BHUBANESWAR, DEC 1 : Odisha Tourism’s top three flagship events – Eco Retreat Odisha, International sand art and Konark Dance festival were inaugurated on Thursday by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
During the day, the 4th edition Eco Retreat Odisha was inaugurated in six locations -Putsil, Sonapur, Satkosia, Bhitarkanika, Hirakud and Daringbadi. This was followed by the inauguration of the 12th edition of the International Sand Art Festival and the 33rd edition of the Konark Festival during the evening.
In his virtual address,Patnaik highlighted Odisha’s expertise in responsible tourism initiatives during the inaugural ceremony of Eco Retreat.
Odisha government’s flagship product Eco Retreat has been highly appreciated by the travel and tourism fraternity, he said adding that the Eco Retreats this year will act as a gateway for tourists to explore the best of Odisha’s tourism and hospitality landscape”,
Organised every year from December 1 to December 5 since 1989, the 33rd edition of the Konark Festival was inaugurated by the Chief Minister on a virtual mode
“I welcome everyone to this beautiful open-air auditorium in the premises of this 13th-century UNESCO World Heritage site”, Patnaik said
The Chief Minister said with the Sun Temple acting as the grand backdrop for the stage, together “we will witness the beauty of Indian classical dance performances by several prolific artists from India and across the globe.”
Minister of Tourism and Odia Language & Culture Shri Aswini Kumar Patra, Minister of Electronic & IT, Sports & Youth Services Tusharkanti Behera were present on the occasion
The five-day programme is organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha in association with Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi and Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC).
Renowned as a platform that showcases India’s cultural depth through various classical dance forms, the inaugural show witnessed Odissi performance by Datuk Ramli Ibrahim & Group of Sutra Foundation, Malaysia.
Led by accomplished classical dancer Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, the maiden performance of the evening showcased Odissi dance recitals on Jaya Ram – Homage to Rama, Hero of the Ramayana-Mangalacharan-Shri Rama Dhyana, Sthai, Sita Swayambar and Remembering Rama.
Conceptualised and choreographed by Guru Gajendra Kumar Panda and Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, the performance was based on music composition by Guru Gajendra Kumar Panda, Pt. Gopal Chandra Panda, Guru Satchidananda Das and Smt.Sangita Panda.
This was followed by Kathak performance by Rajendra Gangani & group of Guru Kundanlal Gangani Foundation from New Delhi who showcased a Kathak dance recital named Chhand-Laya-Gati.
Simultaneously during these five days, the pristine Chandrabhaga Beach witnesses renowned sand artists competing to sculpt unique creations.
This year 103 artisans are participating in the The International Sand Art Festival 2022 event which includes five international artists from Spain, Singapore, Russia, Canada and Japan apart from national artists from Odisha and 9 other Indian
The theme for the inaugural day was Tourism and Culture on which various enchanting sand sculptures were created.
The live screening of the dance festival has been made available on the social media handles of Odisha Tourism apart from telecasting it live on DD Bharati and DD Odia in a bid to reach a wider audience. (UNI)