Sambalpur (Odisha), Oct 12: In a bid to boost the tourism potential of the western region of Odisha, full of natural beauties, the state government has planned a festival on the line of the Konark Dance Festival and Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav at Hirakud Dam Reservoir here in February next year, an official said.
The Tourism Department of the Odisha Government will organize the festival, Hirakud Mahotsav along the Hirakud Reservoir on the bank of Mahanadi, the longest river of the state.
A decision to organize the festival has already been taken by the government, the official said.
“We also received a letter in this regard recently. Though the 3-day-long festival has been planned to be organized near the Hirakud Reservoir, the exact venue for the festival is yet to be finalized,” he said.
Official sources said, since Hirakud Reservoir is one of the most beautiful places in this region, the state government has planned to organize the festival along the reservoir. The objective of the festival is to promote the art and culture of Western Odisha besides attracting tourists from across the country.
The festival will bring together classical, folk, martial, and contemporary genres of arts on one platform. It will be held at a particular time every year. Eminent artists besides cultural teams from across the country will be invited to take part in the Hirakud Mahotsav.
An official of the tourism department said, apart from the golden triangle, Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark, there is huge potential for tourism in Western Odisha also, and the state government is now laying focus on Western Odisha to boost tourism.
The beauty of the Hirakud Dam Reservoir attracts thousands of tourists from across the region and from neighboring states. To attract tourists, the tourism department has already started water sports at the scenic Hirakud Dam Reservoir.
The state government also organized Eco-Retreat along the reservoir last year and it received an overwhelming response. And now a decision has been taken for the Hirakud Mahotsav. It will certainly boost tourism and help in attracting more numbers of tourists to this place, he said.
