Konark: The second evening of Konark Festival witnessed scintillating Sattriya dance recitals, besides Odissi dance performances.
After the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, the stage was lit with spell binding performances by Anita Sharma & Group from Guwahati and Niranjan Rout & Group from Bhubaneswar.
The first set of performances saw renowned choreographer Anita Sharma performing Sattriya with her troupe. Krishna Vandana, Nandi Geet, ChaliNach, RajaghoriyaChali, SutradhariNritya, Bhatima, LeelaGovindam and GajendraMokhsh were the 8 dance recitals performed by the students of the Abhinaya Dance Academy. LeelaGovindam was a special piece choreographed by the Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Anita Sharma set to taal Suta and taal EkTaal. The second half of the show saw enchanting Odissi performances by the students of Nupur led by eminent Odissi exponent Guru Niranjan Rout. The troupe performed Devi and then to Guru Niranjan Rout’s choreographies on pure Odissi dance form Pallavi and Sun set to taal Khemata and taal Jati respectively.
Both the audience and participants lauded the facilities and detailed COVID-19 safety protocols put in place by Odisha Tourism.
During the day, sand artists at Chandrabhaga Beach worked through sculptures of the golden sand on themes of ecotourism and ‘Manabasa’, a festival celebrated by married Odia women.
The event was attended by Chief Secretary, Government of Odisha Shri Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Director General of Police Shri Abhay, Director Tourism Shri Sachin R. Jadhav and Director Odia Language, Literature & Culture Shri Ranjan Kumar Das as guests of honour.
The popular beach spot now has OTDC serving delicious quick bites and refreshing beverages at the Chandrabhaga Beach Café.
Photo courtesy: Odisha Tourism
