Konark Festival, International Sand Art Festival to begin from December 1

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s prime coastal tourism hub of Konark will once again witness a global confluence of arts through the twin annual events of the Konark Festival of classical dance performances with the grand Sun Temple in the backdrop and the International Sand Art Festival.

The five-day twin annual events of Konark Festival and International Sand Art Festival will begin from December 1.

Konark Festival 2018

The 30th edition of the Konark Festival being organised by Odisha Tourism will be held at the Open Air Auditorium with the magnificent Konark Sun Temple from 1st  – 5th December, between 6:00 and 8:30 pm.

The event showcases the best of India’s traditional and classical dance forms, besides offering interesting insights into the rich cultural heritage of the country.

A solitary splendour par excellence, folklore and mythology have created layers of legends shrouding the genesis of this world heritage monument built in the 13th century A.D. Leading exponents and dance enthusiasts of almost all main classical dance forms of India including Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Kathak, Kuchipudi and Sattriya take part in the five-day classical dance carnival, adding to the appeal of the event that has few parallels elsewhere.

While the 2017 event witnessed participation from Malaysia, a country bearing a deep cultural connect with India in general and Odisha in particular, this year anticipates participation from seven states including Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, Gujarat and New Delhi, apart from troupes from within Odisha.

International Sand Art Festival – 2018

The eighth edition of the International Sand Art Festival, with Padmashree Awardee and globally renowned sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik as its brand ambassador and chief curator, will be held coinciding with the Konark Festival, on the pristine Chandrabhaga Beach, three km away from the Sun Temple.

The event will span the entire day from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.

The global competition will follow the established pattern of day-wise themes based on which participating artists will create their works.

The event of 2017 witnessed 59 artists from across India and an artist each from Mexico, Russia, Germany, Spain, Canada, Ghana, Sri Lanka & Singapore displaying their sand art across five days, during which a total of 520612 tourist footfalls were registered.

Carrying on from the excitement of Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018, this year’s themes include Sports apart from Heritage, Environment, Women Empowerment and Cultural Fairs and Festivals.

Other Attractions:

A wonderful Crafts Mela will be held near to the Chandrabhaga. At the Mela, beautiful sculptures and souvenirs made by the expert craftsmen of the region will be displayed and sold.