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Raghurajpur gears up for Vasant Utsav

Correspondent

Effort to present a kaleidoscopic view of Orissa's culture through this festival

BHUBANESWAR: The picturesque artistes' village of Raghurajpur near the pilgrims' paradise of Puri has geared up for hosting the two-day annual `Vasant Utsav' (spring festival) commencing on Saturday.

Into its 14th edition, Parampara, a cultural organisation of the village, is hosting the event with Gotipua exponent Padma Shri Maguni Das as chairman of the festival committee.

Heritage village

"Our village has occupied a prominent place in the tourism map of the country as the only heritage village of its kind in eastern India. It has been our effort to present a kaleidoscopic view of Orissa's culture through this festival," said Parampara secretary Biswanath Swain. The State Tourism Department and Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata are collaborating in mounting this colourful rural festival, he added.

The inaugural evening will showcase group presentation of the typical percussion instrument of Orissa - the mridanga - followed by group Odissi, Sambalpuri, Puruia Chhau, Medha Nrutya and the highly acrobatic Gotipua dance. The highlight of the evening will be an innovative presentation of Odissi and Gotipua dances with pattachitra (traditional paintings on silk fabric) conceived by Rekha Tandon. Incidentally, the village is famous for the Gotipua and pattachitra.

The concluding evening will have solo Odissi show by Mumbai-based Leesa Mohanty followed by group mardal presentation by Mardal Academy troupe from Bhubaneswar, Sambalpuri dance, Gotpua dance Medha Nacha and Ghoda Nacha by the versatile Uchhab Charan saho and his troupe from Chowdar. A seminar and workshop on patta paintings is being organised during the festival.

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