Puri, Dec 2: The 34th International Konark Dance Festival began in the backdrop of the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha's Puri district on Friday.

The five-day dance festival is one of the biggest dance festivals held in Odisha and is held every year in December, mostly from 1 to 5.

The exquisite 'Salamander' or 'dancing hall' of this shrine is an architectural wonder. Every inch of its walls has been covered with fine artistic designs from ancient times.

The event showcases the best of India's traditional and classical dance forms, besides offering insights into the cultural heritage of the country.

Musicians playing drums, cymbals, and other musical instruments adorn the sculptures in Odissi dance poses, while many celebrated dancers from all over the country perform at this venue.

Since 1986, this festival has been organised in the state jointly by Odisha Tourism and Odissi Research Centre to promote the diverse Indian dance heritage as well as the popularity of Konark Temple and Odisha as a tourist destination.

Along with this, during the same period, the International Sand Art Festival also takes place in Odisha's Puri.
The Sand Festival celebrates sand sculptures produced by skilled sand artists who create sand, stone, bronze or wood art.

The International Sand Artist Festival celebrates the spectacular displays of sand artists from India and many other countries.

Konark is a small town in the Puri district of Odisha, India. It's located on the Bay of Bengal coast, 65 kilometres from Bhubaneswar, the state capital.

Konark is home to the 13th-century Sun Temple, also known as the Black Pagoda. The temple was built during the reign of Narasimhadeva-1, a ruler of the Ganga Dynasty.

(ANI)

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