SAMBALPUR: The three-day 14th Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav concluded amidst pomp and gaiety here today. The freezing cold did not deter the audience who lapped up everything that was presented on the day.
While Dimsa dance from Andhra Pradesh reminded people of the similarity of culture between the two states, local folk dance left the audience swooning to the traditional musical instrument beats.
Dimsa finds its origin in Araku Valley near Visakhapatnam in AP which is inhabited by Valmiki, Bagata, Khond and Rotia tribes. The dance was accompanied by instruments like Mori Kiridi, Tudumu, Duppu and Jodukommulu. During festivals people move from one village to another to participate in the dance and are honoured with community feasts.
Similarly, ‘Nabanna’ dance by a troupe from West Bengal, performed after the autumn harvest, is part of a religious ceremony associated with cultivation and harvesting. The dance is an expression of happiness of the farmers’ families after a successful harvest and reminded people of ‘Nuakhai’, the agrarian festival of western Orissa. The ‘Bidai’ dance from Madhya Pradesh reflected the Indian tradition befitting the concluding ceremony. Folk dances of Gunpur, Balangir, Bargarh and Cuttack were also staged on the concluding day.
Among others, DIG (NR) RP Kioche, District Collector HK Dash and SP Asheet Panigrahi were present.