MALKANGIRI: The three-day tribal festival Malyabanta Mahotsav got off to a colourful start at the Sports Complex in Malkangiri town on Friday. The inaugural ceremony was presided over by Malkangiri collector Vishal Singh. It began with Singh performing puja at the Jagannath temple following which a Kalash Yatra was taken out. The Yatra culminated at the Sports Complex with the participation of over 50,000 people.
Gracing the occasion as the chief guest, Sports and Youth Services Minister Tusharkanti Behera said the festival has turned into a cultural revolution by providing opportunities for local people to showcase their talents on a common platform. Behera also unveiled a souvenir ‘Saptadhra’.
Dance troupes of Bonda, Didyai and Koya communities performed on the occasion. Artistes from Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and parts of Odisha including Puri, Cuttack, Koraput and Ganjam also performed on the inaugural day.
Among others, Nabarangpur MP Ramesh Chandra Majhi, state SDC advisor Pradeep Majhi and Malkangiri MLA Aditya Madhi were present. Organised jointly by the district Council of culture and Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, the festival will conclude on December 17.