Bhubaneswar: The third edition of Nabanuraag Festival kicked off at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar on Monday.
The festival with a tagline ‘A festival of dance and music’ is organised by Nrutyaja and it is the brainchild of young and talented dancer Puja Jena, who founded the institution in 2017. Over the years, it has emerged as one of the premier Odissi dance institutions in the state.
A packed auditorium was testimony to the fact that how art lovers were waiting for this festival.
Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Industry Minister Sampad Charan Swain, president and whole-time director of JSW Anil Singh, eminent Odissi dancer Padma Shri recipient Guru Aruna Mohanty and Economics professor at Utkal University Dr Mitali Chinara inaugurated the festival by lighting the auspicious lamp.
The evening commenced with an evocative solo Odissi dance recital by Madhusmita Mohanty. She presented ‘Sunya Swarupa’, choreographed by Guru Aruna Mohanty, script by Kedar Mishra, music by Bijay Kumar Jena and rhythm composed by Bijay Kumar Barik. A svelte Odissi dancer, she with her excellent abhinaya skills depicted how Lord Jagannath who has no legs, no hands, no ears, can listen the prayers of His devotees and reach everywhere to protect them. The narrations of the episodes like ‘Gaja Udharana’ and ‘Krishna providing endless saree to Draupadi’ was so simple that even a common audience could understand what were unfolding on the stage.
The second item of the evening was a duet Odissi presentation by Aishwarya Singhdeo and Preetisha Mohapatra. They commenced their performance with ‘Shantakaram Bhujagashayanam’, based on Raga Gujari Todi and Tala Jati, choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra and music composed by Guru Bijay Kumar Jena.
They followed it up with Suddha Dhaivat Bibhas Pallavi, choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra.
In both the pieces, they, the disciples of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, had the audience in thrall with their mesmerizing performances.
Next, Kolkata based Odissi dancers Rohini Banerjee and Krishnendu Saha came onto the stage to present ‘Shiv Parvati Shabda’, based on Raga Shankarabharana and Tala Ektali,choreographed by Guru Sharmila Biswas, music composed by Guru Ramhari Das and rhythm composed by Guru Dhaneswar Swain, and ‘Gativilas’, based on Raga Jog and Tala Ektali, choreographed by Guru Sharmila Biswas and music composed by Guru Debashish Sarkar, Guru Ramesh Chandra Das and Guru Bijay Kumar Barik.
In the first item, they beautifully portrayed how Lord Shiva’s Tandava (the male form of dance) and His consort Parvati’ Lasya,(the feminine form of dance) compliment each other, balance each other, and harmonize into a complete whole, bringing complete harmony in the universe, in our nature, and also harmony within us.In the second item, they showed how a performer takes inspiration from animals and birds and has their attributes, their gaits, stances and moods in him.
Worth mentioning, in the first piece, the choreographer took inspiration from the Shabda Nrutya of Western Odish traditionally performed by male dancers and in the second, a Sanskrit verse commonly chanted by the rural Mrudanga players of Odisha.
Both Rohini and Krishnendu didn’t let the art lovers down. Their presentations were a treat for eyes. Their lyrical body movements and facial expressions need special mention.
The evening’s concluding item was a group Odissi presentation by Guru Pravat Kumar Swain and his students of Nritya Naivedya. They presented ‘Navarasa’. They depicted ‘sringara rasa’, ‘veera rasa’, ‘hasya rasa’, ‘bhayanaka rasa’, ‘karuna rasa’, ‘adbhuta rasa’, ‘bibhatsa rasa’, ‘raudra rasa’ and shanta rasa’ through different episodes starting from lord Ganesha’s birth to Him getting an elephant head.
Excellent choreography, synchronisation, space management made the presentation enjoyable.
The idea of using of pieces of red clothes to show blood oozing out from the torso and head was good.
The emcee of the evening was Er (Dr)Srinivas Ghatuary.
The evening was enjoyable, indeed.
