Famous Chaitra festival begins at Tara Tarini Hill Shrine in Odisha

The month long famous Chaitra festivals started at the Tara Tarini Hill Shrine near Berhampur city in Odisha, with the chanting of traditional Mantras on the first Tuesday. The festivities started at this shrine from Monday midnight itself with the priests performing the Snana and Majana of the Goddesses. After Sahasra Arati, Panchamruta Puja and Parikrama ceremonies, the sanctum sanctorum of the Tara Tarini Shrine, considered as the Breast Shrine of Adi Shakti, was thrown open for Darshan of devotees.

Thousands of people, who gathered a day before, got the chance of Madhya Ratra Darshan. The first Tuesday of this month saw heavy crowd around the Hill Shrine from the wee hours till late evening, with lacs of devotees thronging the Shrine from every nook and corner of the state and outside. Noteworthy that all the four Tuesdays of this month are considered sacred by the devotees.

Thousands of kids tonsured their heads as per the age-old belief of offering the hair of newborns.  Khichdi Prasad was distributed to the devotees coming to the Shrine and the fair of rural artisans also attracted many people.

The Special Secretary of Odisha Chief Minister Shri Kartikeyan Pandian, officials of Ganjam district administration, all the office bearers of TTDB and Tara Tarini temple administration were present during this occasion. Heavy police Bandobast was made to avert any untoward incident and control the huge number of devotees. The district administration made arrangements to control traffic in and around the hill shrine.

On this occasion the newly constructed ring road was opened for general traffic. This road has been constructed to decongest the traffic around the shrine with the special assistance from government of Odisha. Two other important roads, one connecting the Keshpur Junction to the foothill and the newly constructed Ghat road to the hilltop were also thrown open on this occasion.

TTDB welcomes devotees to the famous Chaitra Parva at Tara Tarini Hill Shrine

Setting up of folk art centres in Ganjam demanded

Cultural activists feel it is high time for the State government to establish cultural centres in different parts of Ganjam district to save traditional folk dance forms that are on the verge of extinction.

Several folk dance forms of Ganjam district have already died out. According to secretary of Odisha Folk Foundation (OFF) Bighneswar Sahu, Ganjam can be termed a major cradle of folk dance forms in Odisha. According to him historical evidences hint that about a century ago there were around 70 folk dance forms prevalent in Ganjam district. Due to various reasons more than half of them have become extinct. The OFF is of the opinion that at present 32 folk dance forms are existing in Ganjam district. But out of them several are almost at the door steps of extinction.

A folk dance guru Niranjan Sahu, who leads the Maa Samaleswari Lok Nrutya Kala Kendra, said it is an irony that the folk dance forms that are identity of Odisha outside the State are not getting proper promotion. Last month 160 ‘Jodi Sankha' folk dance performers from Ganjam district participated in Republic Day parade in New Delhi.

Phulbani town becomes Boudh-Kandhmal

Large sections of populace in Kandhamal district were astonished by the sudden change of name of Phulbani town, which is the district headquarters town to ‘Boudh-Kandhamal'.

It may be noted that the Central government has recently approved change of names of 25 towns in the country. They include two towns of Odisha. Apart from Phulbani, name of Sonepur town in western Odisha is to be changed to Subarnapur. Although it is claimed that name of Phulbani was changed to ‘Boudh-Kandhamal' according to public demand, residents of Kandhamal district say they are ignorant about this demand and do not know who made this demand. When contacted, Kandhamal district Collector Rajesh Prabhakar Patil also confirmed this Central notification regarding change of name of Phulbani town.

Sasank Sahu, convener of Phulbani Action Group (PAG), a cluster of 38 social organisation of the district said this sudden change of name has come as a shock for him as well as people of the district. “We do not know on what basis this change of name has been made,” he said. According to him the name of Phulbani town is more than a century old. It is related to several folklores.

A senior researcher on culture and tradition of Kandhamal district, Raghunath Padhi of Baliguda is also finding it hard to accept this change of name of Phulbani town. According to him Phulbani town was established in 1904 by the sub-divisional officer of British government AJO Alen Bach. Mr. Padhi said two folk tales are related to naming of this town but there is no historical evidence regarding their authenticity. According to one folktale the British officer Bach had intimate relationship with a local tribal girl named ‘Phula' and the new town was named according to her name.

Source: The Hindu

SOSA demands Police Commissionerate system in Greater Berhampur

Dear Chief Minister Sir,

The present state of lawlessness in Berhampur city and its adjoining areas has become a cause for concern. Owing to total lack of alacrity in the police administration here; violence, loot, extortion, murder and gang war have become the order of the day. The Greater Berhampur Region comprising of Berhampur city and its nearby areas of Chatrapur, Gopalpur and Hinjilicut have turned out to be the safe havens for criminals and anti-social elements. As an upshot of this people here are under panic for the last several months, but the state administration is treating this matter with utter callousness. The rising crime graph in the City in the last few years under your dispensation not only shows the insensitivity and inability of the State Government in maintaining law and order in this major commercial city but points to the virtual collapse of the state machinery in the entire region of South Odisha. As the Home Minister of the State the buck stops with you and we demand concrete measures as silence is certainly not the solution.

