Bhubaneswar: The capital city witnessed a cultural extravaganza as the 4th edition of the Padmavati Utsav unfolded at Bhanjakala Mandap on Tuesday, hosted by the Sunaina Charitable Trust—an institution of Odissi dance and music, founded by eminent danseuse Smt Sagarika Parida.
The evening was steeped in tradition and artistic fervor, kicking off with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by a distinguished panel that included Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, MGM Minerals Chairman Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, Padma Shri awardee Smt Kumkum Mohanty, and Mardala maestro Sachidananda Das.
Taking center stage this year was Smt Leena Nanda, who was bestowed the prestigious Padmavati Samman in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Odissi dance.
She joined the illustrious company of past recipients like Smt Kumkum Mohanty, Smt Snehaprava Samantaray, and Smt Sikata Das.
Setting the tone for the evening, dancers from the host institution—Sunayana Parida, Mugdha Sudipta, Aradhana Pathy, and Rishita Periwal—opened with a soul-stirring rendition of Ganesh Vandana. Their performance struck the right chord, leaving the audience spellbound.
This was followed by a show-stopping solo by Leena Nanda, who presented the Saveri Pallavi, choreographed by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and set to the music of Pandit Bhubaneswar Mishra. Her fluid movements and expressive storytelling held the audience in the palm of her hand.
Up next was a vibrant group performance of Basant Pallavi, brought to life by Saswati Das, Suravi Mishra, Shreeyanka Das, Shreya Mishra, Nakshatra Maharaj, and Drishti Periwal, the dancers of the host institution, whose spot-on synchronization and command over space left a lasting impression.
Students of Kala Vikas Kendra, Cuttack, under the guidance of Smt Kumkum Mohanty, wowed the crowd with an evocative abhinaya ‘Srita Kamala Kucha Mandala’ from Jayadeva’s Geeta Govinda, capturing the essence of Lord Krishna’s charm.
The tempo stayed high with ‘Shiva Tandav’, performed by the host institution’s students—Mugdha Sudipta, Sunayana Parida, Aradhana Pathy, Rishita Periwal, Samiksha Sahu, and Laranya Das. The fierce energy and rhythmic dynamism of the piece brought the house down.
In a graceful turn, Smt Arunjyoti Priyadarshini, a disciple of Sagarika Parida, took the stage with her solo ‘Naja Jamuna’, choreographed by Dr Pitambar Biswal. Her expressive abhinaya and crisp execution painted a vivid picture of Vrindaban’s sakhis lamenting Krishna’s mischief.
Adding more color to the evening, dancers from Nrutyangana, an institution led by Guru Subash Swain, performed Panchadevi Namastute, a reverent homage to the five goddesses—Durga, Laxmi, Kali, Saraswati, and Padmabati—through Sanskrit and Oriya compositions.The dancers—Diptish Kumar Satpathy, Sujit Kumar Das, Alokrani Swain, Debashriya Rajguru, Subhagata Kanhar, Shreya Rath, and Sushmisuman Mishra—struck a fine balance between devotion and dynamism.
The evening crescendoed with Odisha Darshan, a tribute to the state’s rich cultural fabric, before winding down on a high note with two folk delights—Dhemsa Remix and Dunguri Pahade Tale—performed by Nrutyangana’s students.
Their foot-tapping rhythms and earthy charm left the audience cheering for more.
