BHAWANIPATNA: The 27th Kalahandi Utsav Ghumura-2025 started on Tuesday evening with a spectacular display of cultural heritage.
The four-day festival was inaugurated by Kalahandi MP Malvika Devi at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium of Bhawanipatna, following a ceremonial procession featuring the symbolic flame from 10 sacred and historic sites.
The utsav ground houses 328 stalls, showcasing exhibitions from Palishree Mela, KBK crafts Mela and Textile Mela. The cultural programme features an impressive lineup of 175 performing teams, including seven national level groups from Maharashtra, Assam, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
These performances will be staged at two venues, the Rendo Majhi Manch and Parva Manch.
The event’s schedule includes seminars focusing on ‘75 Years March of Kalahandi’, Kabi sammilani, art exhibitions, Ghumura dance competitions, quiz and programmes for women. A colourful souvenir, ‘Kalajharan’, highlighting Kalahandi’s rich cultural heritage, has been released for the occasion. A website for the Utsav has been designed to reach the wider public.
Parallel celebrations will take place in Dharamgarh during January 15-17, featuring sports competitions including cycle race, marathons, and bodybuilding contests.
The festival’s curtain-raiser on January 12 drew thousands to Patha Utsav, which showcased various performances including yoga demonstrations, martial art, drill, street plays, folk dances, rangoli, mimicries, ramp show and road safety awareness programmes.