Bhubaneswar: The two-day-long 14th Bharat Muni Festival 2023, organised by Kalingayana Touryatrikam, one of the premier Odissi dance institutions of the state, started at Utkal Rangamanch, Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
The inaugural evening witnessed three mesmerizing performances including ‘Bilasini Natyam’, presented by Sanjay Kumar Joshi from Hyderabad, who is the only male dancer of this dance style.
After the auspicious lighting the lamp ceremony, the first item of the evening was ‘Radha O Meera’, a Jugalbandi between Odissi and Bharatnatyam, presented by eminent Odissi dancer Puspita Mishra and noted Bharatnatyam dancer Poornima Ashok.
In this 33-minute-long presentation, both the dancers left the art connoisseurs hooked to their seats. Puspita and Poornima did their best to do justice to their respective parts-Radha and Meera, depicting Shringar rasa and Bhakti rasa respectively. Based on Raga Raga Malika and Tala Tala Malika, the item was jointly choreographed by Puspita Mishra and Poornima Ashok.
Next came onto the stage was Sanjay Kumar Joshi, the only male ‘Bilasini Natyam’ dancer in India who came from Hyderabad.
He commenced his recital with ‘Vighna Vinashakara’, based on Raga Mohan Kalyani and Tala Adi Talam.
This devotional song was originally sung and performed by Maddula Lakshminarayana with notional abhinaya while standing near the dhvajastambha and addressing the deity of the temple in Vishweshwar Agraharam of Perur. This was rechoreographed by Maddula Lakshminarayana for the stage performance of her disciples.
In this item, a dancer offers salutation to the seven musical notes, the Mridangam and the Cymbals. Thereafter, he pays homage to Lord Ganesha and prays for the success of the performance.
His second item was ‘Palliki Seva’.
‘Pallaki Seva’ refers to the dance service rendered by the temple dancers when Utsav Mutis or the display idols of the temple are taken out in a Pallaki (palanquin) in a public procession on Tiru Vithi-the hallowed pathway which flanks the temple. The Devadasi dances in the divinity whenever the palanquin halts.
Sanjay’s excellent facial expressions and stage management were a treat for both art lovers and common audience.
The concluding item of the evening was a group presentation ‘Kirabani Pallavi’, presented by the students of Kalingayana Touryatrikam. Based on Raga Kirabani and Tala Jati, the item was choreographed by Guru Puspita Mishra, rhythm composed by Guru Dhaneswar Swain and music composed by Guru Sukant Kumar Kundu.
The dancers’ lyrical body movements, synchronisation and stage management made the presentation enjoyable.
The evening was attended by MLA Susant Rout, Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam dancer Swapna Sundari, president of Kalingayana Touryatrikam and former Ambassador Jitendra Nath Mishra and institution’s trustee Anshuman Mishra. Dr Mrutyunjay Rath was the emcee of the evening.
