Bhubaneswar: The Rabindra Mandap auditorium here on Friday came alive as Bharati Nrutya Mandir, one of the premier Odissi institutions in the state, hosted Bharati Nrutya Utsav 2025.
The festival opened with a mesmerising group Odissi dance recital by the artistes of Bharati Nrutya Mandir, welcoming the guests. The dancers (Swarna Prava Panda, Anisha Abhishikta Rout, Lipsa Liteeka Nayak, Adyasha Priyadarshini and Nandita Ghosh) presented ‘Pallavi’, a pure dance item in eth Odissi repertoire, based on Raga Charukeshi, choreographed by Guru Bharat Charan Giri, the founder of Bharati Nrutya Mandir, music composed by Guru Bijay Kumar Jena and rhythm composed by Guru Dhaneswar Swain and Guru Ajay Kumar Swain.
As Guru Bharat Charan Giri is one of the torch bearers of Guru Debaprasad Das gharana, the use of ‘Shabda Swara Pata’, a trademark of the lineage, was noticeable in the choreography. The dancers’ lyrical body movements and sculpturesque positions gave the evening a good start, promising the evening was going to be an entertaining one.
Then the invited guests eminent Odissi dance guru and CSNA awardee Dr Snehaprava Samantaray, eminent Odissi dance guru and CSNA awardee Niranjan Rout and eminent Mardala exponent and CSNA awardee Guru Dhaneswar Swain inaugurated the evening by lighting the auspicious lamp. The president of the host institution Chaitanya Mallik and Guru Bharat Charan Giri were also present on the stage.
This was followed by felicitation ceremony. Noted vocalist and Padma Shri recipient Smt Dr Shyamamani Devi, Odissi dance maestro and Padma Shri recipient Guru Durga Charan Ranbir and celebrated Odissi dance guru Ratikant Mohapatra were honoured with ‘Bharati Sangeeta Samman’, ‘Bharati Sangeeta Samman’ and ‘Bharati Nrutya Samman’ respectively.
Similarly, ‘Guru Bharat Charan Giri Yuva Prativa Samman’ was presented to the eminent Odissi dancer and Guru Smt. Swapnarani Sinha and Guru Gouri Shankar Dash.
Before the cultural segment began, the guests released the second edition of book titled ‘Odissi Nrutya Madhyama’ authored by Guru Bharat Charan Giri, the founder of Bharati Nrutya Mandir. Its first edition was released in 2015. Guru Giri’s another book ‘Nrutya Prarambha’ was earlier released in 2010 and in 2024, the English version of ‘Nrutya Prarambha’ and ‘Nrutya Vishrada’ were released. Guru Bharat Charan Giri says as the above mentioned books are written in alignment with the syllabi of Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh; Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Mumbai and Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, Odissi students preparing for examinations find them as valuable study companions as well as helpful.
Guru Bharat Charan Giri’s brainchild ‘Bharati Nrutya Mandir’ has been nurturing Odissi talents for over 30 years. Many of his students have gone on to become established gurus and founded their own institutions in Odissi, outside Odisha and outside India. His students have performed at several prestigious festivals across the country and in several foreign lands. His long-association with Adruta Children’s Home has also borne fruit with the artistes of RAWA Academy, a unit of Adruta Children’s Home, have performed at prestigious festivals across the globe.
In their addresses, the guests heaped praises on Bharati Nrutya Mandir, and its guiding force, Guru Bharat Charan Giri, wishing the festival longevity and continued glory.
The first post-inauguration presentation was a dance drama ‘Sabari’ by Central and Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Guru Ratikant Mohapatra. Choreographed and music overview by Mohapatra, scripted by Pandit Nityananda Mishra and music composed by Rupak Kumar Parida, the piece retold the moving episode from the Ramayan where a tottering tribal woman bent with age offers berries grown in forest to Lord Ram.
