Bhubaneswar: Owing to COVID-19 pandemic, cultural institutions are organising their annual festivals on virtual platforms. So did Srjan, one of the premiere dance institutions in India. The 26th Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival, organised by Srjan, went online this year.
Eminent actress and MP, Mathura, Hema Malini inaugurated the festival by lighting the auspicious lamp with a digital message. The event was attended online by several dignitaries, scholars and art connoisseurs.
Following the set pattern for the Award Festival this year, the inaugural evening was kick started by renowned Odissi dancer from Bhubaneswar, Madhusmita Mohanty.
She presented three dance pieces from the traditional Odissi repertoire, beginning with a Mangalacharan, invoking the blessings of Lord Jagannath for an auspicious beginning. The presentation was choreographed by Guru Smt. Aruna Mohanty, set to the music composition of Dr. Bijay Kumar Jena and rhythm composition of Guru Dhaneswar Swain and Guru Bijay Kumar Barik.
This was followed by a timeless and evergreen composition of the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra set to the music composition of Pt. Bhubaneswar Mishra— Kirwani Pallavi, in Raag Kirwani and Khemta Taal. She concluded her recital with the Ashtapadi – “Mādhave, mā kuru mānini mānam aye,” an excerpt from poet Shri Jayadeva’s Geeta Govinda. In this expressive piece, the sakhi pleads with Radha to forgive Madhava for his wanton ways and reunite with him. Choreographed by Guru Smt. Aruna Mohanty to the music composition of Dr. Subash Pani, this presentation was in Raag Saveri and Ekatali.
With her lyrical body movements and captivating facial expressions, Mohanty’s presentation really stroke a chord with the online audience. She was ably supported by Rupak Kumar Parida on vocal, Guru Bijay Kumar Barik on the Mardala, Srinibas Satapathy on the flute, and Suramani Shri Ramesh Chandra Das and Shri Agnimitra Behera on the violin.
The second half of the evening was the Mohan Veena recital by none other than its creator Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. A recipient of the Padma Bhushan and the Grammy award, he with his blinding speed and faultless legato has mesmerized the world with his pristine, delicate, yet electrifying music. This evening was no exception. He explored the intricacies and nuances of six mellifluous tunes, namely Raag Yaman, Raag Ramdasi Malhar, Raag Tilak Kamod, Raag Jaijaiwanti, Raag Pilu, and Raag Hamsadhwani. With his sheer virtuosity and limitless supply of melodies, his recital was inspirational and exceptional.
The second evening witnessed a riveting Bharatanatyam recital by renowned dancer P. Praveen Kumar from Bengaluru and a stellar Mardala recital by Guru Dhaneswar Swain, eminent percussionist and musician of Odisha.
Accomplished Bharatanatyam artiste, Nattuvanar, choreographer, and founder of Chithkala School of Dance in Bengaluru, P. Praveen Kumar, started with the Aditya Hridayam, a hymn in glorification of the Sun followed by a powerful rendition of a Jathiswaram or a technical dance piece, set to Raag Abhogi and Adi Talam composed by Shri Kameshwaran and choreographed by Guru Narmada. He concluded with Devaranama, composed by Saint Purandara Dasa, and set to traditional music. In Raag Malika and Adi Tala, P. Praveen Kumar presented his own choreography, eulogizing Lord Krishna in two different episodes, where Lord Krishna’s mother beholds the entire universe in his mouth, and where Lord Vishnu asks a kind and benevolent, yet egoistic King for three feet of land.
In his presentations, he was ably accompanied by Raghuram, D. S. Srivatsa, and Manasi Prasad on vocals, Lingaraju and S.V. Balakrishna on the Mridangam, Mahesh Swamy on the flute, Manjula and Chitra Lingam on the Veena.
His nuanced recital cast a wonderful spell on the online audience.
This was followed by a Mardala recital by Guru Dhaneswar Swain, who presented compositions in Adi Tala, set to 16 beats. Accompanied by Muralidhara Swain on the Harmonium and Barsha Rani Swain on the Tanpura, Guru Dhaneswar Swain’s presentation was a testament to his continued contribution to the promotion, propagation, and establishment of the Mardala as a solo instrument. Delving into the resounding intricacies of rhythm and percussion play, this presentation was a vibrant and befitting conclusion to the second evening of the 26th Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival.
Kathak exponent Gauri Diwakar was the first performer of the third evening.
