Bhubaneswar: ‘Kalakunja Festival–2025’, hosted by Shriradha Kalakunja Trust, was held with great grandeur and success on 22 December 2025 at the Utkal Rangamanch, GKCM Odissi Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, on Monday.
The audience highly appreciated the dedicated efforts of eminent Odissi dance guru Dr. Manoranjan Pradhan and his wife Guru Smt. Minati Pradhan, whose initiative aims at the promotion and propagation of Odissi dance and music.
The festival witnessed the presence of dignitaries including Guru Smt. Suchismita Mantri, Guru Prafulla Kumar Bal, Guru Smt. Muktilata Pal, and Guru Smt. Kasturi Pattnaik who inaugurated the evening by lighting the auspicious lamp. In their addresses, the guests extended their best wishes for the institution and its guiding forces Dr. Manoranjan Pradhan and Smt Pradhan.
A major highlight of the festival was the presentation of the prestigious Kalakunja Awards–2025. On this occasion, Guru Smt. Nandita Behera was conferred with the Kalakunja Bandaniya Samman, while Guru Pagal Swain received the Nrutyashree Award, Guru Keshab Chandra Rout was honored with the Gayanashree Award, and Guru Satchidananda Das was presented with the Badanashree Award.
The cultural segment featured captivating performances by the artistes of Shriradha Kalakunja Trust, including Odissi dance items such as Mangalacharan (Guru Vandana), Namami (invocatory piece), Konark Kanti, expressive abhinaya (Srita Kamala), and vibrant folk dance presentations, all performed in group choreography.The festival also featured Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu’s Odissi vocal recitals, table recital by Guru Prafulla Kumar Bal’s disciples and solo Odissi dance performances by Jagatjit Das and Adyasha Mishra, and a powerful Harihara dance-drama by the artistes of Shriradha Kalakunja. The Harihara presentation, symbolizing the divine harmony of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, conveyed a profound sense of spiritual consciousness through the medium of Odissi dance, leaving a deep impression on the audience.
Earlier, the afternoon session was inaugurated by Guru Smt. Lina Nanda and Guru Swapneswar Chakraborty. The junior and sub-junior students of the institution presented some scintillating performances.
The anchors of both sessions were Biswajit Baliarsingh and Smt. Pratima Mohanty. Organized with the support of the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, Government of Odisha, the festival earned wide appreciation from spectators and further illuminated the glory of Odissi art and culture.
