Artistes perform mahari (top) and bhangra at the 17th International Puri Beach Festival. Pictures by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 24: Traditional mahari dance of Puri, an Odissi recital and a series of folk dance performances made it a delightful affair for tourists on the inaugural day of the 17th International Puri Beach Festival.

The seven-day festival started on Wednesday with a chorus recital of bhajans by students of Shree Shyamsunder Sangeet Mahavidyalaya. The entertaining phase began with the performance of Sweta Mohapatra and his troupe of conch blowers from Ganjam. The 12-artiste group showcased adventurous formations of pyramid and other interesting shapes by climbing on one another while blowing the conch.

Well-known mahari dancer Rupashree Mohapatra charmed the viewers with traditional dance form of Puri, that is also known as the mother of Odissi dance. Rupashree, along with her disciples Pratima, Swayamsidha, Sampurna and Shilpa, depicted the rituals of angalagi seba of Lord Jagannath at the Puri temple on the song, Ki sobha go kunje. The rites performed by the servitors in the temple were given a poetic touch in the recital where Rupashree was seen playing Lord Jagannath.

“I have been performing regularly at this festival. It is a great platform for a dance form such as mahari, which is yet to get the attention it deserves. The dance has always been appreciated by viewers here and our team is thankful to the organisers for letting us showcase the dance form at this international event,” said Rupashree.

Another elegant performance followed the mahari recital wherein artistes from Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s Odissi school Srjan cast their spell on the audience by portraying the tales of Lord Krishna. Dancer Rajashree presented Odissi steps with finesse during the Devi bandana. The sequences were choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra.

Dancers from Sitalpur in Purulia displayed the lively Purulia chhou. They performed Mahisasura Badha. Later, a troupe from Punjab performed bhangra. Many other dance items also regaled the viewers.

“There were so many dance recitals, but each was different and amazing. I loved the Odissi as well as the chhou recital. The costumes and depictions by the mahari artistes were also interesting,” said Patrick Turner, an American tourist.

Apart from cultural activities in the evening, there are a number of beach sports such as beach karate, beach kabadi, volleyball, malkhamb, judo, para-sailing that are held daily at the festival. Food court and handicraft kiosks are also attractions at the event.

“The festival aims at highlighting the tourism potential of Odisha, especially Puri. Thousands of artistes from all over the country congregate at the event every year. We wish to uphold and promote our culture while attracting tourists from within the country and outside,” said Ramkrushna Das Mohapatra, chairman of the Hotel Association of Puri, which has organised the event.