Bhubaneswar: The two-day 52nd Gandharva Kala Festival, organized by Gandharva Kala Parishad at Utkal Rangamanch here, concluded on Sunday on a resplendent note, offering art lovers an evening steeped in classical grace and vibrant folk traditions.
The evening featured captivating solo and group Odissi dance recitals and folk dances that left the art lovers glued to their seats till the last item.
The evening commenced with the customary light the lamp ceremony attended by distinguished guests including Padma Shri Guru Kumkum Mohanty and noted poet Mamata Dash.
The cultural segment started on an auspicious note with a mesmerising group Odissi recital ‘Ganesh Tandav’, a Mangalacharan, choreographed by Guru Deba Prasad Das and directed by Guru Dr Gayatri Mishra.
Seventeen dancers of Gandharva Kala Parishad’s sub-junior group brought youthful energy and remarkable coordination to the stage, earning applause from the audience.
The following item was a solo Odissi recital by Sushree Suchismita Sahoo, who presented an abhinaya ‘Amrapali’, penned by poet Kedar Mishra, choreographed by Guru Pravat Kumar Swain, music composed by Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain.
Blessed with expressive eyes and a flexible torso, she instantly struck a chord with the audience while tracing the journey of ‘Amrapali’.
Next came Sushree Suryakanti Sahoo, a disciple of Guru Dr Smt Gayatri Mishra, who presented an abhinaya ‘Bajuchi Sahi Bajare…’, choreographed by Padma Shri Guru Gangadhara Pradhan, music by Guru Bijay Kumar Jena and rhythm by Guru Bijay Kumar Barik.
Here a sakhi cautions Radha that her love affair with Krishna has become the talk of the town and warns her to refrain from it. Suryakanti’s crisp movements and evocative expressions held the audience riveted.
Adding another dimension to the evening, Chinmayee Tripathy, perhaps the first transgender Odissi performer presented an abhinaya ‘Shivastakam’, set to raga Bhairavi and Tala Ekatali, choreographed by Guru Deba Prasad Das.
A disciple of Guru Smt Snehaprava Samantaray and Guru Smt Sujata Mishra, Chinmayee delivered a performance marked by poise and conviction.
The art lovers were then treated to another memorable solo Odissi recital by Sushree Swati Shrotaswini Singh, a disciple of Padma Shri guru Kumkum Mohanty and Guru Muktilata Pal.
She performed ‘Mali Mala Shyama Ku Debi…’, choreographed by Padma Vibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, dance direction by Guru Smt Muktilata Pal. Interpreting the poetry of Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanj, Shrotaswini portrayed Radha with elegance, grace and emotional depth.
One of the most endearing moments of the evening came with the group presentation ‘Ja Hata Re Bainshi Thiba…’ by the tiny tots of Gandharva Kala Parishad.
Guru Dr Gayatri Mishra revealed it on the stage that some of the children had joined rehearsals merely two to three days before the festival. Despite that, their enthusiasm and innocence won hearts.
The penultimate item of the evening was ‘Batu’, a pure dance item from the Odissi repertoire, presented by three artistes of Mugdha Mudra Institute.
Though they occasionally lacked synchronization, they impressed the audience with their remarkable stage coverage and spatial patterns.
The evening came to an end with a high note as the dancers of the host institution presented a vibrant folk dance ‘Saragi Phula’, which infused the auditorium with infectious energy and brought the festival to a rousing finale.
In all, the festival — one of Odisha’s oldest cultural celebrations — turned out to be a rich confluence of tradition, talent and artistic passion, featuring both seasoned and emerging performers over the two evenings.
The seamless organization of the festival was credited to its president Dr Sangeeta Gosain, secretary guru Dr Gayatri Mishra, daughter of Guru Dr Dibakar Mishra who founded Gandharva Kala Parishad in 1974, and festival director Sanjay Kumar Bhatt, who also proposed the vote of thanks.
The festival management was taken care of by Tapan Kumar Mishra. While Dr Mrutyunjay Rath was the anchor of the opening evening, Sushree Ananya Mishra compered the concluding evening with aplomb.
