Rajasthan, ikat of Odisha, chikan from Lucknow, kantha from Tripura & West Bengal, kanjeevaram from the South are found in this mela. Besides, many colourful cultural programmes and food stalls with variety of delicacies add to the attraction of the Toshali National Crafts Mela.
This year, artisans from 18 states of India and Bhutan and other SAARC countries are expected to attend the mela, which will showcase the tourism potential and cultural heritage of the State to both domestic and foreign visitors.There would also be a musical programme dedicating works of the past and present musical genius of the state including Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi, Akhaya Mohanty, Praffula Kar and Balakrushna Kar, among others.
The ninth edition of the annual Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav, the festival exclusively dedicated to contemporary, folk and martial art dance forms, has begun at the foothills of the historic Dhauli Stupa on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar from December 10 to 14.
Dhauli, the important historic site where the gospel of peace has been propounded by the great warrior Ashok, the king of Magadha after he changed himself from Chandashoka (Ashok the Terror) to Dharmashoka (Ashok the Pious) having seen the enormous loss of life during the Kalinga War in 261 BC.
The festival is being organised by Odisha (Orissa) Dance Academy in collaboration with Odisha (Orissa) Tourism, Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Art Vision.
The inaugural evening showcased Odissi dance by the Odisha (Orissa) Dance Academy and Kalaripayattu by Samudra Centre for Indian Contemporary Performing Arts from Trivandrum.The following evening shall feature Gotipua dance by Nakshatra Gurukul, Bhubaneswar, Kathak dance by Vikram Iyengar, Kolkata, and Shantali tribal dance by a troupe from Rairangapur led by Dushmanta Basa.
The third evening will present Mahodadhi, a music concert conducted by mardal exponent Dhaneswar Swain. The music for the concert has been composed by Guru Ramhari Das. Other presentations of the evening include Odissi dance by Sharmila Biswas and her troupe from Kolkata and martial dance of Ghataka by Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji Ghataka Academy, Chandigarh.
The famed folk art Sankhadhwani (blowing of conch) by the Sankhadhwani Kala Kendra of Ganjam shall be the first presentation of the fourth evening which will also feature Bharatnatyam by Anita Guha and her troupe from Chennai and the martial art of Attakallari by Attakkallari Centre for Movement Arts, Bangalore. The fourth evening will have some more interesting dances like a Chhau & Paika Nrutya that has been choereographed specially by Ileana Citaristi, Laudi Nrutya by Guru Nityananada Das and his group from Bhadrak. Besides, there will be Gitinatya (Kanchi Bijaya) by GODMECOR group of Kendrapara.
Follow the rainbow across the scintillating sea shore at Konark to the magnificent portals of a temple.
35 kms to the north-east of Puri lies the World Heritage Monument, the Sun Temple of Konark. Twelve hundred craftsmen had toiled hard for 12 long years to erect this monumental wonder where 12 year's revenue was spent. Modelled after the floating chariot of the mythical Sun God, the temple is a quintessence of imaginative craftsmanship of ancient Odisha (Orissa). The temple architecture was designed as drawn by twelve exquisitely carved stone wheels and seven galloping horses. And the kings, queens, generals, foot soldiers, sages, priests, elephants, horses, courtiers and courtesans depicted on the walls and the panels with finesse open a window to the nostalgic times of medieval Odisha (Orissa).
The Annual Konark Festival, which is held in an Open Air Auditorium from 01st-05th December with the temple as the backdrop, showcase a magical parade of India's classical and traditional dance forms. Eminent dancers and their troupe delight visitors in the wintry evening of early December with dramatic choreographies.
Besides, the dance performances the visitors are treated in an Artist Camp to an exhibition of Odishan temple sculptures which are often described as poetry transcribed on stone. Sand Art exhibition is also another attraction for tourists.
It is a festival of classical dances of India performed at the backdrop of the Sun Temple, Konark.
Konark Festival was organised for the first time in 1989 in the Open Air Auditorium at Konark constructed with the financial assistance of Government of India. The festival is being organised for a period of 5 days i.e. from December 1-5 every year.
Conceived as a festival of Classical Dances of India, the objective of Konark Festival is to promote Konark as well as Odisha as place of tourist destination.
