Nabarangpur, Dec, 19: The folk festival of Nabarangpur district, ‘Mandei’, has been inaugurated. The chief guest was State Minister for School and Mass Education, Scheduled Tribes & Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Social Security, Nityananda Gand, along with honored guests including Rajya Sabha MP Muna Khan, Dabugaon MLA Manohar Randhari, Nabarangpur MLA Gauri Shankar Majhi, Jharigaon MLA Narsingh Bhatara, and municipal head Kunu Nayak. The event was presided over by District Collector Dr. Maheswar Swain. Additional dignitaries present included District Collector Tapan Kumar Khuntia, Vishwajit Barman, Sub-Collector Prakash Chandra Mishra.
The chief guest, Minister Nityananda Gand, extended heartfelt congratulations on the ‘Mandei’ festival.
Nabarangpur takes pride in ‘Mandei’. The district is rich in folk dances, folk songs, and folk arts, and these must bed preserved for future generations. Efforts are underway to revive fading folk traditions. The festival also serves as a platform for exchange of art with other districts and states, making the art of this region nationally recognized.
The district also has a legacy of freedom fighters. In Papadahandi, 19 martyrs sacrificed their lives, and a Martyrs’ Park costing 6 crore INR is planned. Papadahandi will also feature in school curricula.
This festival will bring recognition across the state and the country. The Chief Minister will inaugurate a medical college in Nabarangpur. Funding has been allocated for the Mandei stage (6 crore INR), Tribal Museum (6 crore INR), and tourism development at Hirli Dangri (5 crore INR). A foundation stone has been laid for tourism development in Umarakot. The Bharat Mala Road project will support district development.
Honored guest Rajya Sabha MP Mujibulla Khan unveiled the Mandei commemorative platform, honoring local art and culture. He emphasized that development in the district requires collective effort, not just government intervention.
District Collector Dr. Swain, in his presidential address, highlighted that the Mandei festival celebrates brotherhood, art, architecture, and tradition. The festival began in 2002 and this year will continue until 16th December. Nabarangpur is the land of the freedom struggle, inhabited by various tribal communities with unique cultural heritage.
During the first evening of Mandei, performances included:
Odissi dance from Bhubaneswar
Gondi dance from Raighar block
Lavani from Maharashtra
Ghumura from Chandahandi block
Dalkhai from Bargarh district
Goti Baja from Umarakot block
Sangari from Kalahandi district
Ma’ Mangal dance from Narendrapur village, Ganjam
There was also a Melody Night performance by a Bhubaneswar-based troupe.
In the afternoon, after worship at Ma’ Bhandar Gharani temple, the guests participated in a grand procession with cultural troupes, carrying sacred symbols and staffs from different deity shrines, which reached the Mandei venue. The chief guest inaugurated the public fair, and District Collector Tapan Kumar Khuntia offered his thanks.