Every year, in the month of February, the renowned destination of Konark, Orissa comes alive with the wonderful Konark Dance & Music Festival. This one-of-its-kind festival of music and dance that showcases the rich cultural heritage of Orissa is a brain-child of the Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Odissi exponent, Gangadhar Pradhan. The festival is the oldest of its type in the state to have won fame at the national stage. The Orissa Dance Academy and Konark Natya Mandap is organizing the 24th Konark Dance & Music Festival 2010, in collaboration with Orissa Tourism and Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre. It will be held from Feb 19-23, 2010.
The fantastic Konark Dance & Music Festival has carved out an important place for itself much like the Konark Dance Festival that is held at the end of every year and which, much like Konark Dance & Music Festival, is a big hit.
Celebrated classical dancers and musicians from all over India--representing various dance forms (Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, etc) and music gharanas (Gwalior Gharana, Agra Gharana—take part in the Konark Dance & Music Festival. They perform in a special open-air auditorium at Konark and enthrall the dance and music lovers.
Konark is the World Heritage Site of the famed 13th century Sun Temple, also called Black Pagoda, built by king Narasimha Dev I. Since long, the mammoth Konark Temple Complex, an architectural wonder, has captivated the visitors from all over the world.
