Tripura hosts ten day long Orissa festival

Agartala, Apr 13 (ANI): To promote cultural relations, tourism, and business with Orissa, Tripura recently hosted a ten day long Orissa festival.

Dancers from Orissa presented brilliant performances of Sambalpuri folk and Odissi dance at the Nazrulkala shetra in Agartala. Most people in the audience had never witnessed such dance forms before.

The motive behind organizing the festival was to promote and present the rich and vibrant culture of Orissa in Tripura.

Orissa and Tripura State Governments, along with Odia Samaj Tripura, had jointly organized the event.

"This is the first time that I have seen a Sambalpuri dance. I really enjoyed the dance which is full of energy," said Rekha Bhattacharjee, an audience member.

It was a great opportunity for the artists from Orissa also who got to meet new people and learn more about the unique culture of the Northeastern region.

"We have come here to learn more about the culture of Tripura. Such events promote unity and I feel very excited about performing here," said Rama Das, an Oriya dancer.

A small Oriya handloom and handicraft expo was also organized. The main attraction of the expo were the silk sarees of Orissa.

"I came here to buy Sambalpuri silk and cotton saris. I am enjoying my shopping, as we do not get these things here. We are getting good variety at reasonable prices," said Kohali Debbarma, a resident. (ANI)