Bhubaneswar, April 10: Youngsters got their hands dirty today at a clay-modelling workshop at the 13th edition of Raahgiri.

The workshop was organised by city-based Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics where Sumanta Guha from Calcutta guided participants to play with their imagination through clay modelling.

Dexterously moving their hands to make intriguing sculptures and animal figurines, the young enthusiasts explored the art form. Where butterflies caught fancy of some, flora and fauna became favourite topic for others.

"This craft is fast vanishing. So, it is important to impart these skills to the younger generations. It should not remain confined to a few groups of people," said Guha.

In another workshop, Art ya Craft group created colourful designs with discarded plastic bottles to make Christmas trees, pen stands, small cups and other items. Different traditions and styles of art were also discussed.

For the participants, the experience was quite enriching. "I learnt how things we put in trash can be utilised to produce art. It was a lot of fun," said Ananya Patnaik, a student of Class VI.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena today took the opportunity to make people aware about jaundice. Stressing the need to drink safe water and fresh food and keeping the environment clean, Jena said: "The residents should be alert regarding all possible chances of contamination of the water sources as jaundice is spread by faecal matter. Also, it is very important to drink clean water."

In another activity zone, students of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences and Unit-II Girls' High School demonstrated martial art. The stage on the Ram Mandir Square side that was closed for the past few weeks was set open today. A number of folk performances were staged today. The stage on the Master Canteen side witnessed a spectrum of rap, pop and rock musical.

Raahgiri was also held in Puri, while it made its debut in Berhampur today. Held on the stretch between Town Hall Square and Baptist Church Square, the Raahgiri in Berhampur held a number of activities, such as skating, musical events, painting competitions, hasya kabi sammilani and sporting events. Berhampur Marwari Samiti organised a free health check-up, while Rotary Club of Berhampur conducted a signature campaign promoting cleanliness on the occasion.