National Youth Festival 2010

The opening ceremony of the 15th National Youth Festival on January 8 in Bhubaneswar was colorful and astounding in more than one way. Artists from across the country spellbound a huge crowd with diverse forms of classical and folk dances on the opening day of the Youth Festival. An Indian Air Force helicopter showering flower petals over the main festival venue thrilled the audience present over there. The National Youth Festival is held every year in January to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda Jan 12. More than five thousand policemen and hundreds of state government officials had been deployed to make the event a grand success. A 34-year-old rare white crocodile, Gori which was reared and bred in Bhitarakanika Wildlife Sanctuary in the state's Kendrapada district, was made the mascot of the festival to promote wildlife conservation. “Celebrating Diversity” was accepted as the theme of the festival and the logo of the festival was depicting six active and stylised youth, portraying the “unity in diversity” of India.
The 5 day 15th National Youth Festival started with a group of artists performing lively traditional state folk dance. Later, artists from different places of the country performed. Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister M.S. Gill, who inaugurated the Youth festival, described the assemblage as a mini India and said 'I have never seen such a huge gathering in such a festival in any part of the country.' Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik also said: 'India is a land of many cultures. The festival will provide a unique opportunity to the participants to know each other's language, culture, arts and traditions.' Minimum 4,000 youths from all over the country competed in about 17 categories of cultural programs in classical, semi-classical and folk arts during the event at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. Great Stars like Usha Uthup, Hans Raj Hans and Babul Supriyo, actor Sunil Shetty and Olympic medal winning boxer Vijender Singh had also joined the celebration. During the festival, huge crowds were also seen at Yuva kritti, a social development fair the government had organised at the city's exhibition ground to showcase the handloom and handicraft works of artists and artisans from almost every state, the food festival that presented the best cuisine of respective states was an example of unity in diversity.
The Colourful 5- day National Youth Festival ended the evening, January 12 after National Anthem and Fire works. The closing ceremony of the festival started after the Suryakiran Show by the Indian Air Force & Culture Display by the Event Management. Sky divers of the Indian Air Force (IAF) parachuted into the middle of the Kalinga Stadium while a ceremonial band of the Indian Navy performed 'Beating the Retreat' - the 5 day National Youth Festival concluded in Bhubaneswar with a spectacular show. The enthralling aerobatic show by the IAF personnel was viewed by a crowd of over 50,000 people in the stadium. The audience was excited and elated when the sky divers drifted down from a height of thousands of feet to land in the middle of the stadium.
A vivid march past by the state contingents Hum Yuba followed by the welcome address by the Minister of State Sports and Youth Services Praveen Chandra Bhanj Deo, address by Celebrity Guest Vijendra Singh, Bronze Medallist (Boxing) Beijing 2008 and then address by the Union Minister of State Youth Affairs and Sports Pratik Prakashbapu Patil. On this occasion, the Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik also released a souvenir and distributed the awards to the winners of the various competitions held during the past five days and said the festival demonstrated India's unity in diversity. After that, The Commissioner cum Secretary, Sports and Youth Services P.K. Mohapatra proposed the vote of thanks.

The Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik announced the close of 15th National Youth Festival 2010. Then, several song and dance items were presented Malkhamba presentation, Chhau Dance, Dance of Prince Dance Group on the theme ‘Sare Jahanse Achha’. More than 3500 artistes from different places of the country showed up at the event, hosted by Orissa for the first time and at last a ceremonial band of the Indian Navy performed 'Beating the Retreat'. And it was really a grand success.