Jamshedpur Carnival aces the weather with its variety programmes
Jamshedpur, Dec 23 (IBNS): It was definitely game, set and match to Jamshedpur versus the weather god on the concluding day of the four-day carnival that was being held as part of the Jamshedpur Winter Fest 2018.
As the crowd cheered lustily to the music belted out by popular Indian singer Jubin Nautiyal, it was obvious the people were in no mood to let the weather damp their spirits.
The Jamshedpur Winter Fest (Fest), an initiative by Tata Steel and supported by other Tata Group companies, including XLRI, Jamshedpur Hotelier’ Association and other local communities, began on November 5, 2018 and will conclude on March 4, 2019.
While there are events galore for the duration of the Fest, the jewel in the crown was the four-day Jamshedpur Carnival (Carnival), from December 15 to 18.
The Carnival opened with the customary Parade that began from the city’s popular Jubilee Park and concluded at Gopal Maidan, the venue for the holding of the other programmes for the four days.
A low-flying helicopter showering flower petals on the Parade signalled the start while King Momo declared the festivities open.
Singing, dancing, and sports performances kept the Parade lively while the presence of a few vintage cars and a display of ‘Tatanagar’ – the armoured vehicle that Tata made for World War II, added a touch of nostalgia.
As the Parade wended its way through the streets of Jamshedpur, Orient Express regaled the spectators with Latin American music.
Ronald D’Costa, one of the organisers of the Carnival Parade, said, “The citizens of Jamshedpur were given a taste of the cultural life of the city with contributions from Tata Steel Urban Services, TSRDS and the Tribal Cultural Society.”
The formal inauguration of the Carnival took place later in the evening with Sanjiv Paul, Vice President, Safety, Health & Sustainability, Tata Steel, releasing multi-coloured balloons with a group of special children.
"It is wonderful to see the youth of the city and other categories of citizens come together to celebrate the spirit of Jamshedpur through various performances,” said Paul.
It was interesting to note that the Carnival presented an interesting mix of local participation and professional performances.
On one hand, there were painting and cookery competitions for school children, Indian light music and rock band competitions for the young brigade, cookery competition for adults, etc. On the other hand, there were performances by the popular dance troupe Smart Steps, light and rock music by Kolkata’s The Radical Array Project (TRAP), and a grand finale presenting India’s music sensation Jubin Nautiyal.
The drawing contest for children received such a huge response that the organisers had to open the festival open much ahead of schedule to accommodate the participants.
Participants at the school level Masterchef competition were asked to prepare hot or cold desserts within a time limit of one hour.
Smita Parikh, on behalf of the Organising Committee, said “The Masterchef contest for students aimed at testing their food knowledge and preparation skills.”
Compared to the enthusiasm and large number of participants at the juniors’ cooking contest, that for adults seemed a little subdued but it was evident that the participants had tried to be as innovative as they could in preparing ‘Fusion Food’ in less than an hour’s time.
Jamshedpur Hoteliers and Restaurant Association (JHRA), which had organised the Masterchef competitions, also ensured that visitors to the Jamshedpur Carnival had the opportunity to feast on a variety of cuisines while attending the various programmes.
They set up a food court in one corner of Gopal Maidan where 14 stalls presented a wide range of cuisine, including Indian and Chinese.
Interestingly, each stall was named after a famous Indian player, such as Virat Kohli and Leander Paes among others.
According to the organisers, the Jamshedpur Winter Fest 2018, including the Jamshedpur Carnival, is not only an attempt to showcase the many talented people of the steel city but also put it on the tourism map of India.
And if you have missed the Carnival, there are a slew of events lined up for the next three months, details of which are available on https://www.jamshedpurwinterfest.in/.
(Reporting by Uttara Gangopadhyay)
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
