Koraput: A preparatory meeting was held at the Koraput Cultural Council for the first-ever Dakshinaanchal Natya Mahotsav (Southern Odisha Theatre Festival) in Koraput. The meeting was presided over by Shubhankar Padhi, the Secretary of Odisha Natya Sangha.
The Dakshinaanchal Natya Mahotsav 2025 aims to discover and promote theatre talents from Southern Odisha, foster the development of folk and traditional theatre arts, and highlight culturally and socially relevant themes through theatrical performances. The festival will also feature plays written by local playwrights, whose works will be published as part of the event.
The festival will be held from April 7 to April 14, with 16 plays being staged over eight days, performed by local artists. The event will take place at the Koraput Cultural Council. Selected plays and performers from this festival will advance to the state level, and from there, outstanding talents may be nominated for national-level recognition.
Several organizations are involved in organizing and managing the festival, including:
Koraput Cultural Council
Koraput Nandanik
Sunabeda Golden MIG Kala Parishad
Sunabeda Utkal Cultural Council
Kotpad Damayanti Kala Parishad
Jeypore College of Pharmacy
Panchapat Mali Natya Mahotsav
The meeting was attended by prominent figures, including Manoj Dandapat (Vice-President of the festival), Dr. Samir Mahapatra (State Joint Secretary), Shiv Prasad Rath (President of Koraput Cultural Council), and Atanu Pattnaik (Secretary). The session concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Jitendra Senapati.