The three-day tribal cultural festival Mondei-2013 took off with folk and classical dances presented by artistes from different parts of the State and outside at Mondei Ranga Manch here on Wednesday night.
The programme began with a dance performed by Odishi Nrutya Mandal, Cuttack. The troupe, which has performed in international cultural festivals, also staged Jagannath Darshan- a dance drama directed by Ashish Kumar Das.
Shiva Sri Nritya Kalaniketan of Andhra Pradesh, which has found a place in Guinness Book of Records, performed Kuchipudi. The artistes of Nupur, Kolkata presented the famous Mayur dance of Rajasthan depicting the love between mythological characters Radha and Krishna.
The artistes of Centre for Youth and Cultural Activities, Imphal, Manipur performed Thang-Ta, a martial art form. Tribal folk dance Rinjodi was presented by the tribal students of Government ST high school, Dabugam in the district. In the rural areas of the district, tribal boys and girls belonging to Paraja community usually perform Rinjodi dance to mark the end of paddy harvest.
Similarly, artistes of Nabarangpur presented Dhemsa, a popular folk dance of tribals in the district.
Besides, folk dance Bajashal by artistes from Kalahandi district, Chhou dance by the troupe from Baripada in Mayurbhanj district and Ushakoti dance of Bhanjanagar in Ganjam district were staged.
Minister of Sports and Youth Service Ramesh Majhi, MP Pradeep Majhi, legislators Bhujabal Majhi, Manohar Randhari, Subas Gond and Zilla Parisad president Motiram Naik addressed the gathering at the inaugural function. Collector and Chairperson of District Council of Culture Yamini Sarangi said besides being a cultural festival, Mondei showcases development of the district in different sectors.