Bhubaneswar: The tourism department has initiated a number of festivals in the tourist season this year to attract maximum number of visitors to the state.

For the first time, Khandagiri-Udayagiri Mahotsav will be held here from January 25 to 28. The event will be held at the interpretation centre near the twin hills.

The four-day event will witness cultural programmes, food festival, handicrafts exhibition, sand art and other activities. A number of prominent cultural personalities of the state such as Aruna Mohanty, Sudarsan Pattnaik and a number of film stars will be present to interact with the crowd.

Chief minister Naveen Patnak will inaugurate the event touted to be an important one in the cultural calendar of the state in future.

Police have taken a number of steps to ensure law and order during the Khandagiri fair this year.

A police control room will be opened at Khandagiri Square with CCTV cameras fixed in 16 places.

As many as six platoons of police will be deployed on the occasion.

"From next year, we will create a special tour package to attract tourists to the event," said tourism minister Ashok Panda.

The state government will also host, for the first time, a bird festival at Chilika this month to attract tourists to the site. The festival to be held on January 27 and 28 at Mangalajodi will showcase the diversity of migratory birds and their numbers.