Rocking start for Sambalpur folk fest

SAMBALPUR:  The three-day long 22nd edition of Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav kicked off at PHED ground here on Thursday evening amid much fanfare.The three-day long 22nd edition of Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav kicked off at PHED ground here on Thursday evening amid much fanfare. The folk festival is being organised by district council of culture, Sambalpur with support from departments of Tourism and Culture.Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena inaugurated the festival in presence of his Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts counterpart Snehangini Chhuria, Chairman of Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) Kishore Mohanty and sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik. 

In tune with the tradition, the Mahotsav began with a Sambalpuri bhajan rendered in ‘Maleswari Par’ by folk singer Binayak Sahu. It was followed by folk dances with Sambalpuri songs in between. The audience was also treated with folk dances of the region including Dalkhai and Sabda Nrutya presented by artistes from Bargarh. Similarly, Sambalpuri, Bajnia, Ghumura and Bajashal dances were performed by folk artistes from Samabalpur and Bhawanipatna. Besides, Gotipua performed by artistes from Puri enthralled the huge gathering who had come from across the region. 

These apart, Rouf from Jammu and Kashmir, Panthi from Chhattisgarh, Purulia Chhau from West Bengal, Bihu from Assam, Kalbelia from Rajasthan and Bhangda from Punjab were presented by folk dancers on the first day of the festival. Folk dances from Bhutan and Nepal were also performed on the opening day.