International Fest ‘Unurum’ begins at FM University – Times of India

BHUBANESWAR: The three-day international festival ‘Unurum’ to celebrate art, literature and culture was kicked off at Fakir Mohan University Balasore on Thursday. Artists from India and abroad attended the function.
On the inaugural day, Nancy Pop, an artist from the USA, Mohan Kant Gautam, a professor from Netherlands and Chandini Kasturi Arachchi, dancer and maestro from Sri Lanka discussed the socio-cultural value of tribal people and their way of life.
University vice-chancellor Santosh Kumar Tripathy said the teaching and learning process should not be confined to the four walls of a classroom. “It should be taken outside of it and an educational atmosphere can be created with great vision. Art, culture and literature play vital roles in a person’s life,” he added.

Unurum, a word collected from Mundari tribal community, means identity. Aim of the festival is to scout for hidden talents in the field of art, dance, language and literature. This year the festival will showcase such arts in its full glory.
Official sources said classical dances and the performing arts are well known throughout the length and breadth of India. But folk arts, folk dances, literature and languages need promotion, preservation and exposure. Because these are the living traditions, said a professor at the university.
So, this event is to get together some of the art practitioners to share their thought process and many more are blurring the gap between the art and cutting-edge technology with their inter/multidisciplinary approaches in their art practices.
From this festival, participants can expect a burst of colour, lively dance and music performances, discussion sessions on arts, poetry, story and films, book release, an exhibition of traditional handicrafts, contemporary art like performance art, video art, installation art, film screening and a plethora of events.
Apart from exhibition of art and handicrafts, four workshops will be conducted on painting, palm leaf engraving, Jau Kandhei and theatre till November 26.
Chandini Kasturi Arachchi dance group from Sri Lanka, Bharatanatyam dancer Sudipa Sain Seal from Kolkata, Odissi dancer Jyotipriya Khuntia from Delhi, Mayurbhanj Chhau Chhauni, tribal dance group from Dambrughati in Odisha, Chadheia Chadheiani dance group from Balasore and Sadashiba Pradhan Chhau dance group from Bhubaneswar are performing in the festival.