BHUBANESWAR: The annual Konark Dance Festival and Sand Art Festival, organised by the Tourism Department, will begin from December 1. While Odissi will be a regular feature on all the five days of the dance festival, to be held with the Sun Temple as the backdrop, classical dances Bharatnatyam, Sattriya, Manipuri, Kathak and Kuchipudi will also be showcased.
This year, the festival will be opened by Odissi performer Guru Durgacharan Ranbir followed by Bharatnatyam by Rama Vidyanathan. Other Odissi dancers who will be a part of the festival are Illeana Citaristi, Sharmila Biswas, Ranjana Gauhar and their troupes. Besides, a troupe from GKCM Odissi Research Centre will also participate.
The Sand Art Festival will be organised at Chandrabhaga Beach, around three km from the Sun Temple. The opening theme of the festival will be Odisha Hockey men’s World Cup. As many as 101 sand artists from the country and Spain, Sri Lanka, Italy, Netherlands, US and Japan will participate in the event that would be curated by eminent sand sculptor Sudarshan Patnaik.
The festivals will conclude on December 5.