Bhubaneswar: The curtains came down on the two-day-long 33rd Nrityanjali Festival and Award Ceremony on Monday, as the Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar came alive with rhythm, colour, and culture.
Organized by Nrityanjali, an institute of eastern art, music, dance and drama, the annual extravaganza drew a packed house of art lovers, students, and dignitaries alike.
The evening was inaugurated on a grand note with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by Cooperation, Textiles, Handlooms and Handicrafts Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta, Dr Bijay Kumar Jena, principal of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalay, Debanarayan Sethi, working editor of News 7, and Guru Sukant Kumar Kundu, President of Nrityanjali. They were joined on stage by the host institution’s secretary Guru Pusparanjan Mangaraj and working president Ranjan Mangaraj.
The event was also marked by heartfelt felicitations and recognitions. Veteran theatre personality Subodh Patnaik was honoured with the Nrityanjali Natya Purush Samman for his lifelong contribution to Odisha’s theatre scene. The Purna Chandra Mangaraj Samman—instituted in memory of Guru Pusparanjan Mangaraj’s father—was awarded to Rakesh Sahoo, a promising student from Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalay who secured the highest marks in the drama department.
Founded 33 years ago by Guru Pusparanjan Mangaraj, Nrityanjali has carved out a niche as one of Odisha’s premier cultural institutions. The annual Nrityanjali Festival has since become a flagship celebration of the state’s dance and theatre traditions.
The cultural evening began on a soulful note with Odissi vocalist Guru Gita Manjari Behera, who cast a spell with two mesmerizing compositions—‘Naba Bilasini Re…’ in Raga Kamodi and ‘Mana Sumana Re…’ in Raga Khamaj. Behera has the opportunity to receive training from four eminent gurus namely Guru Pandit Gopal Chandra Panda, Guru Late Bhikari Charan Bal, Guru Prof Ramhari Das and Guru Dr Bijaya Kumar Jena. She has done her M. Mus. From Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalay.
The stage then lit up with a riveting abhinaya performance by Abhipsa Pati, a disciple of Guru Dr. Snehaprava Samantray. Her graceful rendition of ‘Dekhiba Para Asare’—choreographed by legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and set to music by Pandit Bhubaneswar Mishra—left the audience enthralled.
Next in line was Guru Dr. Dipti Routray of Biswanath Sangeetalaya, Cuttack, who wowed viewers with the dramatic ‘Tara Chhaiki Chabiki Mare Lo Sajani’, choreographed by Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, with music by Guru Pradeep Kumar Ray and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain.
Following that, Shradhanjali Rowlo, a disciple of Guru Ranbir, delivered a deeply expressive ‘Shyama Hey Sata Kaha’, where Radha questions Krishna’s playful ways with his sakhis. Her portrayal, based on Raga Jhinjoti and Tala Ektali, was both lyrical and emotionally charged.
The item was choreographed by Guru Ranbir, music and rhythm composed by guru Dhaneswar Swain.
The grand finale was a group presentation by ten senior dancers of ‘Sankhanada’, an Odissi institution founded by Guru Lingaraj Swain. They performed ‘Dasabatar’, a unique take on Lord Ram inspired by a composition of royal poet Sitikantah Tripathy.
The piece was choreographed by Swain himself, with music by Guru Sukant Kumar Kundu and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain.The dancers were Prashant Kumar Sahoo, Kumar Tubula, Meenakshirani Jena, Subhalkaxmi Rout, Bhagyalaxmi Singh, Lijalin Pradhan, Rupali Aparajita Mansingh, Subhashree Rath, Pratisha Priya Priyadarshini and Bishnupriya Sahoo.
As the final beats echoed through the auditorium, the audience was left with a deep sense of artistic fulfilment, marking yet another successful chapter in Nrityanjali’s enduring cultural legacy.
The anchor of the evening was Dr Mrutyunjay Rath.
