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Uncertainty over two festivals

BHUBANESWAR: Uncertainty looms large over the future of two major festivals of the State -- Sreekshetra Utsav of Puri and Ekamra Utsav, Bhubaneswar -- that aimed at boosting tourism in the golden triangle of Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar.

The two festivals were announced in 2006 to retain the tourist inflow to the State during winter after the Konark festival in the first week of December. The Department of Tourism, which has been hosting the annual Konark festival of Indian classical dances since 1989, observed that the tourists, who had been visiting the State in December, were keen on attending the event. But, they were leaving for other destinations as soon as it was over.

The exclusive cultural festivals for Puri and Bhubaneswar, known in ancient times as Sreekshetra and Ekamra Kshetra, were strategically planned to woo those visitors to stay in Orissa.

While the 14-day Sreekshetra Utsav was designed for the second fortnight of December to showcase the culture of Puri, the 15-day Ekamra Utsav in January aimed at highlighting the State capital as a special attraction for the tourists.

Ekamra festival also included the unique Mukteswar Odissi dance festival that was being watched on the web all over the globe.

However, for reasons best known to the tourism directorate, both the festivals have been deleted from the annual festival calendar of its official website.

Sources in the directorate revealed that the department had decided to merge the Puri festival with the Hotel and Restaurants Association of Orissa (HRAO)-organised Puri beach festival and Bhubaneswar festival with the Toshali crafts fair being organised by the Centre.

Meanwhile, HRAO and its sister organistaion Puri Hotel Association turned down the department’s offer and decided to host the beach festival on their own.

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