Colourful performances at Town Hall in Puri on rath yatra eve. Pictures by Sarat Patra

While the holy town soaking in the festivities of the annual car festival, a cultural programme was held at Town Hall that regaled visitors. The Asiatic Society, Calcutta, had organised the event that was held on the eve of rath yatra.

The society that comes under the aegis of the Union ministry of culture, held the cultural soiree in association with the state tourism and culture department. The event enthralled the visitors, mostly from outside the state, by showcasing recitals performed by tribal artistes from Odisha and north-eastern states. The evening aimed to promote art and culture of the tribal people. Interestingly, Jagannath culture has its roots in tribal culture.

Tribal dances from Odisha such as Singhari dance from Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi and Dhap dance from Sambalpur weaved magic.

The visitors, who had never even heard about the vibrant dance forms, appeared to be enjoying them.

“I came to Puri well in advance to witness the rath yatra. A friend from Odisha told me that a music and dance programme was taking place and so I accompanied him. Now, I have an additional memory to share with my family and friends,” said Manish Yadav, a businessman from Bihar.

While dance forms of Odisha were well appreciated, the cynosure of the evening was the tribal dance forms from the northeast.

Artistes from Nagaland, Sikkim and Assam presented colourful dance recitals that narrated the tales of their culture. Apart from tribal dance performances, the dancers also displayed some steps from classical acts such as sattriya dance of Assam. Many recitals also invoked the gods. The mythological anecdotes were well expressed through gestures and agile footsteps.

“We have been taking steps to promote and propagate the rich cultural tradition and heritage of eastern region with special emphasis on the northeast. It is very important that their cultural ethos are highlighted,” said Manabendu Banerjee, secretary of the society.

In a seminar that took place before the dance recitals, speakers expressed their opinions about how the northeast could be made part of the mainstream.