The 30th edition of the Konark Festival and eighth edition of the International Sand Art Festival will be held at the Open Air Auditorium with the magnificent Konark Sun Temple from December 1 to 5
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.
Konark Festival 2019
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 December 1 to 5, 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, Kathak, Kuchipudi Mohiniattam and Balinese Dance Group from Indonesia will take part in the five-day classical dance carnival, adding to the appeal of the event that has few parallels elsewhere.
International Sand Art Festival 2019
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 theme based on which participating artists will create their works. The event of 2019 will witness 123 artists from across India and an artist each from USA, Ireland, Denmark, Russia, Canada, Togo and Sri Lanka displaying their sand art across five days, this year in 2019. Eco Tourism, Culture, Fairs & Festivals, Women Empowerment, No to Plastic and Heritage are some of the themes to be espoused at the event.
Crafts Mela
A wonderful Crafts Mela is held near to the Chandrabhaga. At the Mela, beautiful sculptures and souvenirs made by the expert craftsmen of the region are displayed and sold. Enriching the tourist experience further is a wide array of delectable cuisines making it a perfect venue for a family get together on a holiday or a joyous experience to the tourists.
FEST HIGHLIGHTS
| Date | Name of the Item | Name of the Artists & Group |
| 01.12.2019 | Odissi | Srjan, Bhubaneswar |
| Kathak | Guru Shama Bhate & Group, Pune | |
| 02.12.2019 | Classical/ Folk Dance of Indonesia | Widya Budaya Group, Bali, Indonesia |
| Odissi | Aloka Kanungo & Group, Kolkata | |
| 03.12.2019 | Odissi | Nrutyanilaya – Smt. Swapnarani Sinha & Group, Angul |
| Mohiniattam | Jayaprabha Menon & Group, New Delhi | |
| 04.12.2019 | Kuchipudi | Raja & Radha Reddy & Group, New Delhi |
| Odissi | Tridhara – Gajendra Panda & Group, Bhubaneswar | |
| 05.12.2019 | Bharatnatyam | Vaibhav Arekar & Group |
| Odissi | GKCM ORC, Bhubaneswar |
