Silver jubilee of Kalahandi Utsav ‘Ghumura’ begins

BHAWANIPATNA: The silver jubilee festivities of the four-day Kalahandi Utsav - Ghumura began on Saturday at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Bhawanipatna while it is scheduled to be held at Dharamgarh from January 15 to 17.Several pre-event programmes like panchayat and block-level cultural activities, archery, football, volley ball, badminton and shooting competitions have begun since January 1 near the Indravati reservoir site here.

The festival in Bhawanipatna kicked off on the day with the arrival of sacred ‘mashals’ from Manikeswari of Bhawanipatna and Thuamul Rampur, Dokri of Talgud, Gudhandi, Shiva temples of Sapsilet, Belkhandi, Mohangiri, Jugsaipatna and from Urladani where freedom fighter Rindo Majhi got martyrdom.

As many as 355 stalls including Palisree Mela, handicraft and handloom mela, stalls by self-help groups and various government and non-government organisations have been put up for the occasion. Around 160 cultural troupes from Kalahandi and other districts of the state and those of other states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Assam and West Bengal have arrived for the purpose.

Lok Sabha member Basanta Kumar Panda graced the inaugural function as the chief guest and a special silver jubilee issue of souvenir ‘Kalajharan’ was released on the day. A seminar on the history of Kalahandi, Kabi Sammilani and Rahagiri are scheduled to be organised during the celebration along with installation of an art gallery and workshop.Around seven platoons of police, CRPF and senior and junior NCC cadets have been deployed to maintain law and order during the celebrations.