Bhubaneswar: The 19th edition of Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav is all set to begin at the foothills of historic Dhauli on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar from February 10th to 12th.
This year, the prestigious Buddha Samman, instituted by the Orissa Dance Academy 15 years ago to honour a distinguished cultural personality, goes to Padma Shri recipient Smt. Shyamamani Devi, eminent vocalist and music composer.
The award carries a purse of Rs 1,00,000, a citation and anga bastra.
Similarly, this year’s Guru Gangadhar Samman Smruti Samman recipients are renowned music composer and singer Guru Bankim Sethi, eminent Odissi dance guru Guru Niranjan Rout, renowned Mardala exponent Guru Satchidananda Das and renowned Mayurbhanj Chhau exponent Guru Sadasiba Pradhan.
This award carries a citation, anga bastra and cash award of Rs 25,000.
Near about 300 artistes from different disciplines will participate in the mahotsav this year.
The earlier editions of Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav had been organized by Orissa Dance Academy, a brain child of late Guru Gangadhara Pradhan, and Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of Odisha in association with Ministry of Culture & Art Vision.
But this year, it has been decided by the State Government that the Mahotsav will be organized by the Odia Language, Literature and Culture department and Orissa Dance Academy, in association with Art Vision, an Odissi dance institution set up by Italian Odissi dancer Ileana Citaristi, who made Odisha her home decades ago.