With her versatility and captivating stage presence, Gauri Diwakar presented Dheera, encompassing the Kathak repertoire with four segments. She began with Chabili Naar, based on the text and music composition of Ghulam Sabir Khan Saheb, and Sabb bann than aai shyam pyari re, the text for which was written by Pt. Bindadin Maharaj, composed in Raag Hameer by Pt. Birju Maharaj. Her third presentation was a composition of Meera Bai choreographed by Dheerendra Tiwari and Gauri Diwakar to Samiuallah Khans music. Finally, she presented Naino Ke Dore Laal Gulal Bhare choreographed by Aditi Mangaldas to Samiullah Khans music composition. She was accompanied by Yogesh Gangani on the Tabla and Samiullah Khan on vocals and the harmonium.
In Dheera, Gauri Diwakar explored the mystique of a Nayikas beauty, desire for celebration and her quest for liberation and beauty both within and outside. Exploring an array of themes including love, life, self-exploration, and fulfilment, Gauri Diwakars breath-taking precision in movements and presentation made Dheera truly memorable.
The second half of the evening witnessed Abhishek Raghuram’s soulful renditions of compositions by Saint Tyagaraja. With an illustrious lineage of Carnatic music and a performance career spanning two decades, Abhishek Raghuram’s recital etched in the minds of the audiences his artistic excellence and musical repertoire. His first song was Nenarunchara composed in the rare Raga Simhavaahini, with rhythmic elements of Adi Talam. This was followed by Durmaargacharaa in Raga Ranjani and Rupaka Talam (3 beats), symbolic of the anguish that Tyagaraja faced, when he was unable to flatter people treading on the path of Durmaarg. The third song Neevaadane Gaana, composed in Raag Saranga, brought forth the spirituality, musical harmony, and emotions that both Carnatic music and Tyagaraja deem as the essence of their compositions. He concluded with a song on Lord Nataraja at Chidambaram, composed in Ragam Behag and Adi Talam by Gopalakrishna Bharathi. Ably accompanied by Mysore V Srikanth on the violin and Anantha R Krishnan on the Mridangam, Abhishek Raghuram’s recital was unforgettable, with effortless brilliance and perfection in his vocal rendition.
In keeping with the format followed throughout the festival, the fourth evening started with a classical dance performance with Purvadhanashree presenting Vilasini Natyam, followed by a classical music recital with Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya on the Santoor.
In her presentation, Purvadhanashree began with a Choornika in Raag Arabhi followed by a Jatiswaram in Raag Kalyani and Adi Talam. In her second performance for the evening, she performed the Kriti, Kreedati Vanamali, eulogising the various names of Lord Krishna. Composed by 18th century poet Sadashiva Brahmendra, this presentation was set to Surutti Raag and Adi Talam. Purvadhanashree then concluded with two Ashtapadis from poet Shri Jayadeva’s Geeta Govinda. In the first Ashtapadi, Radhika Tava Virahe, the sakhi describes to Lord Krishna the anguish of Radha, who is separated from him, and in Pravesha Radhe, the sakhi cajoles a hesitant Radha to meet her beloved Lord at his house, where he awaits her.
While Radhika Tava Virahe was set to Ragam Vaasanthi, Chatusra Ekam, Pravesha Radhe was in Ragam Kosalam and Khanda Chapu. This was set to the music composition of Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna with a flute and musical interlude by G. Raghuraman. Purvadhanashree was accompanied by K. Venkateshwaran, Chander Rao, and Sudha Raghuraman on vocals, R. Sriganesh and V. Sreedharacharya on the Mridangam, V. Sreedharacharya on the Kanjira, G. Raghuraman and Venkatesh on the flute, Shiva on the violin, Prafulla Mangaraj on the Pakhawaj, and Purvadhanashree, Raghunandan, and Sudha Raghuraman on the Nattuvangam. Purvadhanashree’s technical prowess and depth of abhinaya shone forth in her presentation, making it an inspirational opening performance of the fourth evening.
The following item was a Santoor recital by Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya, the Santoor maestro, who is credited with revolutionizing the Santoor and its style of play by broadening its utility in various traditional art forms.
He presented Raag Bageshri, exploring the various strains of the Raag, interwoven with the harmonious rhythm accompaniment by Hindol Majumdar on the Tabla. Known for his expertise in promoting the classicism of the Santoor with a modern approach and creating new Raags in Hindustani music, Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya’s mesmerizing recital was a testament to his years of experience and professional excellence.
The 26th Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival culminated in the award presentation ceremony and the finale by the Srjan ensemble.
