Bhubaneswar: The 30th edition annual Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (GKCM) Award Festival, the premier classical event in the cultural calendar of Odisha organised by Srjan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Nrityabasa, commenced with a beautiful and soulful Ghazal recital by eminent singer Shri Chandan Dass at Rabindra Mandap here on Thursday.
The inaugural evening commenced punctually at 7 pm, with the auspicious lighting of the lamp, and the welcome address. The esteemed guests for the evening included Shri Suresh Pujari, Hon’ble Minister of Finance, Commerce and Transport, Prof. Dr. Tej Partap, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Sri Sri University (SSU), Cuttack; Shri Ashok Kumar Tripathy, Former Member, Board of Revenue, Govt. of Odisha; Shri Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, Chairman, MGM Minerals Ltd. and Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, Director, Srjan, and Dean, Faculty of Arts, Communication and Indic Studies, SSU.
The soulful Ghazal rendition of Shri Chandan Dass was replete with his distinctive style of singing with the signature aura of his hometown Murshidabad. A Begum Akhtar Puraskar recipient, the deep influence of the inimitable style of legend Mehdi Hassan shone bright as he lent his voice to the works of several renowned poets. Aiming to promote and preserve the rich Ghazal tradition of India, his harmonious recital with his accompanying orchestra on the opening evening of the 30th GKCM Award Festival 2024 was a befitting inauguration and tribute to the Arts. He was ably accompanied by Shri Arshad Khan on Tabla, Shri Abhiram Nanda on the flute, Shri Arif Lateef on the keyboard, and Shri Bhabhatosh Mohanty on the guitar.
The seven-day cultural extravaganza scheduled from September 5-11 this year features an exceptionally well-curated line-up of artistes including celebrated musicians Kalaimamani Dr. OS Arun, Pt. Rakesh Chaurasia, Shri Ojas Adhiya, and Shri Ambi and Smt. Bindu Subramaniam, and renowned dancers Guru Vaibhav Arekar and Guru Ashimbandhu Bhattacharjee with their troupes, and Guru Ratikant Mohapatra’s very own Srjan ensemble. The award ceremony on the final day will see stalwart artistes Guru Smt. Kumkum Lal, Guru Lakshmikanta Palit, Guru Dhaneswar Swain, and Shri Uttam Mohanty receive the Shalimar’s Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2024, while Dr. Pompi Paul, Smt. Rajnita Mehra, Shri Avijit Das, and Shri Rohita Pradhan receive the Shalimar’s Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Prativa Samman 2024.
