Baleshwar: Fakir Mohan University (FMU) inaugurated UNURUM 2026, a three-day international festival celebrating indigenous heritage, folk traditions, literature and performing arts.
Noted writer and Padma Shri awardee Dr Damayanti Beshra attended the inaugural ceremony as chief guest, while Vice-Chancellor Prof. Santosh Kumar Tripathy presided over the event.
Tripathy said universities must go beyond academic instruction to preserve cultural heritage and nurture creativity.
He said the festival reflected the university’s commitment to inclusive, culturally rooted and globally connected education.
Beshra stressed the importance of preserving indigenous languages, oral traditions and folk knowledge, calling on educational institutions and younger generations to safeguard cultural heritage.
Participants from Lithuania, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and seven Indian states are taking part in the festival, which promotes cultural exchange, artistic collaboration and mutual understanding.
The festival is convened by Prof. Debashis Patra, Head of the Department of Language and Literature. Prof. Santosh Kumar Agarwal, chairman of the PG Council, and Registrar Prof. Nihar Ranjan Rout are patrons.
The inaugural day featured a craft fair, book fair and workshop, followed by a session on folk musicology and its impact.
Cultural performances included Rava dance, Missing Bihu, Sri Lankan classical and folk dances, mime theatre and Jhumar.