Renowned in the Koraput district of Odisha, this festival is unique in many forms. It is commonly known as the "Parab" Tribal Festival of Koraput Odisha. The festival is celebrated since 1996; it is an effect of the creative initiatives of the District council of Koraput.
The Parab Tribal Festival is celebrated in the Koraput district in the Indian state of Odisha. The district every year holds an annual cultural fiesta that showcases and glorifies the culture and traditions inherited by various tribal communities in Odisha.
It showcases not only the arts and crafts of a variety of tribes, but also their traditional practices. The Parab Tribal Festival also known as the `festival of festivals` which serves as a meeting for the various tribes to preserve their distinct cultures and life experiences, to take initiative towards preserving their indigenous cultural heritage, arts, handicrafts, traditions and others.
Celebration of the Parab Tribal Festival
The organizers of the Parab Tribal Dance and Music Festival arrange many events for their visitors. The events sort from quiz shows, essay and debate competitions among high school students to mountain treks on the highest mountain range in Odisha - the Deomali Hill Range. Boat races, artist`s camps, art exhibitions, seminars, book fair and "kabi sammelan" (poetry recital) are other popular events that the visitors can attend and enjoy.
These music, folk dances, tribal dances and tribal and folk music competitions have renewed people`s interest in various parts of Odisha that they provide great opportunity to the tourists to explore them. The Parab Festival is extremely significant to the tribal groups of Odisha as it offers a platform to even the small tribal groups existing in the state. All these competitions and cultural events are held at gram panchayat, block and district levels. The Parab Tribal Festival has succeeded in gaining immense popularity and drawing visitors from far and wide gather here during the festival.
The Parab Tribal festival is distinctive amongst all these festivals as it is not inevitable for any community; it is a festival of all the tribal and a far-fetched exhibition of their talents and culture. The tourists get an overwhelming chance in form of the Parab Tribal Festival to relate with the tribes of Odisha.
