The 17th Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav, 2013 kicked up to the beats of Dulduli, folk songs and dances at the Gangadhar open air theatre, here Friday.
Finance Minister Prassana Acharya inaugurated the festival while eminent litterateur Srinivas Udgata released a souvenir on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Acharya said the culture and tradition of western Orissa, which has transcended the geographical boundaries and made us known in the world, remains a pride for the State. The contributions of poet Gangadhar Meher, Bhima Bhoi and Veer Surendra Sai belonging to the region are well known, he added.
Udgata said the Lok Mahotasav has been able to uphold the culture and tradition of western Orissa which can be rarely found anywhere in the entire world.
After the inaugural ceremony, Ratan Bag and his troupe presented a folk music programme in which Gagan Bag and Jagat Bardia, Krishna Patel and Arati Mishra presented some devotional numbers.
Later, troupes from Sambalpur, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Puri performed folk dances which were appreciated by the audience.
In the morning, a procession was taken out after offering puja to Goddess Samaleshwari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur.
In the afternoon, an exhibition depicting folk art and culture was held in Veer Surendra Sai Town Hall.
Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav 2013
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