The 19th Vedvyas Sangeet Nrutyotsav-2016, a national festival of classical dance, music and folk dance got off to a glittering start here on Tuesday evening.
Raghunathpalli MlA Subrat Tarai as the chief guest inaugurated the festival, while Padmashree Haladhar Nag was the guest of honour on the occasion. A large number of culture-loving people from the city were present to witness some beautiful dance performance of the evening.
Tarai complimented the organisers for the mega event. “Rourkela and its vicinity have immense tourism potential which needs to be explored. The Vedvyas Sangeet Nrutyotsav will help promote tourism in and around the steel city,” he said. He reaffirmed his commitment for the enrichment of art and culture in the region.
Eminent poet Nag who had performed in Vedvyas Sangeet Nrutyotsav in 2007 and 2014 as an esteemed artiste was also felicitated on the occasion.
The evening witnessed some marvellous classical and folk dance performances like Odissi performed by the artistes of Bhanja Kala Kendra, “Badhai Dance” by famed artistes from Madhya Pradesh and a tribal dance by artistes from Sundargarh. The event will go on till November 5.