PURI (ODISHA): The 2-day Odisha Japan Festival held in the holy city of Puri, Odisha bid adieu on Sunday’s closing ceremony.
More than a hundred Japanese artists thronged the stage with their fellow Odishan artists to commemorate the event amid much applaud and fun fare.
The festival had been made entry free so as to make common people even participate in it.
About two thousand five hundred people gathered in these two days to witness this amazing festival amid cheers and greetings. Consul General of Japan in Kolkata Masayuki Taga kindled the ceremonial light in the presence of MLA, Puri along with Additional SP and other respected delegates.
Japan-India Club, Chandra Sekhar Academy & India-Japan Friendship Center jointly organized the event for people to people interact by comprehending each other’s art, music & culture.
Artists of Japan sang Odia songs while dancing clad in traditional dress codes. Japanese dance, music, drum & flute, especially Taico & Shamisen mesmerized the audience.
This awesome fest was coordinated by Kunna Dash, International Tourism Ambassador of Kyoto, Japan & President, India-Japan Friendship Center, Japan, and Chandra Sekhar Academy, Puri, Odisha & Kyoto, Japan.
Exquisite stalls by the Government of Japan Tourism (JNTO), Govt. of India Tourism & Odisha Tourism displayed & distributed leaflets, cards of Buddhism sites as well as important tourist destinations so as to attract & educate people of either side to visit these rare sites.
Japanese food stalls served mouth-watering dishes that made a craze among youths to have them.
The magic spell of Odishan artists Lingaraj Das in Tabla & Satyaban Sethi in Sitar while jointly playing with Japanese musicians overwhelmed thousands of audiences in awesome ecstasy.
While addressing the audience, Consul General praised organizers for hosting such festivals that widen the relationship between Japan & Odisha.
Odisha being on the same side south-east of Japan has a straight sea route from the Bay of Bengal to Pacific & its logistics like road, transportation, port, airport, etc. are up to the mark except few more ports required for smooth transportation of goods & materials, added Taga.
Chandra Sekhar Academy, Puri being the only school in Odisha where Japanese language & culture has been taught from elementary to senior secondary (+2) level.
And also, the school has its international branch in Kyoto, Japan, said Taga while interacting with media.
It’s promising that more & more Odia youths are learning the Japanese language while Odia culinary, dress code, etiquette & habitat have left a mark on Japanese people, he said while edifying the cultural heritage.
Odissy & Sambalpuri dance along with sand art have long since been popular in Japan, he added further. Festivals & cultural concerts are to be organized in different Indian cities as these are the prelude to each other’s culture & habitat, added Taga.
Japan has given much more importance to these socio-cultural activities. Skilled Odia youths having little exposure to the Japanese language can have a bright future in Japanese companies in Japan & India, he said further.
“We have been celebrating this fest every year as a commemorative endeavor between Odisha & Japan that helps make a bridge to pass over either side,” said Dash.
Through culture, education, tourism, commerce & industry, we can enrich each other while sharing technology and resources.
The age-old Japanese festival Gion Matsuri in Kyoto has a lot of similarities with the Chariot festival of Odisha (Rath Yatra). So every year, my Japanese friends come here to make a chariot in the image of original cart Nandighose to be driven along amid chanting & clapping of cymbals, added Dash.
India is a big country with a vast population & Japan is a high tech country. India is having lots of raw materials & workforce. If Indian resources are met with Japanese technology, there shall be abundant yield & growth, said Dash, while replying to media queries.