Having watched the presentation earlier, I still watched it without being able to get my eyes off the stage-a testament to Mohapatra’s unmatched ‘abhinaya’ brilliance. I must say the saying ‘Beautiful things never fade away, the more you see them, the newer they appear’ is applicable to ‘Sabari’. What touched my heart is his expressions of Sabari’s feelings while having the water she collected after washing Lord Ram’s feet. The portrayal of her not letting even a drop of the water from falling on the ground from her palm was excellent. His expressions of her feelings of testing sour berries through mukhabhinaya were nothing short of mesmerising.
Next came dance drama ‘Gajanana’ presented by the senior artistes of Bharati Nrutya Mandir, conceptualized, scripted and choreographed by Guru Bharat Charan Giri, music by Guru Bijaya Kumar Jena and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain and Guru Ajay Kumar Chakraborty.
The presentation shed light on a lesser-known backstory behind how Lord Ganesh received His elephant head. While roaming on the earth, Lord Indra and Rambha, the celestial dancer, mounting on Airavat, the mighty white elephant, enters Sage Durbasa’s hermitage. He presents a garland to Lord Indra who, in turn, places it around Airavat’s head which infuriated sage Durbasa. He curses Indra, declaring, “The head of any offspring born from the union of the elephant will be severed.”
The body movements, expressions, synchronization and smooth transitions of the artistes-Swarna Prava Panda, Anisha Abhishikta Rout, Lipsa Liteeka Nayak, Adyasha Priyadarshini Biswal, Lipsa Ray, Namrata Mohanty, Subhalaxmi Dalei, Shrutipriya Swain, Subhashree Swain, Tapaswini Sahoo and Pravati Dash-made it enjoyable.
The next item of the evening was a captivating solo Odissi dance recital by Guru Smt Swapnarani Sinha, who runs an Odissi dance institution ‘Nrutyanilaya’ in Angul.
She presented ‘Krishnashtakam’, choreographed by herself, music composed by Guru Sukant Kumar Kundu and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain. A disciple of Padma Shri recipient Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, Guru Smt Sinha brought alive episodes like ‘Putana Badh’, ‘Kaliyadaman’ and ‘Biswaroopdarshan’ with aplomb, leaving the art lovers and common audience enthralled.
Young Odissi dancer Guru Gouri Shankar Dash then presented ‘Bageshree Pallavi’ set to Raga Bageshree and Tala Ekatli, choreographed by Guru Dash himself, music composed by Guru Sukant Kumar Kundu and rhythm composed by Guru Dhaneswar Swain. The highlight of his performance was his complete command over technique, neat body movements and crisply executed footwork.
The curtains came down with a group dance by the artistes of Adruta Dance Troupe of RAWA Academy. They presented an abhinaya ‘Chandana Charchita…’ from Jayadev’s ‘Gita Govinda’ choreographed by Guru Giri, music composed by Guru Sukant Kumar Kundu and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain and Guru Ajay Kumar Choudhury. Dancers Padmini, Mamali Pradhan, Manisha, Shalini, Mohini, Sujata Sethi and Barsha Nayak portrayed how Krishna reveling in the company of Gopa’s damsels, leaving the audience captivated.
Earlier in the day, the afternoon session titled as ‘Sishu Utsav’ (as the day was Children’s Day) was inaugurated by Guru Smt Meenakshi Behera, Guru Smt Chapala Mishra, Kalabhusana Guru Sushil Kumar Pattanaik, Guru Braja Kishore Mallick, Guru Nimakanta Rout, Guru Gayatri Chand and Jagabandhu Jena. The junior artistes of the host institution and Darpani Nrutyangana presented some scintillating performances like an abhinaya ‘Radharani Sange’, ‘Sambalpuri dance’, ‘Bharati Vandana’, ‘Mangalacharan’, ‘Vasant Pallavi’, ‘Mangalacharan’, ‘Dasavatar’ and ‘Sthayee Nrutya’.
The anchor of both sessions was Dr Mrutyunjay Rath.
The event was sponsored and supported by Odia Language Literature and Culture Department, Govt. of Odisha, IMFA, Jindal Steel, MGM, Krishna Chitralaya, Ansuka Arts, Alankar Arts by Trijyoti, Nritya Sash Studio, Odisha State Housing Board and Chest Care Clinic.
