OdishaLIVE Bureau
“Over the years we have been trying to enrich the experience of Konark Festival for the visitors and guests. We invite international troupes to perform and this year Odissi Dance Guru from Malaysia, Ramli Ibrahim performed along with the Temple of Fine Arts, also from Malaysia. We want to take the appeal of Konark Festival to international level as we want to make Konark Festival a hallmark event of Odisha Tourism” said Dr. Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, Director Tourism, Govt. of Odisha.
In a conversation with OdishaLIVE on the sidelines of the Konark Festival 2017, he mentioned that the Odisha Tourism is constantly making efforts to improve the tourism infrastructure and facilities in the state. He aims to make Odisha a preferred tourist destination for inland and foreign travellers.
He introduced the festival by saying “Department of Tourism, Govt. of Odisha has been organising the Konark Festival since long. It is a matter of great pride for us that many national and international artists dream of performing at this high profile festival.”
“We have been organising the International Sand Art Festival for a few years now with immense success. The aim is to gain brand exposure to Odisha Tourism and attract more foreign tourists to the state”, Dr. Jawale added.
On the architectural wonder of Konark, he said “Konark is home to the popular Sun Temple which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since Konark has a nearby sea beach Chandrabhaga, it is an ideal town with history, architecture and heritage to enjoy. We are planning to make Konark cleaner and tourist friendly and develop it into a model town.”
On increasing awareness for the Konark Festival, he informed “many people are aware of the Konark Festival. In fact we have a French lady sitting here who is visiting Konark for the tenth time. Konark Festival is a niche product for lovers of Art and Culture from India and abroad. People who actually enjoy Konark Festival make plans well in advance to attend the festival.”
“Finally we take the positive point home that we have to market the Konark Festival well and make it more enjoyable and tourist friendly in the times to come” he concluded.