To deal with the law and order situation in the capital city region, comprising Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, your government created the Commissionerate Police system there. But in case of Berhampur city, where law and order has completely collapsed the State Government has shown little interest in restoring the rule of law. Berhmapur, being a bordering city of Andhra Pradesh and hence the transit point for the anti-social elements and being surrounded by Maoist infested districts, the need for Commissionerate Police system here cannot be overemphasized. In contrast, the discrimination shown towards the city and the entire region of South Odisha is glaring. To mention just one, the state government has created an IG police range for central Odisha at Cuttack, IG police for Northern range at Sambalpur and IG police for Western range at Rourkela while there is no IG range for the entire region of South Odisha even though the law and order situation here is worse compared to the rest of the state.
Notwithstanding this discriminatory approach of the past we want stern measures from your government to contain the rising criminal activities and deteriorating law and order situation in Greater Berhampur. The blame can’t be entirely laid at the local police administration as the existing police infrastructure and man-power is proving to be grossly inadequate for a fast growing city like Berhampur. The existing system of policing therefore needs to be restructured in keeping with the gravity of the present problem and the future growth of the City. In light of the above, Police Commissionerate system for Greater Berhampur has become inevitable and any delay in this regard will prove costly for the safety and security of the citizens.

To overcome the present situation of lawlessness in Greater Berhampur Region and to clamp down the perpetrators of crime we seek your immediate intervention. The people of the region have seen enough of underdevelopment and deprivation and they can ill-afford such a deteriorating environment arising out of complete lawlessness. We do hope that the State Government will take concrete steps for bringing the situation under control by protecting life and property of the people and ensure lasting peace in this major city of the state. Being the Home Minister of the state and for being in the know of the law and order situation of the region, we request you to consider the genuine demand of the people for Police Commissionerate system in Greater Berhampur comprising Berhampur city, Chatrapur, Gopalpur and Hinjilicut, with all seriousness that it deserves.

Warm Regards,

Ram Prasad Tripathy

President, SOSA, New Delhi

the pioneer

SOSA demanded establishment of a police commissionerate system at Brahmapur

The South Odisha Students’ Association (SOSA) demanded establishment of a police commissionerate system at Brahmapur. In a letter to the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the SOSA president Ram Prasad Tripathy said the Greater Brahmapur Region comprising of Brahmapur city and its nearby areas of Chatrapur, Gopalpur and Hinjilicut have turned out to be the safe havens for criminals and anti-social elements. People are in panic for the last several months with a steep rise in the crime graph, but the State administration is treating this matter with utter callousness.

Justifying the reasons for the establishment of the police commissionerate system, the association said Brahmapur is a bordering city of Andhra Pradesh and hence the transit point for the anti-social elements. It is surrounded by Maoist infested districts and so there is a need for restructuring the existing system of policing.
Lamenting that the State Government has discriminated South Odisha against the rest part of the State, the association said there is an IG police range for Central Odisha at Cuttack, IG police for Northern range at Sambalpur and IG police for western range at Rourkela, while there is no IG range for the entire region of South Odisha even though the law and order situation is worse compared to the rest of the State.

Ram Prasad Tripathy, president of the South Odisha Students’ Association, has demanded a police commissionerate system for the city and nearby areas of Chatrapur, Gopalpur and Hinjilicut.

“The present lawlessness in Berhampur city and its adjoining areas has become a cause for concern. The region has turned out to be a safe haven for criminals and the state administration is treating this matter with utter callousness,” wrote Tripathy in a letter to chief minister Naveen Patnaik on February 6.
“The state government has created an IG police range for central Odisha at Cuttack, IG police for northern range in Sambalpur and IG police for western range in Rourkela. However, there is no IG range for the entire region of south Odisha even though the law and order situation here is worse compared to the rest of the state,” he said.

Kui Samaj hoists black flags on the Republic Day in Kandhamal District

Berhampur: Activists of the tribal organisation Kui Samaj Seva Samiti (KSSS) hoisted black flags in some areas of Kandhamal district in  South Odisha on the Republic Day on January 26. The KSSS had earlier declared that they would observe the Republic Day as black day to protest against alleged government apathy towards tribal and dalit inhabitants of Kandhamal district.

According to sources activists of the KSSS hoisted black flags at Raikia, G.Udaygiri and Tikabali on Thursday morning.

The black flags hoisted by them were removed within a short period by the police and locals.

The KSSS sources said they had resorted to this form of protest to highlight long standing demands like preference to inhabitants of the district during appointment of class IV government employees for the district, 50 per cent seats of polytechnic institutes in the district to be reserved for its inhabitants, action against persons availing benefits through fake tribal certificates etc.

It may be noted that earlier the KSSS had declared to observe two-day Bandh call on January 25 and 26. But it was called off. Source: The Hindu

SOSA meets Rlys Minister for Brahmapur station expansion

Demanding better railway infrastructure and connectivity for Brahmapur and South Odisha in the upcoming Railway Budget, South Odisha Students’ Association (SOSA) has submitted a memorandum to Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi in New Delhi. The students’ body has urged the Railway Minister to consider the long standing demand for a railway coaching terminal complex at Brahmapur, provision of adequate funds for the modernisation of century-old Brahmapur railway station with additional platforms, widening of the existing platforms, new entry points in place of the goods-shed which was shifted in 2005, adequate passenger amenities besides new long distance trains and expansion of inter-city trains. The association also demanded the early establishment of the proposed wagon manufacturing unit at Sitalapalli near the city and sought approval for new railway lines connecting Brahmapur and Sambalpur via Phulbani and Gopalpur to Rayagada as these railway lines are both economically viable and socially desirable. In their memorandum SOSA said that Brahmapur railway station handles the second highest number of passengers per day after the Bhubaneswar railway station in the State. “However, this railway station has been facing repeated negligence from the East Coast Railway zone authorities and not a single demand of the people has been addressed in the last decade,” said SOSA president RP Tripathy.

