Sambalpur, April 6: Small-screen celebrities stole the show at the Marwar Mahotsav in Sambalpur, which began yesterday on the Indian Public School ground at Khetrajpur. The Marwari Yuva Manch here, in association with the district administration, has organised the festival.

On the opening day, Suresh Albela and Khayali Saran of Laughter Challenge fame and Rashmi Desai, who stars in the of television serial Uttaran, made an appearance. Khayali and Suresh brought smiles on the faces of the audience, who had thronged the venue to get a glimpse of their favourite comedians.

The two comedians captivated the audience with their witty jokes. The cultural programme began with a performance by a local dance group, which made the audience dance to the tunes of Dalkhai. Artistes from Rajasthan then came up with a Rajasthani dance performance.

Suresh made the audience laugh with his slapstick comedy. Khayali and Rashmi followed his performance.

Apart from the cultural extravaganza, several food kiosks and handicrafts shop had been set up at the mahotsav. The Rajasthani food kiosks were the major attraction of the festival.

“The Yuva Manch here has attempted to replicate a small ‘Marwar’ in Sambalpur. The people of Sambalpur will get the opportunity to view the confluence of cultures at the Marwar Mahotsav,” said Parag Agrawal, president of Marwari Yuva Manch of Khetrajpur branch.

“For the first time, such a festival is being organised in Sambalpur. The opening day of the festival was full of fun,” said Rakesh Sharma, a visitor.

“It was like a dream come true for me to see the performances of Khayali Saran and Suresh Albela in Sambalpur. Moreover, I got the opportunity to know about the food, attire, culture and tradition of Marwar. The effort of the organisers is praiseworthy,” said Ranjan Satpathy, another visitor.

Several national-level artistes will perform at the four-day long festival in Sambalpur. The Marwar Mahotsav will conclude on April 8.