By Matters India Reporter
Bhubaneswar: A tribal cultural troupe of a Church-based NGO in Odisha state’s Kandhamal district on June 6 performed an enthralling dance program in Bhubaneswar, the state capital.
The cultural team of Jana Vikas (people’s development) performed two-dances at the second Odisha Cultural Festival at Jayadev Bhavan, Bhubaneswar.
“Our team will perform khanjara dance and singo dance of Kandhamal district. It is a promotion of culture in the Odisha state. These dances are symbols of the life of Kondh tribes and their unity,” Father Madan S Singh, director of Jana Vikas, told Matters India.
Jana Vikas, a grass root organization based at K. Nuagaon, Kandhamal, Odisha, works among most marginalized communities (Adivasi, Dalit, minorities and other backward castes) by mobilizing, capacitating and empowering them for economic and social reforms.
“It is an opportunity for people of Kandhamal to show others that Kandhamal has a special and unique culture for which we are proud of our culture to perform in the state level to promote and preserve the culture of Kandhamal,” Father Singh said.
Each dance is for 10 minutes. For khanjari dance, the message is unity and relationship. Relax after the work and promotion of spontaneous singing. And the second one is a message of celebrating the fertility of land and soil.
Created in 2013 to promote the indigenous people of Kandhamal, the team has performed such dances at a village, district, state and national level including in New Delhi and Goa.
Kandhamal is one of the least developed among 30 districts in Odisha. Kandh tribes are one of the predominant groups in the district.
Odisha Cultural Foundation Trust is organizing the June 6-7 cultural event showcasing various cultural traits of the State.
A host of government officials and others attended the program. They included federal Food Minsiter Surya Narayan Patra, Bishnu Ch. Das, deputy chairman of State Planning Board, Ramakant Rath, former secretary of Government of India, Sahadev Sahoo, former chief secretary-Government of Odisha, Dr. S. K. Tamatia, former chairman-cum-managing director of National Aluminium Company Limited.