Source: The Pioneer

Photo: www.berhampurphoto.blogspot.com

SOSA demands better railway infrastructure and connectivity for Berhampur and South Odisha

The South Odisha Students' Association (SOSA) submitted a Memorandum to Central Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi demanding better railway infrastructure and connectivity for south Odisha and improvement of amenities at Brahmapur railway station. The Students’ body urged the Railway Minister to consider the long standing demand for a railway coaching terminal complex at Brahmapur, provision of adequate funds for the modernization of century old Brahmapur railway station with additional platforms, widening of the existing platforms, new entry points in place of the goods-shed which was shifted in 2005, adequate passenger amenities besides new long distance trains to New Delhi, Ahmadabad, Allahabad, Jamshedpur, Jaipur and Inter-city trains to Rourkela, Baripada, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Koraput etc.  The Association also demanded the early establishment of the proposed Wagon manufacturing unit at Sitalapalli near Brahmapur and sought approval for new railway lines connecting Brahmapur and Sambalpur via Phulbani and Gopalpur to Rayagada for these railway lines being both economically viable and socially desirable.  In their memorandum the SOSA members alleged that Berhampur station has till date not received proper attention of railway authorities. Members of this students' organisation urged the Railway Minister to visit Berhampur to take stock of situation and to assess the need of development. It may be noted that Berhampur is third largest city of Odisha and its railway station is more than a century old. According to reports this railway station handles second highest number of passengers in the State. 

Full text of the memorandum: 

To,

Shri Dinesh Trivedi

Hon’ble Union Railway Minister

Rail Bhawan

New Delhi-110001

Subject: Demand for better railway infrastructure and connectivity for Brahmapur and South Odisha

Hon’ble Railway Minister Sir,

We write to seek your attention towards the pathetic state of railway infrastructure and poor passenger amenities at Brahmapur Railway station under the East Coast Railway zone in Odisha.

Sir, as you are aware, Brahmapur is the 3rd largest city in Odisha and the century old railway station here caters to the need of more than 5 million people of South Odisha. Being a major rail-head in the Howrah-Chennai rail route, this railway station also serves as the gateway for huge number of tourists coming from various parts of India and the world to the famous Gopalpur sea beach, Chilka Lake, famous hill temple of Maa Tara Tarini and the vast hinterland of South Odisha. As per reports, this Railway station handles the second highest number of passengers per day after the Bhubaneswar Railway Station in the state of Odisha. However, this railway station has been facing repeated negligence from the East Coast Railway zonal authorities and not a single demand of the people has been addressed in the last decade. There are only 3 narrow platforms in functioning condition in the station resulting in huge inconveniences for the passengers. The decades old proposal of the Railway Department to add 2 more platforms to accommodate more passengers and trains is yet to materialize.  Though the goods-shed was shifted from this railway station in 2005 to facilitate the construction of new platforms for passenger use, this project is yet to start.  While more than 70% of the existing platforms are roof-less, demand for platform-sheds and widening of these platforms have been ignored causing difficulties for the passengers. There is not even proper drinking water and lighting facility in the Railway station.  While less crowded Railway stations in the State and elsewhere are getting due attention and modern facilities, the Brahmapur Station is being denied the basic and essential facilities even after announcements to this effect made by the Railway Ministry from time to time. Sir, needless to mention that the Divisional Railway authorities in Khurda Road and East Coast Zonal authorities at Bhubaneswar are squarely responsible for the pathetic state of this century old Railway station.

Sir, your recent visits to various states and announcements in the Parliament have brought a new sense of hope among the people. We request you to pay a visit to Brahmapur Railway station in your next visit to Odisha to see the pitiable state of affairs existing here. But, before that let me bring to your notice some key issues that the people of Brahmapur city and south Odisha have been demanding for long and they have got nothing but disappointment in return.

First, long standing demand for establishment of a coaching terminal to ensure the starting, termination and extension of long distance trains from Brahmapur, the southernmost city in the state of Odisha.

Brahmapur Railway station is infamous for large-scale migrations of people of the backward south Odisha to different parts of India in search of livelihood.  Added to this the growth of Brahmapur city has resulted in Railway passengers rising exponentially and existing number of trains turning out to be inadequate. Infact, there is not even a regular train from Brahmapur to New Delhi and other major North Indian cities like Allahabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Jaipur etc. Sighting the absence of a coaching terminal the Railway authorities for decades have denied the extension of trains to Brahmapur, now terminating either at Bhubaneswar or at Puri, which are in north Odisha, and so denying the entire south Odisha from adequate number of long-distance trains. Therefore, we request you to consider sympathetically the longstanding demand for a Railway-coaching terminal in Brahmapur especially because this is an absolute necessity for better Railway connectivity for Brahmapur and south Odisha.

Second, improving infrastructure of the railway station building, surrounding area and railway platforms etc.

