The unique annual Dhauli-Kalinga Mahostsav , an arts festival presented at the Buddhist heritage site of Dhauli hills near Bhubaneswar has been an exemplary public-private partnership. The festival brings together classical, folk, martial and contemporary genres of arts on one platform – a treat for the commoners and connoisseurs alike. Dhauli festival, launched 13 years ago, was the brain-child of Odissi dance guru Gangadhar Pradhan who had launched the famed Konark dance and music festival. Kalinga Mahotsav was conceptualized by Bhubaneswar-based Italian Odissi dancer Ileana Citaristi as an exclusive martial arts festival highlighting the victory of peace over violence and staged atop the Dhauli hill that had witnessed the dreaded Kalinga war and the transformation of the war’s chief architect Emperor Ashoka to a follower of Buddhism.

 

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