Other States - Orissa   

Connoisseur of art, culture

BHUBANESWAR: For the countless budding artists of the State, Governor M.C.Bhandare has emerged as a messiah. And the two-day State-level talent-hunt festival in performing and visual arts in the capital that concluded on Sunday indicated it.

The Governor, who took over a few months ago and was moved by the cultural heritage of the State, desired the government to hold a State-level competition among the budding artists to discover talents from the grass root-levels in the field of dance, music and painting. He also announced to introduce Governor’s Running Trophy in the respective fields to nurture the talents. Thus, the Department of Culture in association with the Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi and Orissa Lalit Kala Akademi conducted a State-level three-tier test to select the best three in each stream - Odissi dance, folk dance, singing and painting - in junior (students of class 5 to 7) and senior (class 8 to 10) categories.

Nearly 5,000 students participated in the block-level competition was followed by a district-level test among about 2,000 competitors for the top-24 positions at the State-level, revealed Culture Secretary G.N.Mohanty. The government invited 260 district-level toppers to the State capital for the final round, he added. While the gorgeous gardens of the Raj Bhawan were made open for the tiny-tots to sit for the painting competition, the dance and music tests were conducted at Yatri Niwas owned by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation. And the Governor took personal interest in the event and visited both the venues twice on Saturday. On Sunday, accompanied by Culture Minister S.N.Patro and Culture Commissioner G.N.Mohanty, he addressed the participants and presented them the trophies, medals and certificates extending a personal touch.

“It was my dream project,” Mr.Bhandare stated. It would be an annual affair hereafter, he assured.

While Subarnapur district lifted Governor’s trophies in folk dance and Nuapada district topped in singing, Dhenkanal claimed the slot for Odissi dance and Sundargarh bagged the trophy in painting (all in senior category).

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Fair attracts drop-outs
Langoor makes villagers panicky
More libraries needed
Tribal outfit plans peace march
Seminar held on communal riots
Legal row over Oriya lexicon ends
State government draws flak on SEZs
Diploma engineers on the warpath
Old medicines dumped in river
State unwilling to cull healthy birds
Sparrows make a comeback!
Connoisseur of art, culture
National conference
HSC examinations likely from March 26
Going hi-tech to reduce corruption
Kalinga Mahotsav
Disturbing development
Nature’s hues
Dacoits strike at jewellery shop

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu