Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav starts from Saturday

BHUBANESWAR: The stage is set for the Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav that will showcase some of the best troupes of classical folk and martial dances of the country and abroad. The Mahotsav will be staged at Shanti Vihar open-air auditorium in the foothills of the historic Dhauli hills near here from December 10 to 14. While Dhauli festival was conceived by late Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and is being hosted by Odisha Dance Academy (ODA), the Kalinga Mahotsav is the brain-child of Italian Odissi exponent Ileana Citaristi and being organised by the Department of Tourism and city-based Art Vision cultural institution. The Kalinga Mahotsav features martial dance troupes from India and abroad, said Ileana Citaristi, founder of Art Vision. For the first time, both the festivals are being clubbed together this year as per a memorandum between Odisha Tourism and ODA. Although the national martial dance festival was being staged atop the hill earlier, it would be held henceforth at the Shanti Vihar complex of ODA in the foothills to provide better facilities to the viewers. “The idea behind both the festivals are same - to  promote cultural tourism. Sowe thought of clubbing both the festivals so that the tourists and connoisseurs of art get to watch a variety of dance forms during the five-day festival,” Tourism and Culture Minister Prafulla Samal told  mediapersons here on Wednesday. This will also bring down the cost of the festivals and solve infrastructure problems, he added. ODA secretary Aruna Mohanty said  first three days of the festival shall feature Indian classical and folk dances of Odisha while the rest two days shall have martial dances of India and abroad. The classical dance segment will have Kathak by Delhi-based exponent Rajendra Gangani and his troupe, Kuchipudi by Vyjayanthi Kashi and troupe from Bangalore, Manipuri by Priti Patel and troupe from Kolkata and Odissi by ODA, Gunjan Dance Academy of Meera Das and Nupur of Niranjan Rout. The folk segment would feature Sambalpuri, Danda Nata and Ghoda Nata, she added. On the first day, three Gotipua institutions of the State, comprising 30 to 40 dancers, will stage a major production.The Kalinga Mahotsav will see martial dance performance by Rianto and his troupe from Dewandaru Dance Company of Japan, Mayurbhanj Chhau, contemporary martial arts by Sapphire Creations, Kolkata, and Thang Ta of Manipur.