Bhubaneswar: On the second evening of 24th Ekamra Nrutya Mahotsav underway at Utkal Rangamanch here on Friday, the spotlight shone brightly on renowned Odissi vocalist Guru Dr Ramhari Das, who was honoured with the Sri Dhirendranath Pattnaik Smruti Samman.
Organised by Suravi, an Odissi dance institution founded by Guru Pitambar Biswal in 2003, the festival has, over the years, carved a niche for itself in the country’s cultural circuit.
The second evening of the festival began with an auspicious note, beginning with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by dignitaries including eminent sculptor Padma Vibhushan recipient Sudarshan Sahoo, Odissi dance exponent and CSNA awardee Dr Snehaprava Samantaray, Odissi dance exponent and former programme director of Doordarshan, Bhubaneswar, Odissi dance exponent Minakshi Behera and former secretary of Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Pradeep Kumar Mishra.
What followed next was the felicitation ceremony. Renowned Odissi vocalist Guru Dr Ramhari Das was honoured with ‘Sri Dhirendranath Pattnaik Smruti Samman’. Remembering his association with late Dhirendranath Pattnaik, a visibly moved Guru Dr Das credited late Dhirendranath Pattnaik as the guiding light behind his journey.
On the second evening, the art lovers were treated to soulful Odissi vocal recitals and mesmerising solo Kathak and Odissi dance performances. The evening began with Odissi vocal recitals by Matruprasad Das and Himanshusekhar Swain, both are disciples of Guru Dr Das.
They commenced their recital with ‘Harachandi Malashree’, a ‘dhruba padanga’, which is associated with Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and is sung at ‘Majana Mandap’. They then presented ‘Madhu Malay Manda Bahila Re’, a ‘raganga’ based on Raga Basant and Tala Ektali and concluded with a ‘chapa sangeet’ ‘Chahan Nayana Chape Madana Mohana’, a ‘natyanga’. Their renditions flowed like a gentle river, swaying the audience along with it.
Backed by a stellar ensemble comprising Guru Buddhanath Swain on the Mardala, Muralidhar Swain on the Harmonium, Dr Jabahar Mishra on the Flute and Sitakanta Jena on the Manjira, their performances struck a chord and earned thunderous applause.
Next, Kathak dancer Tanmoyee Chakraborty, from Kolkata, took center stage. A disciple of Kathak exponent Dr Keya Chanda, Tanmayee is a first class first graduate from Rabindra Bharati University, Masters in dance with four gold medals in Kathak. She has performed at several prestigious festivals and won many awards and accolades.
Beginning with a graceful ‘Shiva Stuti’, she seamlessly transitioned into ‘Taal Dhamaar’, showcasing intricate footwork and rhythmic precision. Her performance was a masterclass in control and finesse.
However, the showstopper was her ‘Kathak on Thali’—a rare and challenging piece. Balancing on the edge of a brass plate, she danced with remarkable poise, executing complex movements like ‘tukda’ and ‘sawal jawab’ with effortless grace. It was a performance that had the audience eating out of her hand—her spins were spot-on, and her expressions spoke volumes.
At moments, she seemed almost doll-like, gliding across the stage with uncanny elegance.
It is to be mentioned here that dancing on thali is not common in Kathak dance and is seen more in Kuchipudi dance. However, it is prevalent in Benaras Gharana of Kathak Dance and Dr Keya Chanda belongs to the said gharana. Being a disciple of Dr Keya Chanda, Tanmayee performs the piece.
The last performer of the evening was Ananya Parida, a disciple of Padma Shri recipient Guru Dr. Aruna Mohanty and is a recipient of Senior Scholarship from the Government of India, a graded artiste of Doordarshan and an empaneled artiste of Spic Macay.
Closing the evening on a high note was Odissi dancer Ananya Parida, a disciple of Guru Dr. Aruna Mohanty.
She began her performance with a ‘Pallavi’, a pure dance item in the Odissi repertoire. Her presentation was ‘Naga Balli Pallavi’ based on Raga Naga Balli and Tala Malika, choreographed by her guru Dr Aruna Mohanty, music composed by Guru Gopal Chandra Panda, assisted by Sangita Panda and rhythm composed by Guru Dhaneswar Swain, assisted by Guru Bijaya Kumar Barik.
Her neat presentation reflected her rigorous training and command over technique.
Her concluding item was an abhinaya from Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda ‘Ramate Yamuna Pulina Bane’, choreographed by Guru Dr Aruna Mohanty, music composed by Dr. Subas Pani and rhythm composed by Guru Bijaya Kumar Barik.
Ananya was excellent in portraying the feelings of Radha’s emotional turmoil while waiting for Krishna. As Krishna fails to arrive, Radha’s anticipation turns to doubt. She imagines him with another woman—adorning her, kissing her, and meeting her by the Yamuna.
It was no easy feat, but Ananya rose to the occasion giving full justice to the choreography, leaving the audience spellbound. She was supported by Rupak Kumar Parida on Vocal, Sitakanta Jena on the Mardala, Suramani Ramesh Chandra Das on the Violin, Soumya Ranjan Joshi on the Flute and Yudhisthir Nayak on the Manjira.
All in all, the evening was a visual and emotional delight, indeed.
