Bhubaneswar: The Rabindra Mandap auditorium came alive as over 500 folk artistes and traditional instrumentalists performed 30 endangered folk art forms from 10 AM to 10 pm at ‘Loka Ranjani – Ama Kala Ama Asmita’ at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar on October 2.
The programme was organised by the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi under the aegis of the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture.
Art lovers, cultural enthusiasts and capital residents turned up in huge number to witness the endangered folk art forms in the morning, afternoon and evening sessions.
The performances presented included ‘Ghoda Nacha’, ‘Ranapa’, ‘Dhumpa music’, ‘Bathudi Chhau’, ‘Patarasoura Danda’, ‘Krushna Leela’, ‘Gitakudia’, ‘Jodi Nagara’, ‘Sanchar’, ‘Sakhinata’, ‘Kendarageeta’, ‘Badaghumura’, ‘Mahari Dance’, ‘Karam Sani’, ‘Oshakothi’, ‘Bharat Leela’, ‘Desia Nata’, ‘Singha Baja’, ‘Manisha Bagha’, ‘Khanjani’, ‘Ghuduki’, ‘Ram Leela’, ‘Dhanakoila’, ‘Chadhei Nacha’, ‘Radha Prem Leela’, ‘Sahijata’, ‘Jhumar’, ‘Krushnaguru’ and ‘Lanka Podi’.
Besides organising the programme, the Akademi also undertook documentation of these traditional art forms as part of its efforts to preserve Odisha’s intangible cultural heritage.
Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj attended the event as the chief guest and extended his greetings and best wishes to all the participating artists.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister said that Odisha’s folk arts are a source of pride, heritage and identity. He said the state’s rich cultural traditions and heritage find vibrant expression through its folk arts.
While praising the artistes’ contribution in preserving, promoting and taking these traditional art forms to wider audiences, he said the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi and artists across the state would continue to work towards passing Odisha’s rich folk traditions on to future generations and creating a distinctive identity for the state’s folk arts at the national and international levels.
Folk art groups from different districts were felicitated by the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi during the event. A book titled ‘Loka Ranjani’, based on Odisha’s diverse folk arts, was also released on the occasion.
The event was attended by Ekama MLA Babu Singh; Dr Vijay Ketan Upadhyay, Secretary, Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture; Dr Chandra Sekhar Hota, Secretary, Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi; Dr Debayani Bhuyan, Secretary, Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi; culture researcher Niranjan Panda; and Dr Jyotirmay Nayak, among others.
The Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi has been working consistently towards the revival, preservation and promotion of endangered folk art forms. Its initiatives include organising folk theatre, folk music, folk dance and traditional folk-instrument programmes across the state.
Worth mentioning, through its Dikshanta programmes, the Akademi is also imparting training to younger generations under the traditional guru-shishya system to revive art forms that are gradually fading away.
Initiatives such as the Kalakar Gaurav Nidhi and Loka Ranjani are further aimed at safeguarding and promoting Odisha’s rich folk-art traditions.
