Participants at the State Youth Fest at Capital Boys High School in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 22: As a linesman working on high voltage cables, Prakash Chandra Samal, 34, plays with death almost everyday. But today he displayed a “power play” of a different kind — swerving with a sword and shield to dazzling effect at the 19th state-level youth festival being held in the city.

Samal is part of a 20-member martial arts group from Dhenkanal that is taking part in the three-day fest — an initiative of the sports and youth services department — which has attracted participation of around 1,200 youths from across all 30 districts of Odisha.

This edition of the annual event is being hosted by the Khurda district administration at Utkal Mandap and the theme is “Let is move together for the progress of Odisha and a better India”.

Samal’s troupe presented Paika akhada, a combination of war dance and martial art.

“I always look forward to this time of the year, when I forget everything else and douse myself in the spirit of fun and camaraderie. This is also an opportunity for us to showcase our folk culture before the world,” said Samal, who hails from Hindol block.

During the festival, the participants will take part in 18 competitions such as folk dance and song, one act play, elocution, performing on various traditional and modern instruments, as well as classical dance forms. At the cultural extravaganza today, 30-odd teams entertained the audience with a variety of dance forms, Sambalpuri folk being the most popular.

“We will be performing a fusion of folk dance forms with a strong tribal touch to it. For that, we have taken great care to get appropriate costumes and accessories apart from painting our face in tribal designs,” said Snigdha Sahani, 20, a Plus Three student from Kalahandi district.

The event was inaugurated this morning at the Capital High School here. Revenue divisional commissioner (central) Arvind Padhee, Khurda collector Niranjan Sahoo, cricketer Shiv Sundar Das and mountaineer Ganesh Chandra Jena attended the inaugural session.

“The idea behind organising a youth festival is to bring together youths from various parts of the state and involve them in a variety of programmes so that the concept of national integration, spirit of communal harmony, brotherhood, courage and adventure are propagated,” said an official of the host department.

An official of the district administration said the Gen-Y was highly influenced by Western values, which necessitated organising such an event. “Through cultural and competitive activities, we will be able to infuse our traditional cultural values in youths,” he said.