Borigumma : A meeting of “Bande Utkal Lokakala o Loka Sanskruti,” Koraput chapter, was held today at the Mrubhika Conservation Centre in Borigumma. The gathering saw the presence of many renowned artists from the undivided Koraput district. Key participants included:
Pramod Kumar Dash, President of South Odisha Folk Art and Culture,
Hemanta Kumar Patra, President of the Senior Artists’ Association of South Odisha,
Paraba Pratibha Balakrishna Shadangi, a senior sand sculptor of the undivided Koraput district,
Dhanurjaya Hantal, President of the District Artists’ Association of Malkangiri,
Jagannath Behera, playwright and director from Nabarangpur,
Nabin Chandra Satapathy, a regional folk art and culture researcher, and
Manoj Maharana, a social worker, among other dignitaries.
During the meeting, Hemanta Kumar Patra was selected as the new President, Balakrishna Shadangi as the Secretary, and Suresh Chandra Behera and Saroj Kumar Pattnaik were appointed as Coordinators. The meeting focused on the future direction of the organization.
A key topic discussed was the exclusion of many artists from receiving government artist stipends. The organization pledged to identify such artists and provide full support to ensure they receive their rightful benefits.
In closing remarks, Shri Pramod Dash emphasized the need to promote and elevate to the state level the traditional and lesser-known folk arts of the region such as:
Kirtan Mandalis (devotional musical groups),
Tribal folk dances,
Dungudunga musical instruments,
The long-practiced Shankhua (conch) sounds,
Khatala percussion, and
Local folk arts from Kotpad, Borigumma, Kumuli, and Kamata.
He urged all members to make sincere efforts to preserve and popularize these cultural traditions.
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