Sambalpur: The three-day folk festival “Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav” kicked off at the PHD ground, Ainthapali
This year, over 400 artists from Odisha and outside besides some international troupes will be participating in the festival.
Sambalpur: The three-day folk festival ‘Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav’ kicked off at the PHD ground on Thursday. In the morning, a cultural procession was taken out to mark the opening of the festival. The procession started from Somnath Baba temple in the city with the participation of the organizing committee members, SMC commissioner Ved Bhushan and the artists invited to participate in the festival.
This year, over 400 artists from Odisha and outside besides some international troupes will be participating in the festival. Apart from cultural programs, the festival will also host art and flower exhibitions. In this edition of the Lok Mahotsav, priority has been given to the participation of local cultural teams. At least nine teams from the district will perform during the festival.
The teams that will perform at the fest include tribal Dulduli dancers from Rengali, Parab artists from Koraput, Danda dancers from Dhama-Khinda, Sankhua dancers from Maneshwar, Samprada dancers of Burda in Jujumura, Sankirtan group from Kusamura besides two troupes from Gujarat and Thailand. The festival will conclude on January 7.
The Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav was started in 1997 with an aim to revive the dying forms of art. The state government provides funds for the festival. Coordinator of the organizing committee Bhola Shankar Mahatam said, “A national status to the festival would open avenues for additional support from the union government. It would also contribute to the revival of endangered art forms of the state and help in boosting tourism.”
