Konark Dance Festival

Times of IndiaTimes Travel Editor/DANCE, KONARK/ Updated : Apr 22, 2016, 12:54 IST

Konark Dance Festival

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Synopsis

Experience the beauty of classical dance forms of India at the Konark Festival of Classical Dances held in Konark. With the world famous Sun temple of Konark serving as the perfect backdrop, the annual Konark fest is held for five evenings in the month of December with Odissi being a common feature on all the days. Organised by the Culture Department, Government of Odisha, at the open air auditorium behind the Sun Temple, the festival features popular Indian classical dance troupes from across the country representing dance traditions like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Sattriya, and Mohiniattam, among others. Also visit Sun Temple, a World Heritage site built in the 13th century, in the vicinity that has been instrumental in revival of Odissi dance. Attended by leading classical dancers, connoisseurs, locals and tourists, the Konark Dance Festival is a celebration of India's diverse dance forms. Along with the dance festival, the tourism department hosts an international sand art festival on the Chandrabhaga Beach nearby. The sand art festival sees participation from both established and junior sculptors, a majority of them being girls. At the open air auditorium, an Odia food festival and a stone carving workshop is also organised. The Tourism Department of Odisha organises packaged tours to Konark and Puri during the dance festival.