KORAPUT: ‘Parab’, the State level tribal festival, will kickstart from Golden Mountain locally known as ‘Suna Dongar’ at Kotiya panchayat of Pottangi block from October 28.
It was decided in a preparatory meeting held at Sadbhavna conference hall here on Saturday. Addressing the meeting, Jeypore legislator Taraprasad Bahinipati proposed ‘Suna Dongar’ as the festival spot to highlight the significance of Kotiya locality. He said since the residents of Kotiya have been culturally neglected, the festival will provide them an opportunity to associate with various cultural events.
Bahinipati urged the Pottangi block administration to organise a separate preparatory meeting for the festival. The legislator’s decision to conduct the festival at ‘Suna Dongar’ was supported by Pottangi MLA and District Planning Board chairman and State Planning Board member Ishwar Chandra Panigrahi. Koraput Collector K Sudarshan Chakraborty had earlier decided to celebrate the festival in every panchayat of the district as part of a programme of District Scheduled Tribe Development Council.
This year, the festival will be organised for 21 days with participation of representatives from 240 panchayats of the district. Various dance, sports, literary and tribal instrumental competitions will be held at the event in which over one lakh people, including students, youths and women from across the district are expected to participate. The District Council of Culture has formed eight committees to monitor the festival. International dance troupes and national level dignitaries will be invited to the grand finale of Parab-2018 which will be held from November 16 to 18.