The present infrastructure of Brahmapur Railway station is not even comparable with smaller stations in other states. The frequent demand for modernization of this Railway station with better amenities for passengers, expansion of the Railway station building with two additional platforms (completion of ongoing work on platform no 4, besides addition of platform nos. 5 and 6), widening of existing platform no. 1, new entrance points on both front and back side of the railway station, completion of the second foot over-bridge connecting all the 4 platforms (the construction of which started in 2005), adequate water and lighting facility in the station, etc., are all being demanded for years to the utter apathetic response from the Zonal and Divisional Railway authorities. Sir, all these need your kind attention and we request you to sanction adequate funds for the completion of the above.

Third, there has been a long-standing demand from the people for a Railway-manufacturing unit and establishment of a Railway staff training institute at Brahmapur.

Former Railway Minster Ms. Mamata Banerjee was kind enough to concede the demand for a Railway wagon factory at Brahmapur in view of the large-scale migrations from this backward region with no semblance of industry and employment opportunities. Subsequently, the State government identified a patch of land at Sitalapalli near Brahmapur city for the purpose. But, despite repeated requests and agitations, the work for the Wagon factory is yet to commence and therefore we request you to instruct the concerned Railway authorities to start the long awaited project in an expeditious manner.

Further, there is an urgent need to introduce new trains from Brahmapur city to meet the needs of the commuters of this region.

• Requests for new trains from Brahmapur to Ahmedabad, Surat, Allahabad, Jamshedpur, Rourkela; besides extension of New Delhi bound Odisha Sampark Kranti Express, Howarh-Bhubaneswar Jan shatabdi Express and Ranchi-Bhubaneswar Garib Rath Express to Brahmapur remains to be addressed.

• There is also an urgent need to raise the frequency of Amritsar-Visakhapatnam (Hirakund Express) from thrice a week to all days of the week.

• There is need for new DMU and Inter-city services between Brahmapur to other towns of the State like Koraput, Rourkela, Gunupur, Balangir, Keonjhar, Sambalpur and Baripada.

•  Similarly, demand for new train lines such as Brahmapur-Sambalpur (via Phulbani), Gopalpur-Rayagada, Gopalpur-Talcher and Gunupur-Therubali need your special attention for these can ensure backward region connectivity and also connect some of the hitherto unconnected Districts by rail.

Sir, you will agree that Brahmapur and South-Odisha deserve better attention and augmentation in resources from the Indian Railways to come out of the vicious circle of underdevelopment especially in the Railway infrastructure front. We count on your commitment for developing the perennially neglected regions of the country like South Odisha by correcting the uneven distribution of railway network and infrastructure.  We do hope that you will pay a visit to Brahmapur in your upcoming visit to Odisha to take stock of the situation and will address our concerns in the upcoming Railway Budget.

With Regards,

R.P.Tripathy

President, SOSA

New Delhi

Berhampur Nagarika Manch demands resumption of Industrial Estate railway passenger halt

A citizens' delegation met the General Manager of East Coast Railway in Bhubnaeswar with the demand to reopen the passenger halt in industrial estate area of Berhampur. This delegation was led former Deputy Speaker of State Assembly Ramchandra Panda and included leaders of Silpanchal Passenger Halt Sangarm Samity (SPHSS), an organisation fighting for the demand and Berhampur Nagarika Manch (BNM). During discussion they pointed out that this was a demand of people of Berhampur since last three decades. There have been protest demonstrations and rail-roko for the demand in the past. According to general secretary of SPHSS, Abani Kumar Gaya, passenger halt with the name Lanjipalli Passenger Halt was recorded in the railway timetable in 1946. But for some reason this passenger halt which was near present industrial estate was closed down. With the expansion of the city and rise of population in the area a passenger halt in the area has become an extreme need, Mr Panda said. In November 1998 at a meeting of the railway coordination committee recommendation was made for establishment of a passenger halt in industrial estate area. In 2010, East Coast Railway authorities had agreed in principle to establishment of this halt near industrial estate.  The Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division had also in the past recommended the establishment of this passenger halt. A delegation of railway engineers had also made a spot visit in the past to prepare a feasibility report. But the passenger halt has not materialized yet. During discussion this delegation also demanded better amenities in the DMUs connecting Berhampur with Bhubaneswar. They also wanted the Gunupur-Puri passenger to be made an express train and a new passenger to be started between Palasa and Puri.

Source: The Hindu

Dongar-2012; Annual meet of youth in Dandakaranya region South Odisha inaugurated

Dongar-2012, the annual meet of the youth in Dandakaranya region, was inaugurated by Sanjiv Chandra Hota, former State Election Commissioner of Odisha at Koraput.

While appreciating the tribal wisdom in preserving their identity by living with their tradition and rich cultural heritage , he said purity in tribal way of life largely depended on the youth of the region and festivals like this could add strength to the efforts in this regard . Damabarudhar Gouda, a traditional healer from Gudari in Rayagada district, was honoured with this year's Dongar Samman for his rich knowledge in the science of Ayurveda and utilizing it for the benefit of the local inhabitants of the region .Young boys and girls from Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Rayagada and parts of the neighbouring states are attending the three-day programme interacting on different issues that effect their lives. They would also hold discussions for preserving and promoting the inherent strength of their culture. S. N. Rath, researcher, Kulamani Deo , former IG, Police, Sachin Jadhav, district Collector, and K.C.Panigrahy Tribal Museum, Koraput, director spoke.

