Bhubaneswar, Oct. 1: A repertoire of Sambalpuri dance and songs and a tribute to late actor Dev Anand on Friday and Saturday, respectively, made the weekend special for music aficionados in the capital city.

Indian Council of Cultural Relations had organised the event.

The Sambalpuri acts, performed by members of Sambalpuri Folk Akademi, were a visual treat to savour.

The artistes, dressed in blue Sambalpuri handloom saris and well-designed ornaments made of small conch shells, looked striking on stage.

Choreographed by Rabi Ratan Sahu, the dancers performed the famous Dalkhai folk dance. The dance is performed to pay obeisance to Goddess Dalkhai, who is worshipped by village girls wishing for the well being of their brothers.

The other performance of the evening was Jhi Janam, which narrated the fun filled anecdotes of a girl from her childhood to adolescence.

But the show stealer was the Rangabati act. The song sung by eminent singers such as Jitendriya Haripal and Krishna Patel in the mid 70s had gained popularity not just in the state, but also throughout the country. The viewers enjoyed every bit of the programme, which exhibited the cultural vibrancy of western Odisha.

On Saturday, city-based cultural organisation Pragati had organised a musical evening, Gata rahe mera dil, to pay tribute to late actor Dev Anand. Several local singers lent their voices to heart-warming numbers.

The song Khawb ho ya tum from the 1965 film Teen Devian, originally sung by Kishore Kumar, made ardent fans of the actor go nostalgic.

The listeners also appreciated evergreen hits such as Na tum hamein jano from Baat ek raat ki, in which the actor featured opposite Waheeda Rehman, and the delightful number Panna ki tamanna.

The overriding craze of the legendary actor was palpable as many people stood up to congratulate the singers for paying the musical tribute to Dev Anand.

Many interesting stories about the actor, for instance his friendship with Guru Dutt, and others, told by the anchor kept the audience engaged.

“Dev Anand was Bollywood’s only evergreen hero. We grew up idolising him,” said Sudhanshu Mohanty, an admirer. Both the cultural events were held at Rabindra Mandap.