Bhubaneswar: The third edition of ‘Shankhanada Kala Samman Festival’ was held with great fanfare at Rabindra Mandap here on Tuesday, attracting art lovers in large numbers.
Organised by ‘Shankhanada’, one of the premier Odissi dance institutions, the festival lived up to its reputation as one featuring items by guru and sishya. Founded by young Odissi dancer Prashant Kumar Sahoo, a disciple of Padma Shri Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, the institution continues to carve a niche for itself by nurturing emerging artistes while honouring established gurus.
What separates the festival from others is its focus on duet performances by gurus and their disciples.
This year’s festival was spread over three sessions-morning, afternoon and evening, with over dancers from different parts of the state showcased their talents in solo, duet and groups presentations.
The evening session witnessed the presence of dignitaries like Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi’s secretary Dr Chandra Sekhar Hota, Odissi Mardala Guru and CSNA awardee Guru Dhaneswar Swain, Odissi exponent Vidushi Sujata Mohapatra, eminent music composer and singer Guru Kanhu Charan Pradhan, Odissi dance guru Manoranjan Pradhan and principal of Draupadi Devi Culture Institute, Barbil Manoj Kumar Sahoo.
President-cum-founder of the institution Prashant Kumar Sahoo, its creative director Guru Lingaraj Swain and advisor Gurupada Baliarsingh were also present on the dais. In their addresses, the guests heaped praise on the institution and its founder, wishing it continued success in the years to come.
The highlight of the evening was the felicitation ceremony where Guru Smt Meenati Pradhan, Guru Smt Jyotsnarani Sahoo and Guru Smt Swapnarani Sinha were honoured with ‘Shankhanada Kala Samman’ and their disciples Sachikanta Pradhan, Chinmaya Kumar Das and Anisha Sinha respectively were felicitated with ‘Guru Sishya Parampara Samman’, underscoring the enduring legacy of mentorship in classical arts.
The cultural evening commenced with Guru Smt Meenati Pradhan and her disciple Sachikanta Pradhan presenting ‘Kaibarta Gatha’, one of the finest choreographies of late Prof Nabakishore Mishra.
They effectively enacted the well-known episode from The Ramayan where the boatman insists on washing Lord Ram’s feet before ferrying him across the Ganges. It was a neat presentation, leaving the art lovers captivated.
The second item of the evening was ‘Sri Ranga Charana’ by Guru Dr Jyotsnarani Sahoo and her disciple Chinmaya Kumar Das, choreographed by Guru Dr Jyotsna Rani Sahoo herself and music composed by Guru Swapneshwar Chakraborty.
With seamless coordination and expressive storytelling, they narrated devotion to the divine through episodes like Ahalya’s redemption, Kewat’s service and the dramatic ‘Kaliya Mardana’. The presentation was nothing short of a visual treat.
The third Guru-Sishya pair of the evening was Guru Smt Swapnarani Sinha and Anisha Sinha. They presented ‘Krishna Ashtakam’, an eight verse hymn in praise of Lord Krishna, choreographed by Guru Smt Swapnarani Sinha, music composed by Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain.
Here, they with their fluid movements and expressive abhinaya traced Krishna’s journey from a mischievous child to a compassionate deity, leaving the audience glued to their seats from start to finish.
The festival concluded with a group presentation by ten well-trained dancers of ‘Shankhanada’. They presented an abhinaya ‘Barsha Abhishara’, choreographed by Guru Lingaraj Swain, music composed by Guru Sukant Kumar Kundu and rhythm by Guru Ramchandra Behera. The dancers-Meenakshi, Bhagyalipi, Lizalin, Shubhalaxmi, Pratyusha, Rupali, Pushpali, Shreetanaya, Prashant, Rangunath and Tubula-painted a vivid picture of a rainy day, so evocative that it seemed to mirror the showers pouring outside the auditorium.
With their beautiful formations and synchronization, the dancers could create a mesmerizing visual tapestry.The dancers were ably supported by a talented ensemble of musicians like Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu on Vocal, Alok Ranjan Das on Mardala, Soumya Ranjan Joshi on Flute and Ashish Kumar on Violin.
Established in 2022, ‘Shankhanada’ has been nurturing young talents and taking the art form to a wider audience. With holding its annual festival, it continues to provide a platform to both established and upcoming artistes. The anchors of the evening were Mrutyunjay Rath and Sindhu Brown, who kept the audience engaged throughout.
