Malkangiri: The traditional prelude to the ‘Malyabanta Mahotsav’, the mass festival of Malkangiri, started Sunday amid traditional fervor.
Over 10,000 devotees took part in a ‘kalash yatra’ as per tradition amid beating of drums, tribal dance and music. The devotees lifted holy water from the confluence of Saberi, Sileru and Godabari rivers.
Malkangiri MLA Aditya Madhi, Collector Manish Agarwal, Sub-Collector Rameswar Pradhan, SDC Chairman Manas Madkami, Zilla Parishad chairperson Dasarath Padiami, Kalimela block chairperson Mala Madhi, all sarpanchs of Kalimela and Padia blocks, and hundreds of members for self-help groups attended the inaugural ceremony.
The river confluence reverberated with ‘Dhemna’ dance, beating of cymbals, and folk dance. Thousands of people from neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh took part in the ‘kalash yatra’.
The procession covered four km and culminated at Jagannath temple.
All the pots will be taken out from the Jagannath temple February 7 and later taken to the Malyabanta ground.
A blood donation camp coincided with the programme. District officials and scores of youths donated their blood on the occasion.
The annual cultural extravaganza aims at showcasing the district’s rich and diverse culture.
PNN