28th KONARK DANCE AND MUSIC FESTIVAL-2013

The venue of the Konark Festival, Orissa is the Sun temple which was built by around 12000 craftsmen in the 13th century and if you see the contours of the temple you will clearly analyze the importance of the Odissi dance form which existed since then, as the walls are carved out and postures of this traditional dance form are made in it. The Sun temple was mainly made so as to worship the Sun god as the people believed it to be the primary source of energy and you would be amazed to know that this temple is considered to be one of the greatest architectural marvel of India where poetry on stones make the tradition of Konark alive even today.

As the temple showcases the importance of dance and art forms and so was considered to be the best venue for organizing the Konark Dance Festival.

WHEN AND WHERE IS IT CELEBRATED
The Konark Festival this year is going to take place from 1st to 5th of December. When we talk about Konark the famous Sun temple comes to our mind as it is here that the Konark Festival is celebrated in the month of December every year. The Konark festival, showcases mainly the traditional dance forms of India and over the years has become very popular among the tourists. And the traditional dance forms include the mesmerizing Bharatnatyam, the splendid Manipuri and Odissi, the graceful Sattriya and Kathakali etc.

HOW IS IT CELEBRATED
The Konark Festival is not just about the various dance forms but is also about the classical Indian music as it is here that some of the most appreciated and talented artists of India are showcased, thereby the festival is become best in terms of hosting best musicians in the country. When you witness the musical events it is only then that you will get an essence of the incredible Indian music. 

MAIN ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS OF 2013:

Day 1 (1st December 2013)
The two events lined up are an Odissi dance by Madhavi Mudgal and Group, and a Kuchipudi dance by Guru Raja Radha Reddy.
Day 2 (2nd December 2013)
The two events lined up are a Mohiniattam dance form by Bharti Sivaji and Group, and an Odissi dance form by the Meera Das and Group.
Day 3 (3rd December 2013)
The events include an Odissi dance by Kassturi Pattanaik and Group, and a Bharatnatyam dance form by the Mallika Sarabhai and Group.
Day 4 (4th December 2013)
The events include a Sattriya dance by Anita Sharma and Group, and an Odissi dance form by Nrutyagam.
Day 5 (5th December 2013)
The events include a Kathakali dance by Dr. Malabika Mitra and Group, and an Odissi dance form by GKCM, Odissi Research Centre.

The events such as Jugalbandi of music and painting are also held each day apart from the dance forms. If you are a fan of handicrafts then Konark Festival is the right place to be as it is here that a Craft Mela will be held alongside the venue of the main festival, where you will be able to see the master craftsmen showcasing their handicrafts. However, Konark is a festival with unique combination of dance and art forms so do not miss the opportunity to visit the Konark Festival this December. 
 

7 WONDERS OF INDIA: PURI BEACH FESTIVAL

Every year one of the most awaited festivals of the country (India) is the Puri Beach Festival. We can understand from the name of the festival itself that it is celebrated on the mystic beach of Puri. And the name of the beach is Swargadwara(Orissa).This festival is inspired from the beach festival of Goa. If you want to experience the world famous, art and culture of Orissa then Puri beach festival is the place to be. Once here you can enjoy the interaction with local people of Orissa and get closer to the real essence of this very state.


HISTORY OF THE FESTIVAL
In the year 1993(29thOctober), the very first Puri Beach Festival was inaugurated by two great personalities, Late Sri Biju Pattnaik and Gulam Nabi Ajad. Since then this festival has proved to be a great success as it is known to be the most popular festival of Orissa where tourists gather not only from India but abroad as well.

WHEN IS IT CELEBRATED
The Puri Beach Festival is a five day festival which is celebrated every year in the month of November. And this year it is scheduled to be from 23rd to 27th of November. Each year Hotel and Restaurant Association of Orissa (HRAO) are the organizers of the festival. While the Government of India, the Department of Tourism and Development Commission of Handicrafts are the co-sponsors of this world famous festival.   

HOW IS PURI BEACH FESTIVAL CELEBRATED?