Source: The Hindu & the orissadiary.com 

Seven 3-storied police stations in Koraput district in offing

Bolstered by Central funds, the Maoist-ravaged Koraput district is soon going to be blessed at least with seven model police stations as part of anti-Maoist measures, perceived to be the first of its kind in the State.

These police stations, likely to come up in the next few months in the first phase, would go a long way in helping the current operations to contain the Red menace in the in the region. The other Maoist-hit aereas of the district will be covered by more such police stations in the second phase. 

Official sources said the new police stations would be three-storied buildings and would be constructed at a cost of Rs two crore at Semiliguda, Laxmipur, Kakirgumma, Sunabeda, Boipariguda, Kotpad and Pawda.

The sources said, site selection for these police stations is complete and construction of the buildings would begin soon. The police stations would be operational within a few months, they hinted.

Detailing out plans for space use, they said the ground floor of the building would be used as a general police station with a state-of-the-art conference hall and a women and children's desk while the first floor would have boarding and refreshment facilities for officers engaged in counter-insurgency operations. The second floor would designed to accommodate at least two platoons of security personnel, the sources said. Due to high pressure and space crunch, the Koraput police very often face acute problems in accommodating forces, depending,  on unhygienic Government buildings under compulsion of circumstances. 

Besides, with the forces stationed at places away from police stations, they also face severe communication problems in passing urgent messages. But now when the new police stations come up, they will all be under one roof, which will solve a lot of problems.

The Hindu 

National weightlifting championship starts in Berhampur

The five-day national weightlifting championship, 2011, will begin in Silk city Berhampur on December 24. As many as 300 weightlifters from across the country, including 100 woman participants, will participate in the event, while around 100 officials, including those from the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) will conduct the tournament.

"Over 100 weightlifters and several officials have already reached the town. Several others will reach on Saturday morning due to late running of some long-distance trains," the vice president of the IWF and the organizing secretary of the event, Narayan Sahu, said on Friday. The participants include several international and national award winners, he added.

The technical committee of the federation has already done the final inspection of the makeshift stage erected inside the Berhampur Stadium, where the event will be held. Some of the participants have begun practicing, and the preparation is almost complete, Sahu said.

The mega event assumes significance as Berhampur has produced several international and national-level weightlifters, including two Arjuna award winners - K Ravi Kumar and Bijay Satapathy.

"We are very happy, as the city, that has produced a number of noted weightlifters, is holding the national meet for the first time," said the advisor of the Odisha Weightlifting Association (OWA), Biswanath Patra.

Apart from weightlifters, the city has also produced some reputed weightlifting coaches, including Narayan Sahu, Sita Nath Patnaik and Ramesh Padhy.

Prince Dance Group steals the show ; Curtails down in Malyabanta

‘Dasha Avatar’ - the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu, a dance programme presented by the Prince Dance Group from Berhampur stole the show at the closing ceremony of the Malyabanta Mahostav-2011, which began here. It was based on the incarnation of Krishna, beginning with the preaching of Gita. The organizers of the three-day extravaganza was invited several cultural groups and teams to perform.

The Berhampur-based group led by team leader Krishna Mohan, which has carved a niche for itself in the entire world for its distinctive style of choreography, presented three performances including Vande Maataram. The 21-member team had been divided into three groups. Members of all the groups had been painted from head to toe with the tricolour. It looked as though the national flag was waving on the stage as they danced. The acrobatics displayed by the dancers conveyed different meanings to the song and music.

The Prince Dance Group put together by Krishna Reddy gave a breathtaking performance of "Dash avatar" - the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The self trained group drew wide applause from the audience. It was a unique and refreshing experience for the people who witnessed the show. I had never earlier seen such a dance form. The way the artists performed the dance made be speechless, said T.Nageswar, a 45 year spectator from Visakhapatnam.

The other highlight of the evening was a scintillating ‘Kuchipudi’ dance performed by the artists from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. The colorful performance captivated the huge gathering of about 50,000 audiences who enjoyed the series of cultural events till late night.

Then there was the popular ‘Bhangda’ performance that originates from Punjab. While performing Bhangra, the artists started singing Punjabi Boliyaan lyrics, while at least one person played the dhol drum. Than the dancers began to move in a circle around the drummer, who now and then lifts the two sticks, with which he beats the drum, to beckon the dancers to a higher tempo of movement.

The closing ceremony also witnessed a folk dance related to the festival of Bihu in Assam. This dance was performed by young men and women and it was characterized by brisk dance steps and rapid hand movement. Dancers wore traditional colourful Assamese outfits. Artists from Rajasthan also performed Chakri and Bhawai dance.

Local artistes also presented a couple of performances, namely ‘Dhemsa’, Kathi, Bazasal, Kureifula and paraja dances.  Though all the troupes performed well, it was the Prince Dance Group which added glamour to the evening. Rayagada Collector Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, his Koraput counterpart Sachin and Malkangiri Collector & District Council of Culture Chairman Balwant Singh, Superintendent of Police Anirudha Singh were present in the closing day ceremony

CM clears Rs 662-crore project to bring PTGs to mainstream

The Chief Minister cleared a 662-crore project for all-round development of the Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) to bring them to the mainstream. According to official sources, the project would be implemented in 12 schedule districts having sizable PTGs. The project prepared by the SC and ST Development Department envisages capacity building, empowerment and building community infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also asked the department to complete appointment of 2,000 teachers in the schools, meant for the SC and ST students and managed by the department, by December 15. Patnaik, while reviewing the progress of the construction of hostels for tribal boys and girls and their education, told officials of the department to ensure completion of the 935 hostels under construction before the next academic year.

