- 27 rural sports winners make stage debut in ‘Thia Puchi Naranga’
- Govt to hold all party meet on El Nino today
- Ankurarpanam on Dec 5 to mark start of Tiruchanoor Brahmotsavams
- Call 1064 to report bribe demands by govt officials: Judge Geetha
- 1,932 APSPDCL personnel to handle cyclone Arnab power outages
- 89 candidates in fray for 24 ZPTC seats in Chittoor
- Election observer oversees micro-observer deployment in Nellore
- Cyclone Arnab: 160 APSRTC services cancelled
27 rural sports winners make stage debut in ‘Thia Puchi Naranga’
In Short
Through this initiative, MPF continues to turn traditional games into a living cultural movement, connecting rural talent with the stage and taking Odisha’s heritage to wider audiences.
Share :
27 rural sports winners make stage debut in ‘Thia Puchi Naranga’
Brahmapur: Twenty-seven rural sports winners, who had never performed on stage before, captivated the audience with their maiden presentation of the dance ballet ‘Thia Puchi Naranga’ after just one week of training by Archana Patro at the 17th Kumara Punei Jahna Lo 2026, organised by the Madhumaya Panigrahi Foundation (MPF) at the ITI Auditorium, Brahmapur.
Through this initiative, MPF continues to turn traditional games into a living cultural movement, connecting rural talent with the stage and taking Odisha’s heritage to wider audiences.
The performance was the centrepiece of MPF’s unique initiative to revive Odisha’s vanishing traditional sports by transforming their winners into performers and popularising these indigenous games through cultural platforms and the internet. Thanks to the South Odisha Cultural Study Centre, Brahmapur University, which has evolved this song.
When the initiative began in 2010, only 40 schoolgirls participated in the rural sports competitions. Today, participation has crossed 400, with girls from neighbouring districts also eager to compete and earn the opportunity to perform ‘Thia Puchi Naranga’. Over 17 years, the initiative has helped popularise once-neglected traditional games across rural Ganjam and urban areas, inspiring younger generations to embrace Odisha’s cultural heritage.
Traditional iconic song ‘Kumara Punei Jahna Lo Phula Baula Beni’ by girls from Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada under the direction of Madhab Patra also reminded the audience of the great tradition of Odisha.
Ajit Kumar Shasany, ViceChancellor of Central University of Odisha; CVRamana Murty, General Manager and Chief of OSCOM, Matikhala; and engineer Debasis Dash, founder member of Odia Samaj, Dubai, lauded MPF’s efforts to take Odisha’s traditions and culture to international platforms.Sudipta Panigrahi, President, and Hrushikesh Panigrahi, Chief Advisor of MPF, gave a pleasant touch to the entire show.For the first time, Brahmapuri Patto was showcased at the festival, featuring the winning stars of ‘LABANYA,’ choreographed by Rani Nayak.
The programme also featured the Kumara Punei Jahna Lo Youth Achievers Awards 2026, recognising Loma Swain,International Deaf Karate Champion; Sarbeswar Bhoi, folk artiste from Kalahandi; and Prasuci Panda, Miss Teen Universe India 2026.
Devi Abahani by trending dancing sensation Samhita Panigrahi, Odissi dance by internationally acclaimed dancer from Rajahmundry,folk dance by Sakshi Dance Group of Lalo Kumar and troupe from Begusarai and human tiger dance by Mahendra Kumar Patro from Belaguntha kept the audience glued to their seats.
Distribution of ‘Kakara Pitha’, Sankha Dhwani by Sarat Mahapatra and troupe from Narendrapur, welcoming the audience, guests with Chandan, Kumkum and Arati gave the event an Odia touch.
Cyclone Arnab: Heavy rain forecast in four Telangana districts
El Nino Impact: 365 mandals in Telangana declared drought-hit
Revanth Reddy invites 550 Indian, int'l cos to Global Summit
El Nino, water mafias draining Hyderabad dry
Rights suffer major setbacks in Brazil, Serbia
India’s rising food prices: Lessons from the Nobel Prize in Economics
