OTDC launches Konark festival packages

Bhubaneswar, Nov 30 (UNI) Coinciding with the 18th Konark festival beginning on the backdrop of the magnificent Sun temple, a world heritage monument, the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has introduced a scintillating special package for the affluent tourists.

Tourism Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy told newsmen here that in a bid to attract the foreign tourists,the OTDC would introduce a three nights, three days and five nights, five days package at a cost of 152 dollars and 225 dollars per person from tomorrow.

He said the special package will include the sight seeing of morning sun rise at Chandrabhaga, visit to temples and caves in Bhubaneswar, cruise in Chilka Lake, Dolphin sanctuary, Puri temple during the day time and witness the Konark festival in the evening.

Mr Tripathy said the festival, held in an open air auditorium, will showcase a magical parade of India's classical and traditional dance forms.

This included the Odissi by the Odissi Research Centre, Kathak by the Bireswar Gautam of Mumbai on the inaugural day, Kathakali by the Venkit and Troupe of Kerala and Odissi by the Dakshya Marshruwalla group of Mumbai on the second day and Bharatnatyam by the Geeta Chandran of New Delhi.

This apart, Mohiniattam by Shyamala Surendran of Kerala and Manipuri by the Performing Art Centre of Imphal would be another attraction during the five day long festival to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Mr Tripathy said last year 8090 tourists, including 473 foreign tourists, witnessed the five day long cultural festival. This time, he said, for the first time also a ten-day handicraft exhibition with 150 stalls and sponsored by the Development Commissioner of Handictafts, would be opened inside the Urban Hat,established close to the festival site.

UNI