A performance by the Ranapa dancers and (below) conch blowers from Ganjam district at the inaugural ceremony of Cultural Carnival at Exhibition Ground on Saturday. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Oct 10: The rich culture of Orissa was celebrated with the rendition of folk dance at the ‘Cultural Carnival’ at the Exhibition Ground on Saturday evening.

The cultural show was held to mark the inauguration of the seven-day Shopping Carnival 2010 at the Exhibition Ground.The event began with the traditional and auspicious of ‘sankhadhwani’ or act of blowing conch in a unique dance style from the coastal district of Ganjam.

The conch players performed acrobatic stunts, illustrating episodes from Hindu mythology by playing two conchs at a time. The stunts were accompanied with the pulsating music of dholaks, mahuri (trumpet like instrument), changu, and others.

Seven troupes from different parts of the state, including Ganjam and Puri, presented diverse folk dance forms on traditional musical instruments, which were a delight to the eyes. Traditional dance forms like Ranapa Nritya, Chadheya (both of Ganjam), Bhalu Nacha and Sahi Jatra-Mahisha Mardini (both of Puri) hogged the limelight at the inaugural evening.

Ranapa dancers, with their absolute synchronisation put up an act of walking and dancing on stilts. The artistes, lined up in two rows on the stage, were mounted on bamboo sticks. Mock fights choreographed to the rhythm of drumbeats were entertaining. The dance owes its origin to martial arts.

Through the act of Sahi Jatra, the performers presented three beshas: Nagarjuna (of Lord Jagannath), Nrushinga and Durga. The performances enchanted the audience present at the ceremony. Santoshina Paikaray, a student present at the show said: “Beautiful costumes and such amazing co-ordination was a certainly a treat for the eyes. The finesse and ease with which they are moving is awe-inspiring. These kind of cultural programmes evoke a feeling of pride and kinship among us. The artistes would also get encouragement if such events take place in future.”

Sunita Khatua, a homemaker, said: “In this era of modernity and the influence of western culture and Bollywood over our lives the folk culture is languishing fast. The music of these artistes is being overshadowed with each passing day. It is unfortunate that these artistes are, perhaps, the last inheritors of our rich culture.” The shopping carnival 2010 has been jointly organised by The Telegraph and Response Marketing services. “The cultural programme has given a great start to the Carnival,” said Ravishankar, managing director of Response Events.