Participants at a children’s festival hosted in Khurdah on Monday. The two-day event, which was inaugurated on Sunday, was hosted for youngsters of Mendhasal, a village located in the district. 

An initiative of tennis star Chinmay Pradhan, the event began has been held as a prelude to the Anjali Children’s Festival hosted in Bhubaneswar every year to provide a common platform to mainstream and differently-abled children to showcase their talents.

Around 100 young artistes, including 30 differently-abled children, took part in the fest that saw workshops dedicated to dance, music, paper crafts, art made out of waste, photography and sand sculpture. 

On the inaugural day, the participants took to the streets, donning colourful costumes. Draped in colourful accessories such as head chains, masks and feathers, the children were seen swirling to traditional beats of music. 

“We aim to impart education through entertainment. That apart, the festival is an attempt to bridge the gap between differently-abled and mainstream children,” said Sruti Mohapatra, an activist and chief co-ordinator of the fest.

Actor Sabyasachi Mishra and Happy, a giant-sized smiley, attended the festival on the inaugural day and conducted interactive sessions. 

“Most of us have never been out of this village. The festival gave us a chance to meet prominent personalities from various fields. Learning the intricacies of craft making was fun,” said Balabhadra Behera, a student of Class VII.

TEXT BY ANWESHA AMBALY, TELEGRAPH PICTURE