(From top) Children in Rourkela enjoy the monsoon, singer Shubha Mudgal and artist Jatin Das are scheduled to perform at the Megha Utsav to be held in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Uttam Kumar Pal and file pictures

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 3: Megha Utsav, the state-sponsored monsoon festival beginning here from August 9, promises a rich repertoire of music, dance, poetry and art as an ode to the rains.

Setting the tone for the three-day event will be Shubha Mudgal whose song — Ab ke saawan aise barse — is a rain anthem of sorts. Many other modern and ancient compositions on monsoon will also be heard at Rabindra Mandap during the fest, which is being organised by the department of tourism and culture.

Secretary of Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Chitta Mallia said: “We have designed the Megha Utsav to portray the literary, musical, visual and performing arts under one roof involving artistes from different disciplines in Odisha and other states.”

The Odisha Sahitya Akademi will be organising a poets’ meet. The creations of great poets such as Kalidas, Jayadev, Upendra Bhanja and Gangadhar Meher will be rendered in the form of songs during the festival, which will certainly enhance the creative potential of budding singers and artistes, apart from regaling music aficionados in the city.

On the other hand, the Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi will be looking after arrangements for an artists’ camp, which will involve 20 painters from different parts of the country, including veteran Jatin Das.

Dance and music programmes for the festival are going to be organised jointly by the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi and the GKCM Odissi Research Centre.

Sources said such festivals had been held in the capital in the past, but this one promises to be different in the sense that it not only involves a wider spectrum of singers, dancers, poets and painters, but it would also be on a much bigger scale.

“Monsoon is the season that inspires poetry. Poets, since generations, have serenaded the rains and singers extolled its myriad hues. It is this uniqueness of the season, which the festival would seek to celebrate. We are all looking forward to it,” said college student and music enthusiast Ashutosh.

There are many others like him awaiting the Megha Utsav eagerly. “I am sure to be there. Here is one for the rains,” said Saroj, a home-maker.