Bhubaneswar, May 8: The state government has floated a revolving fund of Rs 7.78 crore for the revival of dying folk art forms and culture. It has also decided to organise a state-level folk art festival every year.

Culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda said a revolving fund of Rs 7.78 crore had been floated by his department, which was used to provide financial assistance to the art and cultural associations at the district and block-levels.

While, district art and cultural associations were given Rs 5 lakh each, the block-level cultural bodies received Rs 2 lakh each.

District cultural associations have been registered in 30 districts and block-level bodies in all the 314 blocks across the state.

This apart, the culture department will be organising a state-level folk art festival in the state capital for three days from April 2 to 4 every year to encourage folk art forms, Panda said.

Folk art troupes from various districts, registered with these cultural bodies at the district and block-level, will take part in the festival.

Besides, the culture department is also making efforts to organise cultural festivals in various districts and regions, the minister said.

Financial aids are being extended to various cultural organisations through the respective District Council of Culture, headed by the district collectors for organising cultural programmes to promote folk art.

Odisha Sangeet Natak Academy is also organising folk art programmes and encouraging promotional activities for preservation of folk music, dance, art and culture.

Rare traditional musical instruments, dresses, ornaments, artefacts used in various folk art forms have been preserved in a special gallery of the State Museum.

The state culture department is also providing special grants for conduct of cultural exchange programme of Odisha Sangeet Natak Academy.

In 2013, a cultural programme was held in Chennai from August 20 to 24, in which 50 cultural artistes of Odissi music, dance and folk dance streams took part.

A similar cultural exchange programme was held in Goa from October 17 to 19 in 2014.

The participants at the programme presented Odissi dance, Gotipua dance, Samabalpuri dancer and Singhari dance performances.