Odisha Carnival celebrates World Tourism Day 2015 in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Sep 27: A colourful carnival with dancers from several states was organised in Odisha’s capital city to mark World Tourism Day on Sunday.

The first-of-its-kind carnival, flagged off by Governor S.C. Jamir, was jointly organised by Odisha Tourism and Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI), which is celebrating its golden jubilee in the temple city.

The carnival procession was led by biker groups on luxury bikes followed by vintage cars. Bollywood diva Mahima Choudhry also joined the carnival.

Eight tableaux were exclusively designed for this cultural extravaganza. The World Tourism float led the carnival procession, while the Odisha Tourism float showcased different tourist destinations in the state.

“School and college students and various folk artistes performed as well,” said state Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda.

Besides, bands of Indian Navy, Odisha Police along with dance troupes from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Jharkhand brought cheers among the spectators.

FHRAI technical committee chairman Debashish Pattnaik said: “This unique World Tourism Day carnival was planned to showcase the rich culture and heritage as well as popular tourist destinations in the state.” (IANS)