This year, His Excellency Hon’ble Governor of Odisha Prof. Ganeshi Lal presented the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2020 to Shri Raj Gopal Mishra, veteran cinematographer for his invaluable contribution and lifetime achievements to the world of Odia Cinema. He has made many blockbusters such as ‘Chaka akhi sabu dekhuchi’, ‘Asuchi mo kalia suna’, ‘Pua mora kala thakura’, ‘Jor jaar mulak taar’, among others. For his versatility and pioneering cinematography, Raju Mishra received this coveted award which carries a respectable allocation of Rs. 1,00,000/- and a citation. This was followed by the presentation of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman, which focuses on reviving the all-important role of the solo artiste in the classical idiom. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000/- and a citation. Hon’ble Governor of Odisha Prof. Ganeshi Lal presented the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Prativa Samman 2020 to Pravat Kumar Swain for Odissi dance acknowledging his continued dedication to the art and in recognition of his inspiring performances, and to Himansu Sekhar Swain, recognising his inspiring work and commitment to the field of Odissi music. The entire award ceremony was conducted with strict adherence to all the government mandated COVID-19 safety guidelines, while maintaining the required social distancing norms.
The programme also featured two short video presentations of the 60 Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Awardees over 25 years, and the Yuva Pratibha Samman recipients over the years.
The much-awaited finale was a presentation by the Srjan ensemble, who, under the direction of Ratikant Mohapatra perform extensively within India and overseas, presenting compositions with fast-paced movements, innovations in dance and music, and depicting popular themes, within the Odissi idiom. This evening Srjan presented Anweshanaa- In search of excellence, a bouquet of neo-classical choreographs in Odissi dance, the presentations of which were carefully conceptualized, and choreographed by Ratikant Mohapatra.
They began with an invocation to Lord Rama, Antara Rama, a devotional song by Sant Kabir exploring the transformation of Lord Rama’s devotees from mere human to a state of divine grace. It incorporated a beautiful story from the Ramayana visualizing the deep devotion of Hanuman who reveals the complete form of Sri Rama lodged in his heart. Set to Raag Jogia, and Adi Tala, the original music was composed by Pt. Nikhil Ghosh with the support music of Rupak Kumar Parida.
Their second presentation was Tarana. In this neo-classical piece, Srjan embarked on new pathways of innovation, by creating an amalgam of the classical and the contemporary and introducing novel elements in both the music and the movements. The music for this was composed by Dr. Vyzarsu Balasubrahmanyam. In their third presentation, Rase Harim Eha, the dancers portrayed the various amorous episodes of Lord Krishna with the Gopis while Radha recollects the loving moments with her passionate lover, Krishna. This dance was set to the music composition of the late Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj.
Srjan concluded with an Abhinaya, Ramachandra Krupalu Bhajamana, in Raga Malika and Jati and Adi Tala, set to the music composition of Pradip Kumar Das. In praise of Lord Rama, this song, composed by Sant Tulsidas, invoked the blessings of the Lord and prayed for the purity of devotion as experienced by the great saints in their worship of the divine. The dramatic element was extended, by depicting, in Sanchari bhava the episodes of the Sita Swayamvar, and the conflict between Rama and Ravana. The synopses for the presentations were written by Aditya Mahapatra.
The performing artistes for the evening were Rajashri Praharaj, Ritu Sengupta, Aishwariya Singhdev, Sipra Swain, Riyanka Chakrabarty, Preetisha Mohapatra, and Reebdhita Barua.
The dancers displayed perfect synergy and coordination in their energetic and captivating presentation of Anweshanaa. Their rigorous training and near 365-day practice routine showed in their skilful performances. Aided by the brilliant light designing of Debiprasad Mishra, they were ably and effortlessly accompanied on the Mardala by Ratikanta Mohapatra, on vocals by Dr. Bijay Kumar Jena, Rupak Kumar Parida, Mahalakshmi Iyer, and Harapriya Swain, on the violin by Suramani Ramesh Chandra Das and Agnimitra Behera, on the flute by Srinibas Satapathy, on the sitar by Rabi Shankar Pradhan, and on the vibraphone by Bibhu Prasad Tripathy.
Upholding their commitment towards diligence and professional excellence in their service of art, Srjan conducted the programme seamlessly on the online platforms. The festival was also attended virtually by several dignitaries, influential citizens, luminaries from the world of Art, and audiences from across India and abroad. The entire festival was curated and designed by Ratikant Mohapatra, with the programme execution by Debiprasad Mishra. The MC for the festival was Maya Krishnamurty, member of the Srjan ensemble.
Srjan dedicated this year’s festival in memory of the late Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj, who shared a special and close association with Guruji for many decades, and to Shri Jaydev Das, veteran director of theatre, actor, light designer and member of the advisory board of Srjan trust, who left for his heavenly abode in March this year.
By kalasanskruti
Photo courtesy: Srjan
