Bengaluru: The seventh edition of Kadambari Utsav, one of the city’s eagerly awaited festivals, once again lived up to its reputation by bringing together art lovers and talented young dancers under one roof for an evening of captivating performances.
The brainchild of eminent Odissi danseuse Guru Smt Karishma Ahuja, the festival is hosted annually by her institution Kadambari School of Odissi Dance. Launched in 2020, the festival has steadily carved out a niche for itself as a vibrant cultural platform that seeks to discover, nurture and showcase emerging talent in Indian classical dance forms.
Over the years, the school has only gone from strength to strength, having branches in Bangalore as well as in Chennai. Under Guru Smt Karishma Ahuja’s guidance, the institution’s students have performed at prestigious District, State and National level dance festivals, while also emerging winners at several competitive platforms. The school’s performing unit, ‘The Kadambari Dance Ensemble’, regularly takes the stage at private, corporate and public events.
Staying true to its legacy, the seventh edition of the festival, held at Alliance Francaise De Bangalore auditorium, offered the art lovers an evening of scintillating performances and left the audience asking for more.
As the sun dipped below the city skyline, the auditorium came alive with an air of eager anticipation.
The evening began on an auspicious note with the lighting the lamp ceremony attended by dignitaries including Kuchipudi exponent Smt. Rekha Satish, Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam and Nattuvangam exponent Dr Vasanth Kiran and noted cultural and social activist Mr. Zafer Mohiuddin. Guru Smt Karishma Ahuja also shared the stage space with the dignitaries.
The cultural evening commenced with a group presentation ‘Guru Vandana’. Choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, group choreography by Guru Smt Karishma Ahuja, the piece set to Raga Malika and Tala Aditala, celebrated the profound role of the guru in a disciple’s life.
Three well-trained dancers offered their obeisance to the guru, revered as Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara and Parabrahma.The artistes’ neat disciplined presentation set the tone for the evening and heightened expectations for the performances that followed.
The spotlight was then shifted to Pallavi, a pure dance item in the Odissi repertoire known for its graceful, lyrical and sculptural movements. Choreographed by legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, the piece was set to Raga Basant and Tala Ektali, the piece was performed by two artistes.
Their graceful body movements, expressive faces and sculptural poses left the art lovers and common audience captivated.
In the next group recital, five artistes performed ‘stepping’, followed by a presentation ‘bhoomi mangalam’ by 10 artistes.
The performances reflected the students’ disciplined training, coordination and the hours of practice that had gone into preparing them for the stage.
The fifth item was ‘Sthayee’, a pure dance piece choreographed by Guru Pankaj Charan Das. Presented by four artistes, the piece once again won appreciation for its polished presentation. The following item was ‘Saveri Pallavi’, set to Raga Saveri, Tala Ektali. Choreographed by Padma Vibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, the piece was presented by two artistes. It stood out for its synchronisation, graceful movements and effective use of stage space.
The evening reached another high point when Guru Smt Karishma Ahuja took the stage for a solo Odissi recital.She commenced her recital with a ‘Pallavi’, set to Raga ‘Ahir Bhairav’ and Tala ‘Ektali.
Choreographed by Guru Karishma Ahuja herself and music composed by Srinibas Satapathy, the piece showcased the maturity, finesse and stage confidence she has acquired over years of dedicated practice.
She followed it with the abhinaya ‘Braja Ku Chora…’, one of the classic choreographies of Padma Vibhushan Kelucharan Mohapatra. The piece portrays Yoshada cajoling and even frightening little Krishna into going to sleep by warning him that a thief would come and carry him away.
Her abhinaya of playing with the toddler with remarkable sensitivity and expressive depth left one and all mesmerised. The portrayal was so convincing that the audience could almost visualise Yashoda and Krishna sharing the stage with her. Her command over abhinaya and nuanced characterisation left the spectators glued to their seats.
A generous applause that followed her presentations was a fitting testament to the appreciation she had earned from the rasikas.
A practitioner of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Style of Odissi Dance, Guru Smt Karishma Ahuja is a graded artiste of Doordarshan. She is presently undergoing advanced training in Odissi under the guidance of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra and Guru Rajashree Praharaj.
She has performed at various dance festivals, private, corporate and public events across India and Internationally Abroad, both as part of group presentations and also as a solo Artiste.
Her artistic journey has earned her several accolades. In 2025, she was awarded ‘Guru Dayanidhi Samman’ for her valuable contributions in the field of Odissi at the Global and National level through performances, productions, choreography and training.
In 2024, she was recognised and honoured by the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, for her exemplary performances, teaching and her commitment to the field of arts. In 2021, she was named among Top 100 Iconic Artists and Educators of the year by the Rhythms Group, Mumbai.
Apart from performing, she also curates two annual Dance and Music Festivals, ‘Kadambari Utsav’ and ‘Aikyam’, that provide a platform for upcoming as well as senior artists.
She has performed at prestigious platforms such as Indian Classical Music and Dance Festival (Taiwan), Chidambaram Natyanjali (Chidambaram), Taj Mahotsav (Agra), G20 India Energy Week (Bangalore), Mamallapuram Indian Dance Festival (Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram), Mysore Dasara (Mysore Palace), and many more. Known for her grace, poise and commanding stage presence, Guru Smt Karishma Ahuja took an unconventional route into the world of dance.
Before she stepped into the world of Dance, she, an MBA in HR, worked in the corporate world as an HR professional for eight years. She has completed Nritya Vibhakar (BA) in Odissi Dance. She firmly believes that dance has the power to heal.
Adding further colour and variety to the evening, the festival also featured three guest artistes: accomplished Bharatanatyam exponent Kalashree Rashmi Aggarwal, renowned Kathak exponent Smt Snigdha DS and celebrated Bharatanatyam exponent Smt Pavithra Prashanth.
A senior disciple of Late Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan and founder of Shri Sudha Centre for Performing Arts, Kalashree Rashmi Aggarwal presented ‘Taan Vernam’, set to Raga Bahudari and Tala Adi.
Choreographed by Guru Smt Padmini Ravi, composed by Shri Lalgudi G Jayaraman, the piece portrayed a nayika expressing her deep love for Lord Murugan. With measured movements and precise geometry, the artiste had the audience engaged from beginning to end.
A senior disciple of Pandit Ram Mohan Maharaj and a practitioner of the Lucknow gharana, Smt Snigdha DS brought a different energy to the evening.
She left the art lovers spellbound with her electrifying footwork, balanced spins and striking poses.
The art lovers were then treated to a captivating group Bharatanatyam dance presented by the artistes of Pranavanjali Academy for Performing Arts.
The academy’s artist director is Smt Pavithra Prashanth, who is a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer.They commenced their recital with ‘Mishra Alarippu’, set to Mishra Chapa Tala. Alarippu is a graceful opening piece in Bharatanatyam, where a dancer offers a salutation to the art and the divine.
They went on to present ‘Shiva Krithi’, set to Raga Lathangi and Tala Adi Tala. With their graceful movements and powerful expressions, they brought alive the majestic Tandava and the glory of Lord Shiva.
They concluded their recital with “Shree Ramachandra Krupaalu Bhajamana” a Shree Rama Sthuthi written by Tulasi Das and set to Raga Yaman Kalyani and Tala Mishra Chapu. The piece evoked Lord Ram’s compassion, grace, and divine virtues. The artistes with their graceful expressions and movements drew the audience deeper into the narrative.
Sushree Vaanya Iyer added flair to the evening with her confident and seamless anchoring.
As the curtains came down, the mood among the rasikas was one of satisfaction and anticipation. Conversations outside the auditorium revolved around the wait till its next edition.
