‘Mahuri Mahotsav’ on folk arts on Dec 7-8

Berhampur: A two-day ‘Mahuri Mahotsav’ cultural festival will be held at Biju Patnaik Sanskruti Bhavan, Hillpatna here on December 7 and 8. The festival is held to promote traditional and vibrant cultural heritage of folk art . Festival committee chairman Sanyasi Maharana said, “we are focussing on the performance of the artistes of Danda Chadheiya, Gahana, Daskathia, Bagha Nata, Pilakhai Dahani, Ghumra, Ranapa, Choda Gajia and other folk arts and provide them the appropriate forum.”

Cultural coordinator Rameswari Nanda said the concept is based on folk art, folk song and Chanda, Chaupadi. No other modern concept will be allowed in the festival, she said. Competition will be held for events such as traditional jhoti, pithau (a paste prepared by grinding rice), rangoli, drawing, essay, debate, Odissi and Chanda to propagate folk art and culture.

The committee launched Lok Kala Mahotsav in 2022. But the name of the festival was changed to ‘Mahuri Mahotsav’ this year to make it vibrant. The ‘Mahuri’ or ‘Mukha Bina’ is a wind instrument made of wood and metal and it holds a special place in the cultural traditions of Odisha. It is used during religious ceremonies, weddings, bratopanayan, social events and auspicious occasions.

It is considered as ‘Mangala Badya’ (‘auspicious instrument’) and hence found in folk theatres like Rama Nataka and dances like Chhau. A band of traditional instruments consisting of wind instrument called Mahuri and percussion instruments play the tune of the song āja dekhili re nabīna bayasi bālā written by the 16th-century poet Upendra Bhanja from Ganjam.