

JEYPORE: The tribal festival ‘Parab’ will kick off with a launch on October 27 at the scenic Dudhari village under the Semiliguda block of Koraput district. The main festival will take place from December 14 to 18 at the New Parab ground near Kumbha village in Koraput district.
In a preparatory meeting chaired by Collector V. Keerthi Vasan on Tuesday, it was decided to launch the festival with much fanfare. The launch will be followed by a month-long series of sports and cultural events at the panchayat and district levels, organized by the administration.
Artistes from various national, state, and district-level cultural groups will participate in the five-day cultural extravaganza from December 14 to 18. During the main events, the cultural council will felicitate individuals from various fields for their outstanding contributions.
Vasan assured that the administration will ensure proper management of the festival. The members of the organizing committee resolved to use only Desia dialogue during the main function and to explore more aspects of tribal tradition, culture, art, and literature through Parab.
They also urged the police administration to implement effective traffic management during the festival. On the occasion, public representatives, intellectuals, artistes, and media persons expressed concern over the declining standards of the Parab festival in recent years. They urged the district administration to preserve the rich tribal cultural heritage through the festival by involving all sections of society.
Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Koraput MLA Raghuram Machha, Pottangi MLA Ramchandra Kadam, Kotpad MLA Rupu Bhatra, Laxmipur MLA Pabitra Saunta, Zilla Parisad President Susmita Melaka, Koraput SP Rohit Verma, government officials, and cultural group members from Koraput also participated in the meeting.