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Konark: The second day of 9th edition of International Sand Art Festival on Wednesday saw stunning sand sculptures themed on 'Sea Life', 'Our Heritage' and 'Covid-19 awareness'.
The sand festival is underway at pristine Chandrabhaga beach, around 3 kilometres from the Sun Temple in Konark adhering to all the Covi-19 protocols prescribed by the State government and will continue till December 5.
Artists from across India and within the state have participated in the five-day long festival. The last few years of the event saw participation of artists from countries like the United States, Russia, Singapore and Italy. This year, however, international artists are not participating due to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic.
"The theme of my sand sculpture is 'Sea Life' and through the sand art, I have tried to create awareness on how we can keep the sea clean and free from pollution. All the visitors as well as participants are wearing mask and following the sanitation protocols. I am glad that the festival has been allowed by the government despite the pandemic," said a sand artist, Satita Gochhayat.
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A sand art on the theme 'Our Heritage' on Day-2 of International Sand Art Festival[/caption]
Sudarsan Pattnaik, the Chief Curator of the festival said, "I thank the tourists who are visiting the festival for adhering to all the Covid-19 guidelines. The district administration and tourism department have made elaborate arrangements to ensure that all the protocol is strictly followed."
"Pre-registration counters have been opened from where the visitors can get their entry token. Thermal scanning of visitors before entry, hand sanitisation and social distancing are being mandatorily followed," added Patnaik.
On the other hand, the vibrant performance of Manipuri Dance enacted by Kolkata-based renowned exponent Bimbavati Devi and her troupe while the breathtaking performance by Bengaluru-based renowned Odissi Dancer Sharmila Mukerjee and troupe also left the audience awestruck on the second day of 30th Konark Dance Festival.
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Renowned Odissi Dancer Sharmila Mukerjee & troupe lit up the stage with a breathtaking performance to conclude Day 2 of Konark Dance Festival.[/caption]
"This is indeed a beautiful and exciting experience for us. We have earlier performed in Konark but this time during the ongoing pandemic, it is very different," said Bimbavati Devi.
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Manipuri Dance enacted by renowned exponent Bimbavati Devi & troupe[/caption]
(Edited By Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty)
