Bhubaneswar: The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award, every year presented by Srjan, has been announced and Binodini Debi, veteran theatre artiste will receive the award for her invaluable contribution and lifetime achievement in the field of Odia theatre.
The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman will be presented to Arushi Mudgal for Odissi dance and to Ramachandra Behera for Odissi music (Mardala) acknowledging their dedication to their art forms and in recognition of their inspiring performances.
Srjan has dedicated this year’s festival in memory of Guruma, late Smt. Laxmipriya Mohapatra, the first ever dancer to perform Odissi on stage and the fountain of inspiration for many doyennes of Odissi dance.
This year’s cultural evenings will have Odissi dance by Sharmila Mukerjee, Bharatanatyam dance by Anita Mallick, Sattriya dance by Dr. Anwesa Mahanta, and Kathak dance by Sushree Nikkita Banawalikar. The festival will also feature recitals by world-renowned Violinist, Dr. Sangeeta Shankar, popular Odissi vocalist, Shri Rupak Kumar Parida, acclaimed Hindustani vocalist, Manjusha Patil, and the reputed flautist, Shri Abhiram Nanda.
The concluding evening will feature the prestigious award ceremony, followed by the much-awaited finale by the Srjan ensemble. Srjan will present a bouquet of neo-classical choreographs in Odissi dance, conceptualized and choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra. Beginning with an invocation to Lord Ganesha, Vinayaka Smarane, Srjan will explore the intricacies of neo-classical Odissi compositions with dances such as Parameshwari Pallavi and the experimental piece, titled Shiva Shangsanam, based on the Odissi idiom. This presentation pushes the boundaries of dance innovation with its novel style of execution. They also present Maati, a dance ballet based on the work of Shri Radha Mohan Gadanayak. The entire festival has been curated, conceptualized, and designed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, with the programme execution by Shri Debiprasad Mishra.
What started as a one-day festival 26 years ago has become a five-day-long festival. And, over the years, it has established itself as one of the reputed festivals in the country.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, like last year, this year too the festival will be live on the Srjan GKCMON Facebook page and YouTube channel, from September 5 to 9, from 7:30pm onwards.
