A preparatory meeting for the event was held here on Monday. Secretary of Orissa Government's Tourism Department Asit Tripathy, Director Tourism Rabi Narayan Nanda, president of Hotel and Restaurants Association of Orissa J.K. Mohanty and others attended the meeting.

The festival has been named as Shreekshetra-Beach Festival, Puri, by clubbing Shreekshetra Mahotsav that was being organised by the Tourism Department and Puri Beach Festival which was being organised by the Hotel and Restaurants Association of Orissa.

The festival would have three major components - Jayadev Odissi Sangeet Samaroh, Sand Art Competition and Food Festival. The sand art competition will be held on November 26.

The Odissi Sangeet Samaroh will feature cine star and Odissi danseuse Hema Malini and her two daughters among other artistes.

Apart from the Tourism Department and Hotel and Restaurants Association of Orissa, the Puri Hotel Association will join hands in organising the five-day festival.

Calendar of tourism events

Meanwhile, the Tourism Department has prepared calendar of forthcoming tourism events that were scheduled to be held in the State from November to January 2008.

According to the calendar, Parab festival will be organised at Koraput from November 16 to 18. This will be followed by the Shreekshetra-Beach Festival, Puri.

The Konark Festival will be held from December 1 to 5.

The next festival would be a grand affair. Toshali-Ekamra Festival from January 3 to 17 will be held in Bhubaneswar.

The festival will be a combination of the 10-day Toshali Crafts Fair, four-day Mukteswar Dance Festival, three-day Rajarani Music Festival, two-day Kalinga Martial Dance Festival at Dhauli, week-long Folk Dance Festival, National Handloom and Handicrafts Expo, International Food Festival and two-day Heritage Walk component of the Ekamra Utsav.

As per the final schedule of the Toshali-Ekamra Festival will comprise Mukteswar Dance evening from January 3 to 5; Rajarani Music Evening from January 5 to 7; Martial Dance evening on January 8 and 9; Folk dance festival from January 10 to 17; International Food Festival from January 3 to 17, National Level Handloom and Handicrafts Exhibition-cum-sale from January 3 to 17; and Walking Tours of Heritage Corridors from January 6 to 13.

The fifth major programme in the calendar is the Folk Dance Festival to be held at Sambalpur from January 4 to 6.