Bhubaneswar: Akruti Dance Academy, a Bhubaneswar based Odissi dance institution managed by Sunayana Charitable Trust, hosted the first Padmavati Utsav at Bhanjakala Mandap in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
After the customary lighting the lamp ceremony, the first ‘Padmavati Samman’ was presented to eminent Odissi dancer Padma Shri recipient Guru Kumkum Mohanty.
The cultural evening was started off with an impressive duet Mardal recital by Arup Das and Muralidhar Swain.
The following item was ‘Mangalacharan’. Invoking Lord Ganesha, the students of Akruti Dance Academy set the mood of the cultural evening.
Then came a pleasant surprise in the form of Padma Shri recipient Kumkum Mohanty, who presented an ‘Abhinaya’ ‘Yahi Madhava Yahi Keshava’, choreographed by legendary Padma Vibhushan awardee Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra.
Her signature lucid body movements and facial expressions left the art lovers mesmerized.
It was followed by a group presentation by the students of Akruti Dance Academy. They presented ‘Batu’, which is pure dance dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Next Anisha Anukampa presented an ‘Abhinaya’ ‘ Dine dine’.
Dancer couple Ashok Kumar Ghoshal and Vandaita Ghoshal then came onto the stage to perform an ‘Abhinaya’.
The cultural evening came to an end with an entertaining Sambalpuri folk dance, presented by the students of Akruti Dance Academy. The item was choreographed by Sagarika Parida, who is the director of Akruti Dance Academy.
Among others, Secretary of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, Madhusudan Padhi; Director of Odia Language, Literature and Culture department Ranjan Kumar Das, noted dancer Snehaprava Samantray, Guru Sangeeta Gosain and Guru Manoranjan Pradhan attended the event as guests.
Art lovers remained glued to their seats from first presentation to last, enjoying the evening to their heart content.
The emcee of the evening was Biswajit Baliarsingh.