The Puri Beach Festival offers world class entertainment to every age group as one can find varieties of cultural performances, handicrafts, Fashion shows, rock concerts, Beach Parties, food festivals, DJs and sports competitions. Artists who have made their name around the world from the country (India) perform here for increasing the entertainment factor of the festival. You can enjoy different dance forms being performed in the festival such as classical dance, folk dance, contemporary dance, lyrical dance etc. If you want more of local dance forms of Orissa then you can sit back and watch the spectacular Odissi, Lambadi and Lepcha performances. If you are a sports lover then you are not going to be left behind in being entertained in the festival as there are various sports competitions held such as beach volley ball, Kabadi, Malkhab etc. You can also visit the Handloom and Handicrafts exhibition which will be held everyday and here for sure you will be fascinated by the creativity. It will not be wrong if we describe the festival to be a blend of art-dance-music-sports.

The Puri Beach Festival is most famous for the “Sand Art” and every year visitors mainly visit with the motive to witness this exquisite art form. It is a new concept which is introduced and is proved to be a huge success for the festival. The Sand Art is a theme and concept based activity where carvings are made out of sand. For instance in one year the theme shall be ancient monumental structures and the other year it shall be something else and these themes are portrayed in an artistic manner by the artists.

To sum up, the Puri beach festival is a must to visit as it will transform you to a different world and will prove to be a one of a kind holiday trip.

Nuakhai - Greeting New Rice Paddy and Thanking Mother Earth

Nuakhai (Nua means new and Khai means food) is a festival of harvest which is celebrated after the day of Ganesh Chaturthi festival, on the Panchami Tithi (fifth day) of lunar fortnight of Bhadra month.


This harvest festival is celebrated by the people of Western Odisha in India particularly in the cultural area of Sambalpuri. Though it is absorbed in different parts of India, Sambalpuri stands atop because of its great splendor celebration with great enthusiasm. Grain meaning ‘Anna’ is regarded as Brahma by Hindus and since Goddess Laxmi is attributed to Lord Brahma, she is also worshipped on this celebration along with the local deities. 

On the day of this harvest festival, Mother Nature is worshipped for providing food and all those basics necessary for the endurance of livelihood of human beings. The offering for this is made to Goddess Shakti in Shakti Temple and is offered in leaf-cups made from Palasa, Sal, Tendu, or Kurei leaves. The foods that are prepared form the fresh harvest is offered to the local deities. After the worshipping and prayer to the goddess, all the members of the family consume the holy offering.

Mouth watering sweets along with culinary delights like Manda Pitha and Khiri Puri with fresh rice are prepared. Various events like traditional dances, musicals, and lots more are also organized on the same day. The festival time is set by divine astrologers making it even more important for the people of various places of Western Odisha including Bolangir, Phulbni, Sambalpur, and Sundargarh where the main celebration takes place. All the houses are neatly cleaned and festooned with decoration by house makers. Every old and young people wear new clothes.

For the past few decades, West Oriyas living in different parts of India including Delhi, Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam, Goa and Mumbai are celebrating it with great pomp and show marking their unification all across India.

History: According to researchers it was started in Vedic times when Rishis talked about five important activities in the yearly calendar, including pralambana yajna meaning cutting of the crops and ultimately offering to goddess. Though, the modern celebration can be traced back to 12th century AD, when the founder of the princely state of Patna presently under Balangir district in Western Odisha, Chauhan Raja Ramai Deo realized the crucial importance of agriculture in the economy as, the people spend their livelihood by food gathering and hunting in Patna. The credit for commencing this celebration can be given to him, because it was he who during state formation in Sambalpuri area started Nuakhai as a ritual to promote agriculture as a way of living life thus giving life to the new day celebration of Nuakhai. 

Main Attractions:

• Juhar Bhet is one of the nine colours of Nuakhai in which the elders are respected in an exceptional way.
• Merry making and meeting of relatives and friends.
• Eating of fresh and new rice.
• Unique and delicious Kheer of new rice.
• Cultural and Traditional musicals and dances. 

Truly, it is more than a festival; it is a unique way of thanking Mother Nature for providing foods.