Bhubaneswar: The seven-day Ekamra Utsav, a festival to celebrate Odia language and culture, will commence at Idco exhibition ground in Odisha capital from Saturday.
Sangitara Murchana will be the main event of the festival, which is being organised on the sidelines of first Biswa Odia Bhasha Sammilani (World Odia Language Conference) and see performances by renowned artists and singers like Jyotirmayee, Aruna Mohanty, Kuna Tripathi, Sona Mohapatra, Rituraj Mohanty, Anuradha Paudwal, Sonu Nigam, Jubin Nautiyal, and Sanam Puri.
February 3 – Smruti Tume Akshay Mohanty Evening
February 4 – Sangitara Tale Tale by Anuradha Paudwal, Suresh Wadkar
February 5 – Abhula Atita by Ananaya Sritam Nanda
February 6 – Bhasa Hi Bhabisyata by Aruna Mohanty, Kuna Tripathy
February 7 – Basantara Swara by Ruturaj Mohapatra & Sona Mohapatra
February 8 – Murchana Ra Bhinna Eka Sandhya by Sonu Nigam
February 9 – Tume Chanhila Boli by Jubin Nautial
The festival will also feature a food festival, Ama Byanjan, with 20 stalls offering wide array of Odisha cuisine. Visitors can also enjoy other cuisines including continental. The department of Mission Shakti, Odisha Millet Mission and Koraput Coffee will set up one stall each. The food area will serve as a community hub, complete with experience zones and a flea market, having 33 stalls, which will also remain open for the visitors at Ekamra Haat between 4 pm and 11 pm till February 9.
The Bhubaneswar Development Authority will also host the third edition of the Bhubaneswar Festival of Storytelling (BhuFesto) from February 3-5. The event will take place simultaneously at Indira Gandhi Park, Odisha Crafts Museum Kalabhoomi, APJ Abdul Kalam Park in Kalinga Nagar, and Budha Jayanti Park in Niladri Vihar. It will remain open between 2.30 pm and 7.30 pm each day.
On Friday, around 50 people participated in the curated tour titled ‘Odia Bhasa Gouraba Gatha’, organised as part Ekamra Walks in Old Town here.
