Konark Dance Festival is a grand and major annual celebration of Konark which is held in Konark Sun Temple. It is held for five days. It is celebrated every year 1st to 5th December. It’s been 32 years that the festival is being celebrated. It is a showcase of Odissi culture and heritage.
This is the festival to celebrate different dance cultures of various part of India. The festival is organized by the schools and govt charity. A normal ticket price for the festival is Rs. 100 and ticket upto Rs. 10000 VIP gold are available.
The festival is a showcase of various dance forms of all over India. All famous dance performs like Odissi, Kathak, Manipuri, Bharatnatyam, Kochipuri, other tribal dance forms all are performed in the festival by various artists. There are 813 dance groups performed in this festival. And a lots of musical instruments like flute, drams, ghungroo, Pakhauj are used in the festival.
The festival starts when the sun sets, in a open air auditorium in Konark Temple. It starts at 6:30 at evening and ends at 9:30at night. To make more attractive many food stalls are set up outside the hall.
The festival is celebrated along with International Sand art festival, which is celebrated in the Chandrabhanga beach. Also a craft mela is organized by Odisha tourism at Urban Haat. Which is another place to sell buy handcrafts of Odisha. The mela features the various Odisha food cuisine, along with sculptures, and arts of Odisha.
History of Konark Dance Festival
Konarak temple is a famous temple of Odisha which is known for its unique and beautiful architectures, and its rich heritage and culture of various dance forms along with the sculptures of playing drums, various musical instruments. It was built by Raja Narasingha Deva. So that the temple organizes the dance festival to maintain their heritage and culture. The Dancing Hall or the Nat Mandap is a unique architectural showcase, where Konarak dance festival is celebrated.
Konarak dance festival is been celebrated from the year 1986 by the founder of Konarak Nat Mandap. It was organized by Odissi Research Centre and by Odisha Tourism. The dance and cultural program are held in the Nat mandap of the Konarak sun temple itself. Konarak Sun temple is a unique temple of sculpture and heritage of Odisha. Konarak Dance festival is celebrated in the 700 years old Nat Mandap of the temple. It is said that the dance is also linked with the temple.
Why Konark Dance Festival is Celebrated
Konarak is a place of culture and heritage. Konarak Dance festival first started in the year 1986 to represent India’s diverse heritage of dance and culture and also to make Konarak Temple as a tourist place. It also increases the popularity of Konarak. The main motive of this festival is to gather so many artists into the dance culture and make it a showcase of Odissi culture and heritage.
Who started Konark Dance Festival
Padmashree Guru Gangadhar Pradhan on the year 1986, who was the founder and director of Konarak Nat Mandap first started Konarak Dance Festival.
Highlights of Konarak Dance Festival
- Cultural events and dance performances which also represent diverse Indian cultural heritage is a highlight of this festival. The festival is organized in the Konarak sun temple.
- Craft Mela is another highlight of this festival. This fair is also famous for handmade Odissi crafts, Odissi food verities.
- Tribal dance form of Gujrat, West Bengal, Rajasthan all are performed in the festival.
- Violin Brothers is the highlight of Konarak Dance festival 2023. Deb Shankar Roy and Jyoti Shankar Roy who are known as Violin brothers will be performed in the festival.
- Sounds of this festival along with the dance forms make the open-air theatre of Konarak temple very unique.
- Brajeswar Mukherjee is another highlight of the Konarak dance festival 2023.
- Craft Bazaar is also added some attraction to the festival. It is organized at the outside of the temple amphitheater.
Konark Dance Festival 2023
Konarak Dance Festival will be celebrated on 1st December to 5th December in 2023.
Konark Dance Festival 2022
From 1st December to 5th December Konarak Dance Festival was held.
Next Konark Dance Festival
Next Konarak Dance Festival will be held from 1st December to 5th December.
How to participate in Konarak Dance Festival
- It is celebrated in the Nat Mandir of Konarak Sun Temple. Classical dancers along with various famous artists performs in the festival. And craft mela add extra attraction to the festival by beautiful and unique handmade crafts.
- The sounds of Ghungroo make Konarak very attractive heritage site for five days.
- There are some criteria to apply there are some criteria. Those who wants to join as a participants have to show some classical or fusion dances 15min to 1 hr.
How to Reach Konark
Konarak Dance festival is a major significant festival of Konarak Sun Temple, Konarak. Konarak can be reached by train, bus and air.
How to reach Konark by Air
In a distance of 64 km, Biju Patnaik International Airport is the nearest to Konarak. From Bhubaneswar local taxis are available to Konarak.
How to reach Konark by Train
Puri is the nearest railway station to Konarak in distance of 27.4 km.
How to reach Konark by Bus
NH203 passes through Konarak, which is connected through Bhubaneswar, Pipili, Puri and by Konarak. Buses are available from Puri, Bhubaneswar to Konarak.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Konark dance festival celebrated?
The Konark Festival was intended to promote Konark and Odisha as tourist destinations. It was planned as a festival of Indian classical dances.
Who started Konark Dance Festival?
In order to bring together a diverse nation with a wealth of artistic expression, Padmashree Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, the founder-director of Konark Natya Mandap, organized this festival. His goal was to elevate the Sun Temple and popularize dancing among those who valued culture and the arts.
How Konark dance festival is celebrated in Odisha?
The Sun Temple, a World Heritage Site, hosts the Konark Dance Festival. It takes place over the first five days of December. The Natyamandir, a stunning example of Indian architecture, is where the dance performances take place. Its walls are decorated with lovely antique artistic motifs.
Where is Konark Dance Festival held?
The Konark Dance Festival is a five-day dance event that takes place in Konark, Odisha, India
When did Konark festival start?
In the year of 1986, Konarak Dance festival first started.
Konark is an ancient city in Odisha, India, known for the Sun Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Konark Dance Festival is a five-day festival held every year in December in Konark. The festival is a celebration of Indian classical dance and music.
The festival was started in 1986 by the Odisha Tourism Department and the Odissi Research Centre. The festival is held in the Natya Mandir, an open-air auditorium near the Sun Temple.
The festival features performances by dancers from all over India. The dances performed at the festival include Odissi, Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, and Mohiniattam. The festival also features performances by folk and tribal dancers.
The Konark Dance Festival is a popular event for tourists and locals alike. The festival is a great way to experience the rich cultural heritage of India.