Beach Festival Kicks off in Puri India

The annual Puri Beach Festival is underway. Its in India's eastern Orissa state, and is attracting thousands of local and overseas tourists.

[Ram Krushna Dasmohapatra, Organizer, Puri Beach Festival]:
"The growth of tourism is the main aim behind the Beach festival. Lots of people have come here to attend the show and we are expecting a lot more. All the hotels in Orissa are booked."

This is the 15th year the festival is being held. Its a five-day event that kicked off on Monday. The fiesta combines the carnival spirit, with the rich cultural heritage of Orissa. Its showcasing the coastal province's arts, craft, cuisine and dance.

This year is the first time that artists from overseas are participating. The festival features various cultural programs with budding artists from different states of the country. They perform classical folk music and dance to showcase their talent. Around 2,500 artists from across India are participating this year.

Foreign tourists marvel at the performances.

"This (Puri beach festival) will show us the culture of India and I am so blessed to see that. It helps me so much and I can tell all my people in Germany about that."

The Puri Beach Festival ends on Friday.

Category:

Entertainment

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