Bhubaneswar: The city art lovers had a memorable evening at Rabindra Mandap on Tuesday as Nrityanjali, one of the oldest Odissi dance institutions in India, hosted ‘Pallavi Sandhya’, an evening entirely dedicated to ‘Pallavi’-a pure dance item in the Odissi repertoire- on the concluding evening of its 34th edition of Nrityanjali Festival 2026.
In recent years, this reviewer had never before witnessed any institution devoting an evening exclusively to ‘Pallavi’ presentations. The very idea of watching five ‘Pallavis’ unfold on a single stage generated considerable curiosity among this reviewer and other dance enthusiasts and drew them to the packed auditorium.
‘Pallavi’, which literally means ‘blossoming’, is a pure dance where a raga is elaborated with intricate and rhythmic footwork, lyrical body movements and graceful choreography. Like a flower slowly opening its petals, a ‘Pallavi’ begins at a measured pace and gradually unfolds into increasingly complex rhythmic and melodic patterns, creating a captivating visual and musical experience.
Before the performances commenced, this reviewer’s a brief interaction with founder of Nrityanjali and festival director Guru Pusparanjan Mangaraj revealed the vision behind the unique concept. He observed that a dancer is called a dancer when their ‘Pallavi’ performance successfully ticks all boxes of a ‘Pallavi’ presentation. He expressed concern that the creation of new ‘Pallavis’ has become increasingly rare and hoped that an evening of ‘Pallavis’ would encourage gurus to create new ‘Pallavi’ choreographies so that the Odissi treasure will improve and at the same time, vocalists and percussionists will get some financial encouragements. With characteristic humility, he excused himself to oversee the proceedings.
The evening commenced with an auspicious note as the invited dignitaries such as Bargarh MP Pradeep Purohit, Padma Shri Kumkum Mohanty, Padma Shri Durga Charan Ranbir, Padma Shri Aruna Mohanty, CSNA awardee Guru Dr Snehaprava Samantaray, CSNA awardee Ratikanta Mohapatra, Deputy Director of Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department Smt Suchismita Mantry inaugurated the evening by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Nrityanjali’s president Guru Sukant Kumar Kundu, secretary and festival director Guru Pusparanjan Mangaraj and working president Sriranjan Mangaraj were also present on the dais.
As the afternoon session had overrun its scheduled time, most guests, honouring the patience of artistes and audience, chose to keep their remarks brief. Pradeep Purohit and Kumkum Mohanty lauded Guru Pusparanjan Mangaraj for sustaining the festival’s legacy for 34 years and wished Nrityanjali continued success in the years ahead.
Putting an end to the wait of the audience, the emcees of the evening, Dr Mrutyunjay Rath and Dr Srinivas Ghatuary, appeared on the stage, inviting the audience to immerse themselves in an evening devoted entirely to ‘Pallavi’.
The evening got off to a scintillating start with one of the talented dancers of Nrityanjali ensemble Sushree Subhashree Mohapatra presenting a newly choreographed ‘Pallavi’, set to Raga ‘Abhogi’ and Tala ‘Jati’.
Subhashree is a graceful dancer gifted with a pliant torso. While enjoying her performance, she from the very beginning could transfer the joy to the art lovers, coaxing them to fix their eyes on her. All throughout her performance, her seamless synchronisation with the music transformed the presentation into a visual delight.
This new ‘Pallavi’ was choreographed by Guru Pusparanjan Mangaraj, music composed by Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain. Guru Mangaraj dedicated the composition to his guru, Padma Shri Durga Charan Ranbir.
Keeping the momentum alive, Santosh Ram and Samir Kumar Panigrahi, senior members of Rudraksha Foundation’s ensemble, presented ‘Ananda Bhairavi Pallavi’, set to Raga ‘Ananda Bhairavi’ and Tala ‘Jati’, choreographed by Guru Bichitrananda Swain, music composed by Guru Ramhari Das and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain.
The presentation showcased the duo’s command over the form. Their polished performance left the audience glued to their seats and earned warm appreciation.
The evening’s third offering, ‘Khamaj Pallavi’, was presented by eight accomplished dancers of Orissa Dance Academy—Sandhya, Shreepunya, Sayani, Suprava, Chinmay, Dipti Ranjan, Himansu and Shubham.
Set to the lilting grace of Raga ‘Khamaj’ and the rhythmic cycle of Ek Taali, the performance revealed the sublime harmony of movement, melody and rhythm. The dancers wove a magic on the stage, enchanting the audience their precision and elegance.
The piece was choreographed by guru Aruna Mohanty, music composed by Guru Bijay Kumar Jena and rhythm by Guru Dhaneswar Swain and Guru Biajaya Kumar Barik.
