Bhubaneswar: The two-day eleventh edition of Saptashajya Festival came to a grand close at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar on Monday, leaving art lovers immersed in the vibrant cultural heritage of Odisha.
Organised by Devanshi Dance Academy, the festival-earlier hosted in Dhenkanal district for ten years-was held in Bhubaneswar for the first time this year, marking a significant milestone in its journey.
BJP state vice president Golak Mohapatra and Devanshi Dance Academy’s president Smt Shanti Mishra graced the evening as esteemed guests and inaugurated the programme by lighting the auspicious ceremonial lamp.
The invited guests and audiences were treated to a visually captivated dance drama ‘Heritage of Odisha’, choreographed by Guru Gourishankar Das, the founder of Devanshi Dance Academy. The production offered a mosaic of the state’s rich art forms seamlessly blending Odissi dance, Mahari dance, Paika dance, Dhemsa dance, Ghumura dance, Ghuduki dance, Medha dance and last but not the least Sambalpuri dance. Then the evening proceeded to the felicitation ceremony.
The Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Dr Iti Samanta (literature), Subash das (music), Tripura Mishra (acting) and Guru Priyambada Roy (Odissi dance), in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the cultural sphere.
The cultural evening further came alive with some scintillating Odissi, folk and modern dance performances by the students of Devanshi Dance Academy, drawing warm applause from the audience.
What was in store for the art lovers was a pleasant surprise in the form of Guru Priyambada Roy, who performed after a gap of 30 years. She presented an abhinaya ‘Ahe Nila Shaila’.
Stealing the spotlight was a ramp show and an engaging musical programme featuring seven renowned singers of the state. The musical programme opened with Smt Adyasha Das presenting ‘Mun Khoji Bule’, followed by soulful performances from Smt Chhanda Mishra (Sei Sita Sakala), Shailabhama Mohapatra (Sei Chuna Chuna), Pritinanda Routray (Jahna Phanki Dei), Anindita Das (Jochhana Luchana), Pami Mishra (Sandhyadipa Ra Ghia) and Sushmita Das (Dhitang Dhitang Madal Bajere).
They were ably supported by an accomplished ensemble of musicians including Guru Ajay Kumar Choudhury on the Tabla, Rajendra Kumar Das on the Dholak and the Handsonic, Sibanarayan Mohanty on the Pad, Chandrakant Tripathy on the Keyboard, Shyama Rao on the Saxophone, Ranjan Kumar Nayak on the Lead Guitar and Wandel on the Base Guitar.
The capital art lovers enjoyed the evening till the last item Dr Mrutyunjay Rath and Rakhi Das anchorerd the programme with poise, adding charm to the event.
