Joy Roy Choudhury – Bhubaneswar
A mega carnival of floats on different tourism themes was organised in Bhubaneswar, by Odisha Tourism Department in association with the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), to commemorate ‘World Tourism Day’ coinciding with the Golden Jubilee Convention of FHRAI being held in the city. The event was kickstarted by SC Jamir, governor, Odisha in presence of Ashok Chandra Panda, state tourism minister; LN Gupta, principal secretary, department of tourism, Government of Odisha and other important dignitaries.
The carnival was a show of a variety of tourism products with a dozen tableaux depicting Buddhist heritage of Odisha, wildlife, tribal art and ancient Buddhist treasures of Dhauli, dancing troupes of Odisha, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Assam, etc. and vintage cars, motorcycles, college and school children carrying placards of the World Tourism Day theme ‘1 Billion Tourists – 1 Million Opportunities’.
Adding colour to the procession were folk artists and classical dancers from different regions of Odisha. The carnival provided a platform to folk art forms like Jodi Sankha, Ghata Badya, Dulduli and dances like Ranapa, Ghoda Nacha, Mask Dance besides Odissi and tribal dances. Artists from Odisha also performed the famous Naga Medha, Durga Medha and Ravana Medha making the event a visual treat for the audience.
A senior official of the state’s tourism department said, “The World Tourism Day carnival was planned to showcase the rich culture and heritage as well as popular tourist destinations of the state.”