Folk dancers perform at the 18th Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav. Telegraph pictures

Sambalpur, Jan. 7: The three-day long 18th Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav came to an end with much fanfare at the Nilamadhab Mukta Manch at G.M. College ground here yesterday.

Thousands of people came here together to witness performances by eminent folk artists, who had congregated for the cultural extravaganza.

The concluding day started with a traditional Sambalpuri folk song, the rendition of which captivated the audience. After the songs, the thousands of viewers who had gathered at the college ground were also treated to several traditional dance forms of western Odisha.

While a performance by artistes from Bargarh set the mood, Sambalpuri dance Bajnia by Kala O Kalakar, Bonda Nrutya of Malkangiri, martial dance form Ranappa of Ganjam, Ghumra by Mahavir Sanskrutik Anusthan, Bhawanipatna and Dhaap from Titlagarh left the audience enthralled.

The audiences were also treated to the fascinating Bihu dance by a team from Assam while the troupe from Haryana and Rajasthan performed their respective traditional dance forms Ghoomar and Kalbelia. The final act was a fusion dance presented by all the participating troupes to signify national integrity. The well-choreographed presentation earned a lot of appreciation from the audience.

“This was really a grand opportunity for the people of Sambalpur to view such versatile performances. Many of these dance forms are on the verge of extinction now,” said Twinkle Panda, a member of the audience.

The three-day folk festival began on January 4. More than 300 artistes of 24 cultural groups performed at the festival this year. The Sambalpur Lok Mahotsav, which started in 1997, has made a prominent place for itself in the tourism calendar of Odisha. This year, the budget for the festival, which aimed at reviving the dying forms of art, was around Rs 25 lakh.

Apart from the cultural shows, a food fair, which was organised during the folk festival, also attracted a big crowd.