Since 1993 the city of Puri is hosting the Puri Beach Festival founded by then chief Minister late Sri Biju Pattanaik, he selected the name Puri Beach Festival. The biggest cultural show on a sea beach in India. Each day more than five hundreds artists perform cultural programmes for a period of seven days.The activities include classical and folk dances of India, handicrafts, fashion shows, rock music, fireworks, and a sand art competition.Being a festival of various classical and folk dances of India, this festival offers a unique opportunity to the visitors to interact with the local populace and enjoy the bountiful charms of Odisha (Orissa).
Puri Beach Festival is the largest viewing beach festival & is a perfect blend of art, craft, culture, cuisine, & sports leaving you with a taste that lingers. A taste for which you would yearn to come back to savor. A brand that makes every viewer pleased. The festival offers you the best cultural evening with the best of performers from classical, folk & contemporary dance forms along with traditional sports like beach volleyball, kabadi, malkhamb,marathon walk including Sand Art & regatta etc. everyday.
Art and culture enthusiasts in the city will get to sample some foreign fare at the day-long 'Oz Festival' being organised on October 20 by the Australian high commission in India, in association with the state tourism department. The fest, to be held at Rajarani temple here, will showcase various dance and music styles of Australia.
Bhubaneswar is among the 18 Indian cities the festival will travel to till February. The festival, touted as the biggest Australian cultural extravaganza ever staged in India, will kick off on October 16 at Purana Qila in New Delhi and subsequently move to different states.
Gurrumul is an enigma in the Australian music industry.
Born blind, Gurrumul grew up as a member of the Gumatj clan on Elcho Island, off the coast of tropical North East Arnhem Land. His fragile but powerfully emotive voice has affected the public in a way no other artist has done in this country. This unique Aboriginal man sings songs about identity, spirit and connection with the land, its elements and the ancestral beings he is related to. His high tenor voice and aura-like persona creates emotion, compassion and a feeling of peacefulness and longing with audiences in Australia and around the world.
Artists from across the globe will get an opportunity to learn the various forms of art and craft from master craftsmen of different parts of the State during the Raghurajpur International Art & Crafts Exchange . It is to be held from October 13 to November 19 at the Heritage Village of Raghurajpur, Puri. The five week event will see participation of 35 artists from countries like Australia, Italy,the US, the UK,Ireland, Canada and South Africa this year. The event would see performances of Gotipua dance, Odissi Dance, Naga, Durga, Ghoda Nacha and fire dance. In exchange the international artists will share their ideas about contemporary art with the villagers who can incorporate these ideas into their traditional art forms. The Raghurapur village is home to 120 households having 311 artisans, engaged in various forms of visual and performing art forms.
Raghurajpur village orissaRaghurajpur, a small village in Puri district, occupies a unique place in the cultural map of India. The village is inhabited by artisans producing sheer poetry on pieces of treated cloth, dried palm leaf or paper. Situated on the southern bank of river Bhargavi and surrounded by coconut, palm, mango, jackfruit groves and other tropical trees, Raghurajpur has an idyllic setting. A number of betel vines dot the nearby paddy fields. The village runs from east to west with houses arranged in two neat rows, facing each other. At the centre, runs a line of small temples and the lone Bhagabat Tungi, the community meeting place of the villagers. The temples are dedicated to the Lords, Radha Mohan, Gopinath, Raghunath, Laxminarayan, Gouranga, and to the village goddess, Bhuasuni.
To reach Raghurajpur one has to get down at Chandanpur bus stop, which is about 10 km from Puri and 50 km from Bhubaneswar on N.H.No.203 connecting Puri and Bhubaneswar, two important tourist destinations of the country. From Chandanpur one has to take a cycle-rickshaw or walk on a 1.3 km scenic road to reach this village.
Raghurajpur pattachitra painting This coconut-palm shaded village is quite different from other villages of the State.It has its own identity. What is unusual is the number of outsiders including foreigners visiting the village round the year. These people don't come here to see a typical Orissan village from close quarters but to see and enjoy the rich traditions of Orissan arts and crafts at one place. The village has a community of artisans, who produce different varieties of handicrafts items such as patta paintings, palm leaf engravings, stone carvings, papier mache toys and masks, wood carvings, wooden toys, cowdung toys and tusser paintings. Perhaps nowhere else in India one finds such a congregation of so many arts at one place.This is also the only village in India, where each family is engaged in one craft or another. There are has 103 households having 311 artisans in the village. Some of them are winners of National Awards.
