Dhauli Kalinga Mahotsav

1. Kalinga Mahaotsav celebrated at Dhauli for 2 days marks the victory of peace over war with regards to the Buddhist philosophy of winning people's heart through Dharma than conquering land by force. It is also known as the National Festival of Martial Dance.Various martial arts dance forms are showcased with Indian music, thus attracting dancers from all over India. Chhow and Paika from Orissa, Thang Ta from Manipur and Kalaripayattu from Kerala are the most prominent dance performances. The Vishwa Shanti Stupa (Peace Pagoda) serves as the venue for the festival, which is the place where Emperor Ashoka is believed to have fought the Kalinga war, before giving up the sword and embracing Buddhism. Every year during February, the stage is set for the Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav, a national festival of performing arts, at the foothills of Dhauli. The event is being hosted collectively by Bhubaneswar-based two prominent cultural organisations―Odisha Dance Academy (ODA) and Art Vision―along with support of Odisha Tourism. While Odisha's cultural calendar is replete with festivals of all kinds, this one is different from the rest as it offers an insight into the martial art forms of both India and abroad. While Dhauli Mahotsav, launched during 2004, was the brain-child of ODA founder and prominent Odissi exponent late Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, Kalinga Mahotsav was conceptualised by the city based well- known Italian Odissi dancer-choreographer Ileana Citaristi as an exclusive martial dance festival of India since 2003. Odisha Tourism―the Department of Tourism of Odisha Government―came forward as a partner clubbed the two festivals together and renamed it as Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav since 2011. The Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav combines martial dance, which celebrates the victory of peace over war, with classical and folk dances of the state. And the venue, Dhauli Hills alongside the Daya river, is the place where Emperor Ashok is believed to have fought the last battle of the Kalinga war before surrendering to humanity and embracing Buddhism. A symbol of Buddhist legacy in Odisha, the International Peace Pagoda at Dhauli stands for peace and harmony in the world. The message of peace is reinforced through dance forms at the annual Dhauli and Kalinga Mahotsav, staged in the foothills of the Buddhist monastery. Hosted together by the State Culture and Tourism Department and Odisha Dance Academy, Dhauli Kalinga Mahotsav is a merger of two festivals that were independently hosted earlier. Both the festivals had started in 2003 and while the Dhauli Mahotsav was being organised by Odisha Dance Academy at the foothills of Dhauli, the Kalinga Mahotsav, conducted by Art Vision, was held right in the courtyard of the majestic pagoda. But since 2011, both teams combined to organize the two dance festivals around the Dhauli pagoda. Dhauli Mahotsav is a collage of classical and folk dance forms while Kalinga Mahotsav is a kaleidoscope of martial dance forms. After the festivals have come together, visitors get to see plethora of performances including instrumental, classical and folk dances as well as striking and unique martial dance forms. The three day festival features top notch artistes from across India in every segment of performance. While the folk and classical dancers usually depict tales from Indian mythology and focus on the spiritual aspect, the martial dance forms showcase unbelievable acrobatic moves and well synced steps portraying not just vigour and strength of the body but also determination and strength of mind. A special bus service is arranged for tourists and visitors from Bhubaneswar to enjoy the festival in the scenic setting of Dhauli fields with the brightly lit peace pagoda in the backdrop.