Bhubaneswar: Bhanjakala Mandap here on May 30 came alive as ‘Nrutyarchana’, the Odissi dance institution established by Guru Suresh Kumar Khuntia in 2006, hosted its 9th Guru Debaprasad Das Samman Utsav, offering art lovers an evening of captivating celebration of classical dance and music.
A distinguished disciple of Padma Shri Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, Guru Suresh Kumar Khuntia is a recipient of Ustad Bismallah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2011), an A graded artiste of Doordarshan and an empanelled artiste of ICCR.
The other awards to his credit are Srikshetra Shree Award, Senior Scolarship Award from Ministry of Culture, Chinta O Chetana Award, Sanjukta Prativa Samman-2007 Nrutyalaya Washington D.C.U.S.A., Singarmani Award from Sur Singar Academy, Mumbai, “NRUYA PRATIVA” SAMMAN, Bhubaneswar, to name a few. He has also carried the rich legacy of Odissi dance to numerous festivals across India and abroad.
He established Nrutyarchana in 2006 with a vision to popularize Guru Deba Prasad Das dance style far and wide. The institution has since become a vibrant platform for nurturing young talent and preserving the classical tradition.
This year, the festival was spread over two sessions-afternoon and evening session. Nearly 100 artistes learning Odissi dance at different branches of Nrutyarchana and Nrutyapranm institutions in different parts of the state performed solo, duet and group recitals, entertaining the art lovers.
Prior to the evening session, the audience was in for a surprise. Rajiv Lochan Singh, presently working as the secretary of the Odisha Staff Selection Commission, came onto the stage and left everyone stunned with his soulful renditions of Odissi Raganga and Champu. Trained under celebrated Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu, Singh began his recital with a Raganga ‘Kadamba Mule Banshi Bajilare’ in Raga Bajrakanti , followed by a Champu ‘Leela Nidhi Hai’.
His mellifluous renditions instantly struck a chord with the audience. He was ably supported by Guru Dibakar Parida on Mardala, Soumya Ranjan Banshi on the Flute and Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu on the Harmonium.
The evening session commenced with the traditional lighting the lamp ceremony by the esteemed guests including Deputy Director of Culture Department Smt Suchismita Mantri, Padma Shri Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, CSNA awardee and Mardala maestro Guru Dhaneswar Swain and culture lover Kishore Chandra Dash. Guru Suresh Kumar Khuntia and president of the festival Er Radhashyam Patra were also present on the stage.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of ‘Guru Debaprasad Das Samman’. This year, the award was conferred upon eminent Odissi exponent Guru Smt Puspita Mishra.
An empanelled artist of ICCR, Festival of India and an A-Grade artist of Doordarshan, Guru Smt Mishra is no stranger to awards and accolades. Her illustrious career has earned her several accolades including the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Mahari Award, Nrityakalaacharya Samman and Natya Kalabhushan Award, she has performed at several prestigious festivals in India and in foeriegn lands like Lisbon, Porto, Castelo Branco, Tomar, Egypt, Srilanka, Nepal and Malaysia, among other countries.
The evening also witnessed the presentation of 9th Nrutyarchana Samman and the recipients were young Odissi dancers Manoj Kumar Pradhan, Smt Swarupa Sabat, Smt Basanti Mohapatra and Guru Leema Das.
The cultural segment commenced with a powerful dance drama presentation ‘Nadi Nari—The River and The Woman’, by Guru Puspita Mishra.
The production drew a poignant parallel between two eternal nurturers of humanity — the river and the woman.Just as a river flows ceaselessly, nourishing civilizations and sustaining life, a woman too enriches society with unconditional love — as a mother, a guide and a silent force behind generations. Both embody sacrifice, resilience and creation, asking for nothing in return while constantly praying for the welfare of mankind.
Through expressive abhinaya, graceful movements and commanding stage presence, she explored the sacred bond of compassion, endurance and selfless giving they share. Conceptualized and choreographed by Guru Mishra herself, lyric by Mahendra Acharya, music composed by Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain, the production left the art lovers transfixed to their seats.
The following item was a group recital by six well-trained dancers of Nrutyarchana. They presented ‘Sabhinaya Pallavi’, a performance in Odissi dance that combines the pure dance form of Pallavi and ‘Abhinaya’. Started with a graceful ‘Pallavi’ on raga ‘Charukeshi’, the item concluded with an ‘Abhinaya’ ‘Sakhi Bije Kadamba Mule’, where Radha’s spiritual and physical longing for Krishna was portrayed vividly, offering a visual delight to the rasikas.
The dancers included Sagar Khuntia, Leema Das, Anwesha Das, Gangotri Pani, Rosalin Nayak and Sheetal Pati.
The festival drew to a fitting close with a solo Odissi recital ‘Ardhanariswara’ by Manoj Kumar Pradhan, a disciple of Guru Durga Charan Ranbir.
Choreographed by Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, music by Guru Nirmal Chandra Mohapatra and rhythm by guru Dhaneswar Swain, the production depicted the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Manoj’s presentation was neat and precise as he effortlessly transitioned between masculine vigour and feminine grace, earning applause from the audience.
With his trademark Odia narration, Dr Mrutyunjay Rath compeered the evening seamlessly.
The evening ultimately proved to be a vibrant tribute to the enduring legacy of Guru Debaprasad Das.