According to sources, the State Government had sanctioned for construction of 3,362 hostels for three lakh tribal boys and 40,000 tribal girls . Out of that while 1,034 hostels had already been completed during 2007-08, another 500 hostels were completed during 2008-09. As many as 935 hostels are now under construction.

The Chief Minister stressed the need for providing facilities for extra-curricular activities along with the normal education for the tribal students to bring them to the mainstream.

Source: The Pioneer  

Tourism package for Malkangiri district announced at Malyabanta Mahotsav

The Odisha Government is determined to promote tourism in the tribal-dominated district of Malkangiri in South Odisha, said Culture and Tourism Minister.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating Malyabanta Mahotsav-2011 the Minister declared a package of 1 crore for the tourism and infrastructure development of Satiguda dam and Manikeswari Shiva Temple.

The inaugural day of the three-day Malyabanta Mahostav-2011 saw troupes from Assam, Punjab, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Puri, Mayurbhanj, Titilagarh and Bhubaneswar perform. Gotipua, Chhau, Odissi and Dhap presented by the artistes on the day left the audience spellbound.

Also speaking on the occasion District Collector Balwant Singh said the festival was aimed at providing an opportunity to the tribal folk to exhibit their latent talents on a common platform. More than 50,000 people enjoyed the programme despite the cold weather. 

Famous Tribal Festival Parab-2011 Kicked off

Source: Orissa Diary

Inaugurating the Tribal Festival Parab Pyari Mohan Mahapatro, MP said that this not only shelters but also promotes the hidden talents of Koraput. The programme as an initiative by the District Council Of Culture, Koraput is a long event that began on 24th of the last month October covering throughout Panchayat and Block level by conducting events such as sports, cultural activities and the mega event Parab that is going to run for three days 16th to 18th of November at its last stage. Thousands of tribals have gathered here in their traditional attire to participate in the event that seeks to showcase the region’s rich cultural heritage.

On its first day Mr. Sukhram Majhi, Miss. Subhasmita Mohanty, Miss Pramila Kirshani were honoured for sports, Late Surya Pattnaik, Mr. Gopal Krishna Samantray, Mr. Jogendra Mohanty were honoured in the field of art and culture, Dr. Rajendra Kumar Padhi was honoured for his Excellency in Promoting of education in tribal areas, Mr. Dasarathi Mali honoured for his effort in the field of agriculture and last but not the least Mr. Harihara Pradhan was honoured for his dedication towards  theater performing art (Desia Nat).

The Chairman of the event Mr. Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Collector Koraput read out the objectives of Parab and threw light on the importance of Parab. Mr. Jayaram Pangi, MP, Koraput, Mr. Raghuram Podal, MLA, Koraput and Mr, Jhinna Hikaka, MLA, Laxmipur have expressed their say on this event. The vote of thanks was given by Mr. Chudamani Seth, Project Director, DRDA, and Koraput.

Gopalpur beach festival from January 11 to 15

Gopalpur beach festival would be held in January this time rather than in December like earlier years. This five-day beach festival would be held from January 11 to 15. Earlier date of this beach festival used to coincide with Christmas. This decision was taken at the first preparatory meeting for the beach festival held in Berhampur city. This beach festival is organised every year jointly by the Ganjam district administration and Ganjam District Hoteliers' Association (GDHA) to promote tourism at this beach resort and to show case cultural heritage of South Odisha. The preparatory meeting was chaired by Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) southern division, Laxmi Narayan Nayak. It was attended by Ganjam Collector Kishan Kumar, MLAs of Gopalpur and Berhampur and many office bearers.

Decision to shift dates of the beach festival was taken at the request of the GDHA. The GDHA felt holding of beach festival during festive tourist season was putting extra pressure on the small beach resort. Added to it large crowd that gathers up for the beach festival and clogged traffic was also causing problems for the tourists who check in hotels of the beach resort during that time. Holding of this beach festival during January would add up another tourist season for the beach resort, felt GDHA. This famous beach festival had been started during 90s by the GDHA and this famous beach is just 9km away from Berhampur city. Source: The Hindu

Annual tribal fest MONDEI kicks off in Nabarangpur, South Odisha

Report by Basant Rath

The inaugural function of Mondei organized with much fanfare. A congregation of local dance troupes kicked off the five day mega cultural festival of the district ‘Mondei – 2011’ in Nabarangpur with the traditional march from Sadashiva Tripathy park to Mondei ground.

Hon’ble Minister tourism Prafulla Samal,  along with Hon’ble Minister of Information Technology Ramesh Chandra Majhi, local MLAs Manohar Randhari, Bhujabala Majhi, Chairperson of Nabarangpur Municipality Prahallad Tripathy, District Collector Sibabrata Dash etc performed puja at the temple before the colourful carnival procession took on Mahatma Gandhi Marg. Besides the traditional folk dance troupes, hundreds of townsmen along with the block level   took part in the procession.

The procession saw tribal villagers with folk culture, a number of tribal musical parties and various tribal fancy shows performed along the way. The Mondei carnival reached the Mondei Rangamanch in the evening. The inauguration function was held at night.

