Nabakalebara sand animation film by Sudarsan Pattnaik

The Odisha tourism department is likely to release a short sand animation film soon to promote Nabakalebara, tourism secretary Arvind Padhee tweeted.

Sand sculptor Sudarsan Pattnaik and his students – Bulu Mohanty, Jitendra Jagadev and Santosh Kumar Nayak, are giving finishing touches to the 10-minute sand animation film on Nabakalebara of lord Jagannath in Puri, official sources said.

The film will be released online.

“The film depicts the rituals associated with Nabakalebara, starting from Banajaga Yatra (search for neem trees by Daitapati servitors of Puri temple) to Ghata Paribartan (transferring the soul to the new idols). The accompanying background music will have religious songs on Jagannath,” Sudarsan Pattnaik said.