Malkangiri: A grand Sankirtan and Folk Art Gathering was held in Malkangiri town, filling the entire atmosphere with spiritual fervor through chants of “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama”. The event was jointly organized under the guidance of the Odisha Government’s Department of Odia Language, Literature, and Culture, with the full cooperation of departmental officials, the District Collector, and the District Administration.
As part of the program, the Sri Jagannath Nama Sankirtan Lokakala Parishad (Odisha Branch) organized a large-scale devotional Sankirtan and folk art gathering, including a grand procession of Sankirtan troupes. The morning procession started from the local Jagannath Temple and culminated at the DNK Block Field, where all participants converged.
Large numbers of men and women from Sankirtan groups of various villages and panchayats from across blocks like Malkangiri, Mathili, Chitrakonda, Khairput, Kalimela, Podia, and Korukonda participated enthusiastically, chanting the holy names and showcasing their folk traditions.
During the cultural and spiritual assembly at Block Field, thousands of folk artists and Sankirtan troupes from across the district were honored and presented with certificates in recognition of their contributions. Dignitaries present included:
Ramchandra Goud, District President
Ramchandra Majhi, District Secretary
Nrusingha Charan Samantaray, State Advisor
Siddharth Shankar Swain, State Executive President
Dushmanta Purohit, State Convenor
Sharatchandra Parida, State Treasurer
Krushnachandra Pal, State Vice President
Pushpanjali Sahu, State Organization Secretary
Jay Mangal Bishi, State Joint Convenor
Also in attendance were members of the Sri Jagannath Nama Sankirtan Lokakala Parishad, local folk artists, and cultural enthusiasts.
During the session, discussions were held on how to preserve the folk art traditions of the district and to address various issues faced by the folk artists.
However, there was resentment expressed by the Sankirtan troupe of the Jay Bajrang Bali Jagannath Kala Parishad, a registered ancient organization of the district headquartered in Malkangiri Sadar. Members including President Prafulla Kumar Panda, Dibakar Pal, and others voiced disappointment over not receiving any communication or invitation to the event. They advised the organizers to avoid such oversights in the future, expressing their dissatisfaction respectfully.
