Report by OD burau; Bhubaneswar: The three-day Sankirtan Mahotsav started with a colourfull procession of 800 artistes from across the State from Ram Mandir Square to Rabindra Mandap.

The State Tourism and Culture Department boosted this art form through a festival from 25th – 27th May 2012  organised by Odisha Sangeet Natak Academy at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar. It is said out of 9 ways of offering devotion or Nabadha Bhakti, Kirtana or Sankirtan is the best medium to feel the divine presence.

Apart from this, being the most wide spread rural based popular art form Sankirtan creates a spiritual awakening among the masses and establishes a strong bonding of peace, bliss, cultural amity and friendship. The theme of presentation mainly centers round the Vaishnavite devotional pieces and episodes from mythology and puranas. The Sankirtan party from Manipur sponsored by EZCC had regaled the audience by their different presentation with intricacies of foot and body movements puntuated with acrobatic postures. The enchanting rhythm which captivated the art connoisseurs mostly started with slow beats and gradualy reached at the crescendo. The inaugural day witnessed four groups from Sambalpur, Angul, Ganjam and Manipur.

The dignitaries who graced the occasion were Hon’ble Minister, Tourism & Culture Shri Prafulla Kumar Samal, Hon’ble MLA Ekamra Bhubaneswar Shri Ashok Kumar Panda, Hon’ble MLA, Balikuda Shri Prasanta Muduli, Principal Secrertary, Tourism & Culture Shri Ashok Kumar Tripathy, Director, Culture Shri Susil Kumar Das, President, Odisha Sangeet Natak Academy Shri Sarat Pujari, Vice President, OSNA Smt. Aruna Mohanty and Secretary, OSNA Shri Chitta Ranjan Mallia.