Bhubaneswar: The five-year-old Padmavati Utsav has rapidly carved out a special niche for itself on Odisha’s cultural calendar, emerging as one of the eagerly-awaited festivals.
Organised annually by Sunaina Charitable Trust, an institution of Odissi dance and music, founded by Odissi danseuse Guru Smt Sagarika Parida has gone from strength to strength with its meticulous planning, seamless execution and artistic excellence, winning admiration of audiences.
A major attraction of the festival is the Padmavati Samman, an award instituted to honour distinguished dancers in recognition to their outstanding contribution to the world of performing arts.
The fifth edition of the festival held at Rabindra Mandap on August 1 witnessed a huge turnout of art lovers.
The festival kicked off with the auspicious lighting the lamp ceremony attended by dignitaries including Padma Shri Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, CSNA awardee Odissi exponent Guru Snehaprava Samantaray, Deputy Director of Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department, Government of India, Smt Suchismita Mantry and noted actor Antaryami Panda. Founder of the trust Guru Smt Sagarika Parida was also on eth stage.
The spotlight was then shifted to the felicitation ceremony. The fifth Padmavati Samman was conferred on celebrated Odissi dancer and mentor Guru Meera Das.
In their addresses, the guests heaped praise on Guru Smt Sagarika Parida for her dedication in preserving and promoting the rich legacy of Odissi dance and wished the festival many more successful editions.
The cultural segment opened on an auspicious note with ‘Jagannatha Ashtakam’ by five chiseled dancers of Sunaina Charitable Trust. Choreographed by Padma Shri Guru Kumkum Mohanty and directed by Guru Smt Sagarika Parida, the invocation sought the Lord of Universe’s blessings through graceful movements and expressions.
The performance by Sunaina Parida, Mugdha Sudipta Pathy, Aaradhya Pathy, Rishita Periwal and Rojalin Sahu set the tone for the evening.
Next, the rasikas were treated to a captivating solo Odissi recital by Guru Smt Meera Das, a disciple of legendary Padma Vibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and founder of Gunjan Dance Academy, Cuttack.
She presented ‘Shree Ram Preyashi’, narrating the poignant episode of the Ramayan where Hanuman meets Maa Sita in Ashok Vatika, hands over Lord Ram’s ring and seeks a token for his return. Conceptualised and choreographed by the artiste herself, with lyrics by Gopinath Parida, rhythm by Guru Satchidananda Das with traditional music enriched by flute renditions by Srinivas Satpathy, the piece showed the artiste’s exceptional command over abhinaya.
Her effortlessly slipping into the characters of Lord Ram, Lord Hanuman and Maa Sita, nuanced expressions and emotive storytelling, she had the audience completely in her thrall.
Adding a refreshing dimension to the evening, Smt Saibali Rout of Bhubaneswar enthralled the audience with her captivating Kathak performance. A disciple of Guru Jhuma Mukherjee, she commenced her recital with ‘Tarana’, before presenting the fusion piece ‘Kahe Chhed Mujhe…’.
Her swift spins and flawless footwork (tatkar) won hearts.
Next, 13 artistes of the host institution presented ‘Mo Jaga Kalia Re’, choreographed and directed by Gur Smt Sagarika Parida. Their synchronised movements and stage presentation made the item enjoyable.
The audiences were then treated to a scintillating solo Odissi recital by Barsha Priyadarshini Sarangi, who presented ‘Mohana Murati Chhai’, choreographed by Guru Bichitrananda Swain and direction by Rashmi Ranjan Barik.
The presentation was marked by lyrical body movements, excellent facial expressions and impeccable precision.
The momentum continued with ‘Jhumuru Jhumuru’, a vibrant group performance by eight dancers of the host institution, choreographed by Guru Smt Sagarika Parida. With their remarkable synchronisation and infectious energy, they left the art lovers thoroughly mesmerized.
The rasikas were then treated to another soulful solo Odissi dance recital by Smt Swati Srotoswini Singh. She presented an abhinaya ‘Sanja Kanja Nayana’, choreographed by her mentor Guru Smt Kumkum Mohanty. The artiste’s grace and fluidity made the presentation a visual delight.
One of the evening’s highlights was the group Odissi production ‘Nari’, presented by sixteen dancers of Odissi Dance Creation, founded by Guru Pankaj Kumar Pradhan.
Choreographed by the guru himself, music composed by Matruprasad Das and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain, the piece narrated the episodes associated with Tapoi, Savitri and Yoshada to show the many dimensions of womanhood—as a sister, wife and mother.
The curtains rolled down on a memorable evening with eight senior dancers of the host institution presenting a vibrant group Sambalpuri folk dance ‘Pakhana Upare’.
Their spirited performance coupled with pulsating music and vibrant choreography, had the audience tapping their feet and provided a fitting finale to an unforgettable celebration of art and culture.
The emcee of the evening was Er (Dr) Srinivas Ghatuary.
