When the sun sets in the horizon and the stars appear in the sky, the open-air auditorium against the backdrop of the floodlit temple reverberates with the beats of Raga and Tala to fill the air. The classical extravaganza is a journey through ecstasy.

The Konark Dance & Music Festival is organised by eminent Odissi guru Gangadhar Pradhan's Orissa Dance Academy in association with the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata at Konark Natya Mandap in Konark every year. A brain-child of the Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Odissi exponent, the festival is the oldest of its kind in the state to have recognition at the national level.