The festival was highly successful in showcasing unique cultural and traditional heritage of the district and its people; in identifying hidden talents in various fields; contributing to revamping the old traditions and bringing recognition to those; and above all in recasting socio-cultural integrity and amalgamation.

 “Explore Nabarangpur” published by NGPURNEWS was inaugurated by the chief guest and guests at the function. Troupes from Uttarakhand, West Bihar, Himanchal Pradesh, Sambalpur, Bhanjanagar (Ganjam), Kokshora, Chandahandi, Nabarangpur Municipality, performed folk dances.

Source: TOI

Famous Parab-2011 kicks off in Koraput, South Odisha

Thousands of tribals gathered in their traditional attire to participate in the event that seeks to showcase the region's rich cultural heritage. The tribals performed their traditional dances at the inaugural ceremony, attended by district collector Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Koraput MP Jayaram Pangi, who lit the festival torch, Koraput SP Anup Kumar Sahoo and Koraput and Laxmipur MLAs, among others. The fest features a number of competitive sporting events, tribal dances, songs, traditional instrumental music and a mini marathon and cycle rally, which were introduced last year. The festival itself was started in 1996 to showcase the culture of the region. "The aim of the festival is to protect and promote the region's rich cultural heritage. We are confident that this year's festival will make a different statement in terms of participation and vibrancies," the collector said. "The event has already generated a great deal of interest among tourists. We hope to see more outsiders visiting our district this time. In fact, we are working on a plan on how the district could be developed into a tourist destination," he added.

The block and district level festival-cum-competition will be on till November 14, with the grand finale on November 16-18 at the stadium ground of the district headquarters town of Koraput. Source: TOI

MGCHRI to set up cancer hospital in south Odisha

Oncologists feel rural and ignorant women of the State are prone to threat of cervical cancer. Addressing a press meet in Berhampur city oncologists from Mahatma Gandhi Cancer Hospital and Research Institute (MGCHRI) of Visakhapatnam said lifestyle-related cancer threat also looms over people of Odisha.

Surgical oncologist and managing director of the cancer institute Murali Krishna Voona said with education and better lifestyle incidence of cervical cancer was going down among women. Radiation oncologist of the institute Kanhu Charan Patro described how change in lifestyle has started to increase occurrence of breast cancer in traditional states like Odisha. According to him one of the major reasons is the blind adaptation of cosmopolitan lifestyle in the educated women in the upper economic strata. “But the silver lining is that due to increased consciousness women with developing breast cancer are being identified early for timely medical intervention”, said Dr Murali Krishna..

The MGCHRI is planning to establish a cancer hospital in south Odisha. “We have started viability survey of the project in the area”, said Dr Murali Krishna. On October 31 a clinic of the institute was opened in Berhampur city which would be visited by oncologists from the Visakhapatnam based cancer hospital every month. The MGCHRI declared to extend its subsidised treatment for BPL families of Andhra Pradesh to the poor patients of Odisha also. Source: The Hindu 

Berhampur girl grabs gold in Commonwealth Youth championship at Cape Town

Following the footsteps of K Ravi Kumar, another weightlifter of Berhampur city, Minati Das, brought fame to the state. She won gold in the ongoing Commonwealth Youth Girls championship at Cape Town. Ravi, who had won the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games-2010, had also won the medal in the Commonwealth (youth) championships earlier.

Fifteen-year-old Minati of Old Berhampur area won in the 44-kg category, said vice-president of Indian Weightlifting Federation and general secretary of Berhampur-based Veer Hanuman Club Narayan Sahu. Seven girls from the country, including Das, were participating in the youth (girl) category. Though Minati has participated in many national events, the commonwealth (youth) championship is her first international participation. She had a rigorous practice session in Bangalore before this. We are proud that another youth from our club won the prestigious medal in the international event, Sahu said.

Minati is the second daughter of Pramod Das, a farmer and leader of Ganjam District Scheduled Caste Federation. Out of his four children, Minati was the one very keen on sports. At present, she is a Class X student of Government Girlsa High School, Berhampur.

Source: The Times of India 

Tara Tarini Development Board takes great pleasure in wishing you happiness and prosperity on the divine occasion of Dusshera,

the festival that symbolizes the Triumph of Good over Evil.

May the divine blessings of

 Maa Tara Tarini be with you always!

Silk City Berhampur gears up for 9-day Durga Puja carnival

Durga puja is also known as Navratri Puja which says the worshipping of goddess Durga for nine days. Like Kolkata, Gujarat and Cuttack, Berhampur also gears up for Durga Puja. With the Mahalaya, devotees have welcomed the goddess Durga amidst all pomp and show to bring bountiful yield and happiness to every household.

Ganjam is famous for its religious “shakti shrines” where the ritual of the 16-day festival is strictly followed. This ritual is known as “Shodasa Upachara” unlike in other parts of the country where it lasts for three to nine days. The prominent Sakti shrines in Ganjam include presiding deity of South Odisha Tara Tarini near Purusottampur, goddess Narayani near Khallikote, goddess Mahamayee (Budhi Thakurani) of Berhampur, goddess Bhairavi at Mantridi, 15 km away from Berhampur, goddess Ramachandi at Gadamanitri, 5 km away from Ganjam town, Mahuri Kalika, Ghata Kalika, Kandhuni Devi, Byaghra Devi, Balakumari, Barahi, Khambeswari, Simhasini, Shyamalai, Kureisuni and Siddha Harachandi. They are all geared up for the festival Dussehra.

