35th International Konark Festival Begins
Kakatpur, 1/12/24
(By Tushar Dixit) — The 35th International Konark Festival, organized by the Department of Tourism, was officially inaugurated this evening by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the open-air auditorium of the famous tourist destination Konark in Puri district.
Joining the Chief Minister at the event were Deputy Chief Minister Smt. Prabhati Parida, Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhuti Bhusan Tarai, Pipili MLA Ashrit Pattnaik, Kakatpur MLA Tushar Kanti Behera, and Brahmagiri MLA Upasana Mohapatra, among other dignitaries.
On the inaugural evening, the festival opened with a performance of Odissi dance presented by the dancers of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Bhubaneswar. In the second segment, Kathak dance was performed by Multishyam and his team from New Delhi.
After inaugurating the Konark Festival, the Chief Minister proceeded to Chandrabhaga to inaugurate the 14th International Sand Art Festival. However, the delayed inauguration of the sand art festival drew some public dissatisfaction. Many visitors, including families and children who had come from different villages, could not view the sand sculptures as access was restricted from 4 PM to 8 PM due to the event not yet being formally opened.
Despite the delay, the entire Konark area was beautifully decorated for both the Konark Festival and the Sand Art Festival. The open-air auditorium echoed with the rhythmic sound of dancers’ anklets, creating a captivating and vibrant atmosphere for all present.