Next came ‘Shudha Dhaivat Bibhas Pallavi’ set to Adi Tala, performed by Srjan’s twelve dancers-Rajashri Praharaj, Aishwariya Singhdev, Preetisha Mohapatra, Madhabi Rout, Daina Ghose, Subhashree Senapati, Sushree Sangita Swain, Anjelina Pal, Prachi Mohanty, Sruti Jyoshna Dash, Rajkumar Kar and G. Sanjay.
With their intricate footwork, graceful body movements, and sculpturesque poses, they succeeded in exploring the nuances of the chosen raga and tala with remarkable finesse. Choreographed by Guru Ratikanta Mohapatra, music by Pradip Kumar Das and rhythm by Guru Mohapatra himself, the performance was a treat for both trained and untrained eyes.
The grand finale featured ‘Sinhendramadhyama Pallavi’, another newly choreographed work by Guru Pusparanjan Mangaraj.
Presented by five Nrityanjali dancers—Sushree Subhashree Mohapatra, Ananya Mishra, Asphruha Mishra, Barsha Priyadarshini and Arnabi Rout—the performance was marked by graceful movements, impeccable coordination, striking sculpturesque formations and excellent use of stage space. The presentation left the connoisseurs yarning for more.
Guru Mangaraj dedicated this new ‘Pallavi’ to the entire Odissi fraternity.
A striking feature common to all the group presentations was the flawless entry and exit patterns of the dancers, which significantly enhanced the overall quality and visual appeal of the performances.
The thunderous applause that followed each performance spoke volumes about the audience’s appreciation for both the performers and the choreographers. Even after the programme concluded, animated discussions continued outside the auditorium, with many art lovers sharing their favourite moments and recalling sequences that had left a lasting impression.
Reflecting on the programme, Padma Shri Guru Durga Charan Ranbir remarked, “The evening was quite entertaining as well as educating. Young dancers would do well to witness performances of these kinds. The choreographers have remained true to distinctive ‘dharas’ of their gurus while crafting choreographies. Watching five ‘Pallavis’ in one evening is truly a rare treat. The credit for bringing together such an exceptional presentation goes entirely to Pusparanjan Mangaraj. I hope he continues to curate many more such memorable evenings in the future.”
Guru Dr Snehaprava Samantaray praised Guru Pusparanjan Mangaraj’s initiative, saying, “Pusparanjan Mangaraj’s effort is praiseworthy. It is a good thing that he is laying emphasis on ‘Pallavi’. Because, a dancer’s talent is only visible when s/he performs a Pallavi. Here, without any mukhabhinaya, they have to perform gracefully in accordance with the music. All the ‘Pallavis’ presented in the evening were equally good. To say about the ones choreographed by Mangaraj, they not only followed the grammar of Odissi but also fulfilled the criteria of ‘Pallavi’.”
Speaking about his compositions, Guru Mangaraj said, “The ‘Pallavis’ my students presented are my latest choreographies. Both works adhere strictly to the grammar and aesthetics of the Pallavi tradition. Their authenticity, therefore, is beyond question.”
The evening’s visual appeal was enhanced by thoughtful lighting design. While Ramesh Chandra Jena designed the lighting for the Orissa Dance Academy presentation, Debi Prasad Das handled the lighting for all other performances.
The festival also celebrated excellence in the field of Odissi and allied arts through a series of honours. On the inaugural evening on Monday, Odissi dancer Guru Braja Kishore Mallick and Mardala player Guru Satchidananda Das were honoured with ‘Nrityanjali Samman’ for their lifelong contribution to Odissi dance and Mardala.
Similarly, ‘Natya Purusha Samman’ was conferred on noted voice modulator and news caster Late Upendra Kumar Pahadsingh and eminent playwright Prof Purna Chandra Mallick. At the same time, young Mardala player Bibhuti Bhushan Champati and Odissi vocalist Dr Sarbeswar Baitharu received ‘Nrityanjali Yuva Samman’.
In the media category, Sushant Kumar Bisoi of OTV and Sunil Naik of News 7 were awarded with Nrityanjali News Anchor Excellency Award 2026 and Nrityanjali News Reporting Excellency Award 2026, respectively.
Nrityanjali also presented ‘Purna Chandra Mangaraj Samman’, instituted in memory of Guru Pusparanjan Mangaraj’s father, a renowned theatre personality. For this, Nrityanjali is tied up with Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalay and Utkal University of Culture which nominate a student from their drama departments on a rotational basis. This year’s recipient was Dibyanshi Mohanty, a final year student of drama department, Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalay.
Over the course of the two-day festival, a total of 160 dancers, 22 Odissi vocalists and 12 rhythm players participated, making the 34th edition of the Nrityanjali Festival a vibrant celebration of Odisha’s rich performing arts heritage and a fitting tribute to the enduring beauty of Odissi.