Raghurajpur artists paintingOne comes across the best tradition of Orissan paintings and some of the finest pieces of work in this village. The tradition of pata painting in Orissa is very old. There are several centres of this art : Puri, Parlakhemundi, Champamal (Sonepur), Athgarh and Dinabandhupur (Dhenkanal). Usually, the lane in which these painters or chitrakaras live is called Chitrakar Sahi. Although there are several centres of pata paintings in Odisha (Orissa), it is Raghurajpur, which is famous for this unique art. Chitrakaras are involved with the ritual performed in the temple of Lord Jagannathaon the occasion of Snana Purnima in the lunar month of Jyestha (May-June). During the period of anasara, the fortnight following the fullmoon day, three patis painted by chitrakaras are placed on the sighasana inside the main temple. The chitrakaras are also called to execute colourful paintings on the three chariots for the Car Festival. Apart from taking part in the rituals, they also produce paintings which they sell at Bedha Mahal inside the temple premises and Chakada Mahal outside the main gate.
Young boys performing gotipua boysIleana Citaristi, an Italian lady who has done extensive research on Orissan art and culture, observes, "By the late fifties only a few old men among the 90- odd chitrakara families of Raghurajpur were still painting, whereas all the youths had deserted the profession; it was only around the year 1953 that, with the intervention of an American lady, Mrs Halina Zealey, a new future opened up and the artists once again took out their brushes and colours." Besides producing these unique works of art, this village has a living tradition of performing art known as Gotipua, the earlier form of Odissi. A worthy son of Odisha (Orissa), Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra, an exponent of Odissi dance, was born in this village and had his early trainings in Gotipua tradition here.
Rajarani music festival is one of the famous festivals of Orissa which is organized annually by the State Tourism Department in collaboration with other organizations like Bhubaneswar Music Circle, Orissa Sangeet Natak Academy, NALCO and the Union Ministry of Tourism. The aim of the festival is to showcase the glorious tradition of Indian classical music. Rajarani music festival is an evening musical concert held for 2 days in the backdrop of the 11th century Rajarani Temple complex. Main highlights of the festival are the genus of Hindustani, Carnatic and Odissi classical Indian Music with extraordinary performances of various famous vocalists and an instrumentalist from different parts of the country . The festival attracts a large number of locals as well as tourists.
Balijatra (also Boita Banda?a ) literally means A Voyage to Bali. This festival is held in Odisha, in the city of Cuttack at Gadagadia Ghata of the Mahanadi river, to mark the day when ancient Sadhabas (Oriya mariners) would set sail to distant lands of Bali, as well as Java, Sumatra, Borneo (all in Indonesia), and Sri Lanka for trade and cultural expansion. They sailed in large vessels called Boitas.
Bali Jatra is also associated with Taapoi and rituals like Bhalukuni Osha or Khudurukuni Osha and Bada Osha. Taapoi is closely associated with the Bali Jatra festival, which recalls traditional memories of young maidens waiting for the return of their sailor brothers. To commemorate this, the festival is celebrated every year from the day of Kartika Purnima according to the Oriya Calendar.
The festival marks its beginning at Kartik Purnima which comes around the end of October and November, and goes on for a period of seven days from the full moon. This is the specific time that was considered auspicious by the Sadhabas to begin their voyage in vessels called Boitas. The voyage is begun on Kartika Purnima to take advantage of the favorable wind blowing during this time. Ajhala or big fabric sails were used to harness the wind power to move the Boitas.
In Cuttack, Bali Jatra is celebrated annually as a large open fair near the Barabati Fort area. It is said to be the largest fair of Odisha state. There are several attractions for children, and food stalls selling Oriya delicacies (Cuttacki Dahivada Aludum, Thunka puri, Barafa pan, Gupchup, etc.) from different parts of the state, and other vendors selling toys, curiosities, and other gifts. Bali Jatra also provides a lot of cultural programs. Every year millions of people from all over the nation come to experience it.
During Bali Yatra, children float toy boats made of colored paper, dried banana tree barks, and cork in the Mahanadi, ponds, water tanks, etc., to commemorate the voyage of their ancestors to Indonesia. These toy boats, usually launched after sunset contain small oil lamps, which are lit and placed inside them, to provide an attractive sight during the festival. People sing a song Aa ka ma boi, pan gua thoi... to remember the early maritime history of Odisha. The song tells about four months that are important for marine merchants of Kalinga (the earlier name of Odisha). This festival is also celebrated with great fanfare in Paradeep. Bali Jatra bears testimony to the rich maritime legacy of ancient Odisha.
