Balasore: The 19th annual ‘Sangeet Sadhana Seedhi’ festival, popularly known as ‘San Saa See Festival’, a confluence of classical music, organised by the Tabla department of Nrutya Sangeet Kala Mandir, was successfully held at the institution’s auditorium in Balasore on May 10. The day-long celebration of rhythm and melody drew art lovers in droves and kept them glued to their seats till the final curtain call.
Established in 1956, Nrutya Sangeet Kala Mandir is one of the oldest dance and music institutions in India. Over the years, it has produced hundreds of dancers and musicians who have carved a niche for themselves in national level. The present students of the institution have performed at several festivals in India and abroad, earning laurels to their alma mater.
The institution offers training in Odissi and Hindustani music, Odissi dance and instruments such as Tabla and Guitar. Its Tabla department, led by Guru Nandakishore Das, has earned a reputation for thinking outside the box through innovative solo, duet and group presentations.
This year’s festival, ran from 10 am to 10 pm, was no different, featuring a musical extravaganza packed with captivating Tabla recitals.
The highlight of the festival was its evening session, which was attended by Balasore MLA Manas Kumar Dutta as the chief guest, Basta MLA Smt Subasini Jena as the guest of honour and poet Prashant Das as the chief speaker. They inaugurated the evening by lighting the auspicious lamp, setting the ball rolling for the cultural evening. The institution’s president Dr Subash Patra, vice president Utpal Mohanty, secretary Laxmi Narayan Bose and Tabla Department’s head Nandakishore Das were also present on the dais.
The spotlight was then shifted to the felicitation ceremony. While eminent music director Subash Ram was honoured with ‘San Saa See Gourav Samman 2026’, young and talented tablist Subhashish Satapathy, who hails from Keonjhar, received ‘San Saa See Yuva Prativa Samman 2026’.
On this occasion, senior journalist Suman Parida was felicitated with ‘San Saa See Accompanying Artiste Samman 2026’.
The cultural evening commenced with a promising note with a solo Tabla recital by Subhashish Satapathy, whose deft fingers and flawless command over rhythm left the audience enchanted. Sushree Sutapa Nath lent him able support on the Harmonium.
Keeping the pace alive, Guru Manoranjan Panda and his two disciples presented a soul-stirring Violin recital, with Guru Nandakishore Das providing rhythmic support on the Tabla. Their performances earned thunderous applause.
One of the biggest crowd puller of the evening was a group Tabla recital by 50 students of the Tabla department.
Under the direction of Guru Nandakishore Das, the promising talents showcased intricate elements such as ‘Uthan’, ‘Chalan’, ‘Peshkar’. ‘Tukda’, ‘Chakradar’, ‘Rela’, ‘Qaida’, and ‘Paran’ with remarkable ease. They also navigate different jatis like ‘Chaturasra’, ‘Mishra’, ‘Khanda’, and ‘Sankirna’, without missing a beat, leaving the art lovers captivated.
Their polished presentation spoke volumes about the quality training imparted by the institution.
The festival came to an end with a melodious note with young vocalist Subhadananda Das from Jajpur district presenting Hindustani classical songs. A gifted vocalist, he instantly cast a magical spell on the audience. He was ably accompanied by his father Guru Amaresh Das on the Harmonium and Subhashish Satapathy on the Tabla.
Guru Nandakishore Das also donned the anchor’s hat with aplomb. His seamless anchoring guided the audience through the evening’s events.
It was noticed that the art lovers were enjoying till the last item, a testimony to the success of the festival, proving once again that good music never goes out of tune.
