Bhubaneswar: The five-day International Odissi Dance Festival got off to a colourful and vibrant start at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
Organised by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre under the aegis of Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, Government of Odisha, the festival brought together Odissi exponents and art lovers from across the world.
The dignitaries who graced the inaugural evening were Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Bhubaneswar-Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, Padma Shri awardees and eminent Odissi danseuses Smt. Kumkum Mohanty and Smt. (Dr) Aruna Mohanty, Special Secretary, Culture Department, Deba Prasad Dash and administrative officer of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Reach Centre Suchismita Mantry.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister extended his warm greetings and congratulations to Odissi dancers and artistes, and said that Odissi dance has played a significant role in taking the art and cultural legacy of Odisha to the global stage. He described Odissi as a powerful medium that has brought international recognition to the state’s unique cultural identity.
Speaking on the occasion, Special Secretary, Culture Department, Deba Prasad Dash said that Odias take immense pride in Odissi dance, which has earned a distinct place for Odisha at the international level. He highlighted that prestigious institutions like IIT Bhubaneswar have included Odissi dance in their B.Tech curriculum and that an Odissi Centre has also been established at Oxford University.
The evening opened with a ‘Mangalacharan’ ‘Namo Devi Mahadevi’, performed by the artistes of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Center. This was followed by a soulful abhinaya ‘Kuru Jadu Nandan’ from Gita Govinda presented by renowned dancer Vishnu Tatwa Das, who came from the United States.
Adding rhythmic elegance to eth evening, G. Sanjay and Diana Ghosh. Mesmerised the art lovers with their presentation ‘Hansadhwani Pallavi’, followed by Arpita Pani’s graceful rendition ‘Mohana Pallavi’. The following item was an abhinaya ‘He Banagiri He Latagiri’ by France-based Tulika Tripathy, who came from France, earning warm appreciation from the audience.
The cultural feast continued with a duet recital ‘Sabhinaya Pallavi’ by Farjana Yasmin and Tanmay Samaddar. Solo performances by Prabhutosh Panda, who presented ‘Nabarasa’ and Prashanti Jena further enriched the evening. The evening came to an end with a captivating group performance by the artistes of Sankalpa Foundation.
Adding to the festive ambiance, a photo exhibition showcasing the memorable performances of previous editions was organized at the venue. At the same time, ethnic cuisine and millet stalls, coffee and book sale counters opened on the venue proved to be major attraction for the visitors.
The programme was seamlessly anchored by Dr. Mrutunjay Rath and Taniya Mallick.
The festival aims to celebrate the beauty, depth and global reach of Odissi dance by bringing dancers from different parts of the world.
All performances are being streamlined on the GKCM Odissi Research Centre’s Facebook page, X (formerly Twitter) handle and You Tube channel.
