Bhubaneswar: Following the success of its inaugural edition last year, ‘Swornabhumi’, an institution dedicated to Odissi dance and music, organized the second edition of ‘Swornabhumi Dance and Music Festival’ at Utkal Rangamanch, GKCM Odissi Research Centre, Bhubaneswar on October 18.
The evening was graced by Sri Jagadish Khadanga, Saha Khetra Pracharak; Dr Priti Prativa Bhol, state secretary, BJP, Odisha; Ramesh Chandra Dash, Rtd District Agricultural Officer and Guru Niranjan Rout who inaugurated the evening by lighting the auspicious lamp.
The evening began on a note of reverence with a felicitation ceremony honouring two distinguished exponents of Odisha’s classical arts. Odissi dance exponent and CSNA awardee Guru Dr Snehaprava Samantaray was honoured with ‘Nrutya Swornava Samman’ while Mardala exponent and CSNA awardee Guru Dhaneswar Swain was awarded with ‘Badya Swornava Samman’.
The guests and awardees praised Guru Prashant Kumar Behera, the founder of ‘Swornabhumi’ for his unwavering dedication and commitment to preserving, nurturing and promoting the rich legacy of Odissi. They also extended their best wishes for the institution’s continued growth and the festival’s future success.
The cultural segment opened on a vibrant note with a duet Mardala recital by young Mardala players Arup Das and P Gulshan Kumar.
Their deft handling of the traditional percussion instrument and rhythmic precision struck a chord with the audience. Guru Soumyaranjan Joshi and Guru Muralidhar Swain lent them a good support on the flute and the harmonium respectively, enriching the presentation.
This was followed by a solo Odissi dance recital by Ankita Dash, a disciple of Guru Prashant Kumar Behera. She presented ‘Dhyaye Subarna Barna’.
Choreographed by Padma Shri Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and dance direction by Guru Prashant Kumar Behera, the piece praises Goddess Durga. Ankita portrayed different facets of the goddess with her brilliant facial expressions and body movements, drawing warm applause from the audience.
The students of Swornabhumi subsequently took the stage with a vibrant array of performances, showcasing the depth and diversity of the institution’s training. Their performances including ‘Panchadeva Stutee’, ‘Nana Nana Gajanana’, ‘Jagannatha Ashtakam’, ‘Bainshi Ra Sure Sure’, ‘Batu’, ‘Ki Nadare Prana Sangini’, ‘Basant Pallavi’, ‘Bhaje Brajeka Mandanam’, ‘Mita Chahan Chahan Lo’, ‘Bhuje Sana Benu’, ‘Jaye Durge’, ‘Nagendra Haraya’, ‘Sundara Mo Janamabhumi’, ‘Moksha’ and Sambalpuri folk dances.
Each presentation received enthusiastic applause, as the performers kept the audience captivated from beginning to end.
The festival also highlighted the artistic journey of its founder, Guru Prashant Kumar Behera, whose lifelong association with dance began at a remarkably young age.
Guru Prashant Kumar Behera was just 4 years old when he developed a fascination towards ‘Gotipua Dance’ and joined ‘Chandrasekhar Gotipua Kala Sansad. There, he received training from Guru Mahadev Rout and Guru Goutam Mohapatra. He continued his Gotipua training for eight years before moving to Odisha Dance Academy (ODA).
At ODA, he had the opportunity to learn Odissi dance under the direct supervision of Guru Padma Shri Gangadhar Pradhan, CSNA awardee Guru Dr Snehaprava Samantaray, Padma Shri Guru Aruna Mohanty and Guru Manoranjan Pradhan.
A Nrutya Visharad from Prachin Kala Kendra, Chandigarh and a national scholarship holder and a Mardala player, Guru Prashant Kumar Behera has performed at several prestigious festivals in India and abroad.
The festivals include International Dance Festival (USA), Indian Council of Cultural Relations (Hongkong), World Dance Festival (Thailand), Ananya Festival (New Delhi), Konark Festival (Konark), Konark Music and Dance Festival (Konark), Mukteswar Festival (Bhubaneswar), Khajuraho Festival (Khajuraho) and Nisagandhi Festival (Tamil Nadu), among others.
Through ‘Swornabhumi’ and its annual festival, Guru Behera continues to create a platform where established masters are celebrated and young artists are encouraged to carry the tradition forward.
