The Prabasi Nuankhai Bhetghat was organised by the Paschim Odisha Parivaar in Dubai on September 8. A record breaking audience participated in the function, clearly making it the largest Nuankhai Bhetghat ever organised on a foreign soil.
The star attractions were internationally acclaimed Sambapuri and Odishi dancer Saswat Joshi, legendary actor and playwright Atal Bihari Panda (world famous for his roles in ‘Sala Budha’ and ‘AadimVichar’ movies) and a 12-member troupe from Sambalpur Kala Parishad, the pioneering cultural institution of western Odisha.
Consul General, Consulate General of India, Dubai Vipul joined as chief guest, while Consul (Passport, Attestation and Community Affairs and Welfare) Prem Chand and Global Indian International School chief operating officer Kamal Kishore Gupta were the guests. Saswat Joshi and Atal Bihari Panda were the special guests.
The event began with lighting of the inaugural lamp by Vipul and other guests. Prayers and the ‘Nua Dhan’ (new rice of the season) were offered to Goddess Samaleswari by Vipul followed by the other guests. All this was accompanied by an electrifying Samalei Bandana which was sung along with the mesmerising beats of the Dhol, Nissan and Jhanj. The entire atmosphere became other worldly and surreal. The ‘Nua Dhan’ was specially flown in from Kuchinda in Sambalpur and ‘Prasad’ was served in ‘Sargi Patar Dana’ (bowls made out of Sal tree leaves) which were also flown in from Kuchinda. These touches made the celebrations really authentic and evoked a lot of appreciations from the crowd.
The inauguration set off a day long cultural extravaganza. There were fantastic performances by resident Odias of UAE and their children. Sambalpuri dances by kids performed on popular Sambalpuri songs stole the show.
Panda who is known to be ‘an 87 year old young man’ regaled the crowd with his mastery over the Sambalpuri language. He was very impressed with the scale of celebrations of the Prabasi Paschim Odias. He also was very happy that his first foreign trip was facilitated to Dubai to be a part of the Nuakhai celebrations.
Joshi literally set the stage on fire with his dance moves. He danced to the superhits Rangabati and Rasarkeli Bo among many other songs. Saswat’s popularity and connect with the audience was very visible.
Odia families from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, presented a dance drama in Sambalpuri, based on Joshi’s life. His rise as a performer was beautifully captured by them in a dance-drama format.
The 12-member troupe from Sambalpur Kala Parishad won over the audience with the sheer power of their talent. Of particular interest was the ‘Dhap’ dance which is performed by an ancient Adivasi tribe of western Odoisha, the ‘Kandhas’. The dance is an integral part of all major festivals, especially the Nuakhai festival. Other dances/items performed were ‘Mayelajada, Nachnia and Bajnia’. ‘Saptapar’ – The world’s First Multi Ethnic Exclusive Sambalpuri Fashion Show (outside India) was a big hit.