(Clockwise from top) Artistes from Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab perform at Folk Fair, 2012, in Puri. Pictures by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, May 17: Hundreds of people from 20 states have congregated in the holy town of Puri to display their talent at a colourful cultural extravaganza called the Folk Fair, 2012.

Beating drums, leaping rhythmically into the air and swaying to music, entertainers from all over the country are showcasing the splendour of their state with traditional folk dances and tribal performing arts.

The festival is on at Muktakasha Rangamancha, the open-air auditorium near Gundicha Temple.

From Punjabi bhangra to Mizo tribal dance of Mizoram and from Gujarati dandiya to folk dance of the hills of Uttarakhand, the cultural festival has already seen some fascinating dance forms.

One of the most striking dance forms was the Charkula dance from Uttar Pradesh.

In this, female artistes carried a huge earthen lamp stand on their heads and showed some traditional steps while having covered their faces with a veil. They danced to songs dedicated to the romantic adventures of Lord Krishna. The dancers bravely bent in different directions while balancing the lamp stand on the head. Then came other artistes dressed as Radha and Krishna, wearing beautiful attires and depicting the tale of love.

Similarly, the animal mask dance, a tribal dance from Bhanjanagar, also received rave response from the audience. The artistes, who performed the dance on Tuesday in the festival, wore masks designed into animal faces such as deer, tiger, lion, elephant and so on. The vibrant music and the energetic dance movements of the masked artistes were astounding.

Artistes perform a Goan dance

“Watching these unique dance forms is a special experience. We are glad that every day we get to see at least 10 different folk and tribal dance forms of different states,” said Ramananda Panigrahi, a local resident.

The cultural fair is into its tenth edition and has won immense appreciation from the viewers, who included both local residents and tourists.

“The objective behind this unique festival is to show case tribal and folk dance forms to urban people and tourists so that the artistes get their share of recognition. Moreover, since Lord Jagannath, the chief deity of Puri, is basically a tribal god, we wish to promote tribal art and culture,” said Rajesh Mohanty, the organiser of the festival.

As many as 275 participants from states such as Assam, Mizoram, Bengal, Manipur, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Odisha are showcasing their skills in the event.

“Be it performing or watching, we are enjoying every bit of being here at the Folk Fair. Apart from displaying our skills and culture in front of such a huge crowd, we are also getting a chance to explore other lesser known dance forms of the country,” said a dancer from Manipur.

The festival is on till Friday evening along with an exhibition on agricultural products and handicrafts on the premises.