Festivals & Events News Updates

Tamil Nadu's traditional bull taming sport Jallikattu is being held in Avaniapuram, Madurai district, on Friday on the occasion of Pongal. Over 500 bulls and 300 bull tamers are registered for the game that began in the morning.

Officials expect around five lakh pilgrims to take the holy dip on Friday.

The festival is also celebrated in a grand way at the Jagannath Tempel in Puri, at Hatakeshwar temple at Atri in Khordha district, Dhabaleswar Temple in Cuttack and Makara Muni temple in Balasore.  

The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) had earlier released a set of restrictions that will be promulgated across Odisha to check congregations during Makar Sankranti and Pongal

The Yatra organising committee which met at Khairguda on Wednesday finalised the date of the festival and prepared a schedule of the event. The members of the committee have decided to perform animal sacrifices during the festival this time too.

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Christian community across the country celebrated Christmas with traditional fervour, pomp and enthusiasm. The festive spirit started with the midnight mass which was held in churches across states with senior bishops and priests delivering the Christmas message.

Omicron Threat: Know The Restrictions In Bhubaneswar For Christmas & New Year Celebrations.

Official sources said churches across Odisha have already organised carols as per Covid-19 protocols which marks the pre-Christmas celebrations. The organisers are not leaving any stone unturned to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

For hundreds of years, Odisha’s folk arts or folkdance have helped flourish the rich culture and heritage of the state. Traditional folk art is the identity, a gateway to the state, and has always been considered an inspiration for the future generations. Unfortunately, slowly and gradually, that identity had been fading away over the years. ‘Pratyabartan’ is a unique initiative aimed at restoring the glorious ancient traditions. A brainchild of Debadasi Dance Acedemy, the event in the last 10 years has given an opportunity to numerous folk artistes to resurrect and enliven the dying folk arts.

With the Christmas festivities round the corner, markets at several places appear all decked up. These visuals from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh show how markets have started to witness increasing footfall ahead of the festivity.

Indian classical dance extravaganza, ‘Konark Festival’- 2021, kicked off at Konark on Wednesday following inauguration by CM Naveen Patnaik. The five-day programme is being organised by the state tourism department in association with Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi and OTDC. A few distance away, the pristine Chandrabhaga Beach in Konark also witnesses renowned sand artists from across the globe sculpting unique creations on the beach during these five days.

Prior to laying the foundation stone, Gajapati Maharaj performed special rituals which marked the conclusion of the ongoing three-day yajna at the north corner of the temple.

A slew of Vedic rituals on Monday set the stage for the commencement of the project work of the much-awaited Heritage Corridor (Srimandir Parikrama) project of Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri.

Of the two, one Kirti Chakra, and of the 10, two Shaurya Chakras were awarded posthumously. Apart from the Kirti Chakras, Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakras, the President also awarded 13 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, two Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 24 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, it said.

While the non-vegetarian community in Odisha waited patiently for the holy Kartik Month to get over so that they can again go back to savouring their favourite non-vegetarian food, the falling of Chadakhai on a Saturday (Today) has somewhat dampened the fervour.