Bhubaneswar, Jan. 22: Puri is a place for pilgrims. But, for those making pilgrimage this time the destination is the beach.
From music to yoga to bike stunts, Puri has turned into a cultural escapade. The ongoing Puri Beach Carnival, organised on the lines of the popular carnival at Goa, is a weeklong affair of fun and adventure.
The festival began on January 20 with a carnival where local communities took part in their local avatars. Various stakeholders in the tourism industry of Puri, such as hoteliers, restaurant owners and tourist guides among others, all walked in the parade in colourful attire.
With the scenic beach in the backdrop, the festival is being hosted on the stretch from Hotel Mayfair to Swargadwar. Odisha tourism, the Puri district administration and Odisha-based Mute Entertainment Private Limited are hosting the festival.
District collector Arvind Agarwal said: "The carnival has been conceptualised with the aim to bring all stakeholders on one platform and sensitise them to make Puri more tourist-friendly and attract more foreign tourists," said Agarwal. He was talking to the media team here during the cultural fiesta in the evening.
He added: "An array of activities are being conducted to draw people to the festival." The festival was inaugurated by Bollywood face Tusshar Kapoor.
The beach seemed to tremble with excitement as 50-odd boats engaged in a boat race with local fishermen at the helm. "There was palpable excitement as the boats took off, battling the strong wind and currents, with crewmembers shouting directions. It was really fun to watch the race," said Ankita Ghosh, a tourist from Calcutta.
A musical performance by officers from INS Chilika of Indian Navy was a hit. The naval band at first played its symphonic music and then Vishal Danal, the chief singer of the band, sang English and Hindi songs.
Odia singers Sangram and Rosalin, anchor Papul with actor Deepak enthralled the audience with their power packed performances.
The chilled seashore witnessed a rising temperature for a few minutes as international samba dancers performed during the festival.
Apart from cultural activities in the evening, a number of beach and adventure sports such as beach karate, beach kabaddi, volleyball, malkhamb, judo, and parasailing are being held at the festival.
Internationally acclaimed scuba diver Sabir Bux along with his 12 team members is hosting a number of water sports events.
"The main aim of diving into the sea is to promote tourism by exploring underwater marine fauna. It would allure tourists to undertake similar explorations in the sea and have a glimpse of the marine wealth. We are providing all the water sports free of cost," said Bux.
Pallishree Mela is also being organsied where beach vendors will showcase their artworks such as stone carving, appliqué works, woodcarving, mask making, palm leaf engraving and sell food items, especially seafood.
A number of activities and cultural performances have been lined up for the carnival.
