Dubai: Nuakhai Bhet Ghat was celebrated in UAE with its grandeur and excitement by the Nuakhai Paribar here in Credence High School on 20th September 2019. This sixth edition of the celebration here saw a lineup of several cultural programs by local talents as well as external troupes flown in from Odisha, India. As many as 80 local artists that included kids, teens and adults enthralled the 600 plus audience with the traditional Sambalpuri Dance and Song performances. A troupe of 15 members, the Rang Farua Group from Sambalpur kept the audience awe struck with their vibrant performance. The program started with the serving of breakfast around 9.30 am in the morning. Honorable Member of Parliament and National secretary BJP Shri Suresh Pujari graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Shri Vipul, Honorable Consul General, Indian Consulate, Dubai was the Guest of Honour. This year in UAE it is being celebrated as the “Year of Tolerance” and such events carries the demonstration of the great tolerance and respect for all community in UAE.
It all started with the lighting of lamps and offering “Nua Dhan” (new paddy) to the deity of Sambalpur, Maa Samaleswari. During the event a desktop calendar was inaugurated which was based on the theme of Sambalpuri musical instruments and provides good information about them. Shri Pujari praised the efforts of this Odia community in organizing such an event here in UAE and keeping the great Indian traditions and culture alive even though staying outside India while inculcating the same in the new generations by involving the participation of kids in the program. He said that he is amazed to see such a huge gathering of Odias and that this was the best Nuakhai Bhet Ghat he has ever seen. He congratulated the organizer for putting up such a beautiful show and expressed great satisfaction that our culture is being spread far and wide.
The excitement and interest built up to the event saw its culmination with an excellent line up of cultural programs by the local artists and huge support and involvement of the audience. The first half was entirely dedicated to the local talents. The auditorium reverberated with the rich tunes of Sambalpuri beats and the entire atmosphere was electric which saw most of the audience dancing on the floor. After lunch the external troupe entertained the audience and raised the excitement to a new level. Sambalpur is known for its music, dance and song as much as for the world famous Sambalpuri dress. The rich culture and tradition of Sambalpur was quite visible as everyone adorned the traditional dress and the live performances created an aura of a festival giving a feeling of celebration at home in Odisha.
The community also felicitated the renowned Sambalpuri singers Satrughan Luha and Pami for their invaluable contributions to Sambalpuri music and songs. They sung some popular numbers from their own sung songs which made people appreciate the two great singing talents. The Head of Rang Farua Troupe Shri Durga Das mesmerized the audience with his soulful performances. The dance, song and music presented by the troupe was simply superb.
Traditional food was served and people greeted each other in the traditional way called “Bhetghat” (meet and greet) which was like the icing on the cake. Later on all the local talents were presented with certificates and momentos for their participation. A quiz contest in WhatsApp was running successfully for two weeks preceding the program wherein the whole community participated with great excitement and which serves as a great learning experience to know more about Western Odisha. Every day one question is put and one winner is selected. All the quiz winners were also recognized in the function.
A day full of fun and flavor came to an end in the evening at around 7 pm after 9 hours of nonstop activities and it had a lasting impression in the minds of the people. They definitely look forward to this celebration next year with lots more enthusiasm. Organizers have assured that the tradition will continue and each year they will try to make it better and bigger.
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