Bhubaneswar, Dec. 18: Traditional folk arts of Puri are being showcased on stage at the Shrikhetra Mahotsav.

The folk performances are taking place every evening at the open-air auditorium of the festival venue, Muktakasa Ranga Mancha.

Puri residents organise the event with the support of the district culture office every year mainly to promote the tradition of grooming youths in various martial and folk art form at the age-old centres called jaga akhadas.

The five-day event features about 10 jaga akhadas of the city. Many bylanes, locally known as sahi, which keep the mask and backdrop dance form called medha nrutya alive, also take part in the event. In medha nrutya, the artistes wear a mask or gets the face painted according to particular mythological characters, mostly from the Ramayan. The artistes also wear an attire compatible with that of the character and carry a backdrop beautifully crafted with "zari" and "sola" while performing the dance recitals.

During Ram Navami, the artistes from each sahi of the town play one part of the Ramayan in a series that culminates in Ram's victory over Ravan. This is known as sahi jata. At the Srikhetra Mahotsav, a glimpse of each sahi's Ramayan episode is shown every day.# However, the highlight of the event is the staging of martial art forms and acrobatics that are taught at the jaga akhadas.

"The jaga akhadas have been functioning on local support since ages. The state culture department sponsors the Shrikhetra Mahotsav every year to help the locals popularise the art forms," said district culture officer P.K. Samantaray.

Locals and tourists are enjoying the performances at the festival alike. The event will conclude on Sunday.

"Watching the event was a great experience. These artistes should be given opportunities to showcase their talent," said Nitish Kamat, a tourist from Mumbai.