Nabarangpur, 13th Nov 2025: A meeting regarding the selection of cultural troupes for the upcoming Mandei Festival 2025 was held on Thursday evening at the Ashok Mehetta Conference Hall, organized by the Nabarangpur District Culture Council.
The meeting, chaired by Additional District Magistrate (General) Tapan Kumar Khuntia, discussed preparations for the main Mandei celebrations, scheduled to take place from December 12 to 14. It was decided that a newly composed Mandei theme song would be performed during the inauguration of the festival.
During the three main days of the Mandei Mahotsav, various local and outside artists will perform cultural programs. Each block has been asked to send its best selected cultural team to the district-level selection committee.
Traditional folk dance troupes from Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Balangir, Bargarh, and Puri districts will take part in the event. In addition, folk and traditional dance groups from Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, and Kerala will also participate, showcasing India’s cultural diversity.
The responsibility for organizing five days of continuous theatre performances (day and night) during the Mandei Festival has been assigned to Karsik Bhatra, Vice President of the District Art and Culture Association.
The meeting was coordinated by District Culture Officer Ghasiram Harijan, who also served as the convener. Members of the cultural troupe selection committee included DIPRO Manoj Kumar Behera, District Emergency Program Officer Himanshu Shekhar Pattnayak, and renowned cultural personalities — actors, dance and music gurus — such as Manoj Pattnayak, Durga Padhi, Suresh Mishra, Shambhu Hota, Dileep Hota, Debdas Mahakud, Rajendra Nath Dulhari, Ashok Mahant, Karsik Bhatra, Balaji Kishore Ray, T. Nivedita, Phalguni Patra, Kalikinkar Pattnayak, and Yugal Kishore Tripathy.
District Culture Officer Ghasiram Harijan offered the vote of thanks. Junior Assistant Atmaprakash Sahu and support staff A. Santosh Kumar from the District Culture Office assisted in organizing the event.
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