Some Puja Mandaps in the city have started the rituals of Navaratripuja formally from Mahalaya night. TheSilk City is known as one of the prominent socio-cultural centers of Odisha. The city connects two different cultures of Odia and Telugu since time immemorial.

The Puja bazaar is all set to make a good business in this session. The wholesale markets of garments are the commercial nerve centre as well as inter-State business centers of Odisha. Traffic is getting thicker gradually in the areas beginning from Head Post Office Square, Fire Station Road, Annapurna Road, Urban Bank Road, SNT Temple Road, Sanabazaar to Badabazaar area.

The puja mandaps of Komapalli Square, Courtpeta Square, Bijipur, Station Road, Old Bus Stand, Girija Square, Giri Market, Hanuman Bazaar and Badabazaar have been started formally for the nine day puja of goddess Durga from the night of Mahalaya. Out of total 39 worshiping places, nine have opened their puja pandals and started the rituals of the nine-day puja. Others may open on seventh or eighth day of the ritual of the Navratri Puja. The attraction of this year’s puja is the pandals draped in different colours, themes, and innovative arts and designs. According to a member Kali Prasad Patra of Bijipur Puja Committee, they have hired artists from Dhenkanal and Kolkata for the design of their puja pandal like a temple of Nepal. The pandal is made up of different coloured and designed mats, while the idol is of 15 feet height mesmerizing the devotees of the city. City administration, Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) and police are ready for the nine-day-long carnival. The District Administration has imposed ban on using of loud speaker after 10 pm of the night and it has only permitted bhajans for playing on the puja mandaps.

Mayfair group acquires Oberoi's Gopalpur hotel

The Oberoi Group has sold its 100-year-old hotel property at Gopalpur on Sea in Orissa to Mayfair Hotels and Resorts, a local hospitality company owned by former cabinet minister and industrialist Dilip Ray. The property, Oberoi Palm Beach, was bought by Rai Bahadur MS Oberoi in 1947 from an Italian lady and was the third hotel in his portfolio after Shimla and Kolkata. EIH, formerly East India Hotels, the flagship company of the Oberoi Group, has handed over the property to the Mayfair Group, which now has eight properties, said top executives at both companies.

For the Oberois, the Gopalpur property, though small, had a lot of sentimental value. However, with any significant expansion not possible due to the Coastal Regulation Zone restrictions and high overhead costs, the EIH management decided to lease or sell it. For a few years, they leased the hotel to a Bhubaneswar-based hotelier, but it did not work well, said an EIH source. Ray, who has been expanding his hospitality business in the past few years, said: "It is a dream acquisition. We will try our best to develop this hotel to international standards and expand it."

The Mayfair group now plans to spend 25-30 crore to expand the hotel and add another 15 rooms to the existing 20 rooms. It will also add a spa to the property along with villas.

 Gopalpur on Sea has been a popular destination among the Russian tourists throughout the year. Domestic travellers visit during winters. With Gopalpur port being developed from a seasonal to an all-weather port, commercial and industrial activity is expected to pick up. Tatas too are planning an industrial park at Gopalpur where it will be the anchor investor. The 100-crore Mayfair group operates mid-segment hotels inBhubaneswar, Puri, Rourkela, Goa, Darjeeling and Gangtok. It also will soon open hotels in Kolkata, Satpada and a new hotel in Puri. Mayfair plans to spend 25-30 crore to expand the hotel and add another 15 rooms to the existing 20 rooms.

Tata Steel reserves berth at Gopalpur Port near Berhampur

• Jindal Company also visited Gopalpur port to get a reserve berth

• Tata Steel would construct a hospital at Tata rehabilitation colony at Sitalapalli, Berhampur

At a time when the demand for returning the lands acquired for industries in Ganjam district is growing shriller, The Tata Steel Managing Director’s visit to Ganjam district seems to have settled things for now.

Tata Steel MD HM Nerurkar along with vice-president for Orissa Projects of the Company Hrideyshwar Jha visited Ganjam district on Tuesday to take stock of the progress of the proposed projects. They had an informal meeting with Ganjam District Collector Kishen Kumar and Managing Director of Gopalpur Ports Limited (GPL) Mahimanandan Mishra.

Gopalpur Industrial Park project is planned on 3,300 acres of land taken over by the company in 1995 for its now shelved mega steel plant project near Gopalpur port.

Tata Steel, being the anchor investor, has announced a ferrochrome industry with a capacity of around 55,000 tonne a year besides four million tonne capacity rubber industry and a desalination plant. The three units are scheduled to go for production from 2013.

However, as no progress was made even after seven months of the foundation, the displaced families whose lands were acquired started agitation demanding return of their lands.

According to the discussion between Tata Steel, GPL and district administration, Tata Steel would have its own berth and a jetty at Gopalpur Port at Rs. 60 crore for transportation of its proposed production.

However, till the construction of the berth, the port would provide a rebate of around 50 per cent to Tata Steel for transportation.

Tata Steel would construct a hospital in the vacant land at the Tata rehabilitation colony at Sitalapalli for the convenience of port and Tata employees and the GPL authorities would establish a school in the port’s vicinity, in order to reduce dependence on Berhampur.

Meanwhile, a team of officials of Jindal Company also visited the Gopalpur port to get a reserve berth.

Source: IBN Live