BHUBANESWAR : Close on the heels of the four-day national festival of Odissi dance on the Mukteswar temple premises, the week-long folk dance festival will kick off at the exhibition ground in the city commencing on January 18.

Being hosted by the State Tourism Department as part of the fortnight-long Ekamra Utsav to promote Bhubaneswar as a favourite tourists' destination, the event will showcase some of the most enchanting but dying folk dance styles of the State.

``Orissa has a rich repository of folk and tribal culture that lures travellers and scholars from all over the country and abroad.

Unfortunately, due to lack of due patronage, these popular and indigenous arts practices are increasingly being marginalised. The festival intends to provide the best platform for the folk artistes of the State to prove their potential before an audience at the State capital. This will generate an appreciation among the urban people,'' explained an official of the tourism department.

Schedule

The festival will kick off with the unmasked Chhau dance of Mayurbhanj by the Dakshinasahi Chhau Nrutya Mandir troupe of Baripada. It will be followed by Ghumura and Dalkhai dances of Kalahandi region by the well-known Mahaveer Sanskrutik Anusthan of Bhawanipatna.

Danda Nacha, Bajasaal and Dhol Mahuri will be showcased on Jan. 19 while the next evening will have Kosali dance by a Balangir-based troupe and animal dance by Biswa Janani Kala Parishad, Bhanjanagar. Similarly, Sambalpuri and Palli Nrutya will be the attraction on Jan. 21.

Akademi-awardee and theatre exponent Maguni Charan Kuanr of Keonjhar will have an exclusive show on Jan. 22 while Padma Shri Maguni Das' Dashabhuja Gotipua Odissi Nrutya Parisad from Raghurajpur and Ghoda Nacha by the versatile Ucchab Sahoo and his troupe from Choudwar are slated for the next evening.

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