New Delhi: As the sun dipped below the capital city’s horizon, the Stein Auditorium here was echoing with the rhythmic pulse of Odissi, Kathak and Mohiniyattam as Patitapawan Kala Niketen’s ‘Shraddhanjali Festival 2026’ was inaugurated on Monday, turning the evening into a captivating cultural tapestry.
The festival is held annually in fond remembrance of Late Guru Pravash Kumar Mohanty, who founded Patitapawan Kala Niketen in 1987. After his passing, the legacy is being carried forward with dedication by his son Guru Prakash Kumar Mohanty and daughter-in-law Guru Sangeeta Mohanty are managing the institution.
Over the years, their institution has carved out a niche for itself where both Guru Prakash Kumar Mohanty and Guru Sangeeta Mohanty are nurturing students.
While the institution is affiliated to Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh, it has so far produced over one hundred students who have now became Doordarshan’s graded artistes and its students have participated in several prestigious festivals including Konark Festival, Khajuraho Festival, Taj Festival, Puri Beach Festival, Odisha Parv, Mukteshwar Dance Festival, Chakradhar Festival, Kumbh Mela Festival, India International Dance Festival and many others in foreign lands, earning laurels for the institution and their gurus.
Since past few years, it is being witnessed that the quality of the festival is improving, thanks largely to the dedication of the persons on and off the stage, particularly Guru Prakash Kumar Mohanty and daughter-in-law Guru Sangeeta Mohanty.
The evening commenced with the auspicious lighting the lamp ceremony attended by Director General of Meteorology in the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Odissi exponent Padma Shri Guru Geeta Mahalik, Mohiniyattam exponent Padma Shri Guru Bharti Sivaji and member of academic council OSOU, Government of Odisha, Dr Debendra Majhi.
The festival’s three directors namely Syed Md Danish (Secretary), Guru Prakash Kumar Mohanty(Principal) and Guru Sangeeta Mohanty (Dance Director) also shared the dais.
The spotlight was then shifted to felicitation ceremony. While Mardala maestro Guru Prafulla Kumar Mangaraj was honoured with ‘Guru Samman Award 2026’, Odissi exponent Gayatri Ranbir, daughter of Padma Shri Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, was felicitated with ‘Guru Pravash Award 2026’.
The first item of the evening was a solo Odissi dance recital by Gayatri Ranbir. She commenced her recital with a ‘Pallavi’, a pure dance in Odissi repertoire, based on Raga Rageshree and Tala Ektali, setting the tone for the evening.
She followed it up with an evocative abhinaya ‘Bada Achambita Dekhili Lo Mita’, set to Raga Mishra Tilak Kamod and Tala Aditala and Khemta, choreographed by Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, bringing alove the ethereal charm of Lord Krishna.
That she has perfected the art form through years of training under the watchful eyes of her father-cum-guru Durga Charan Ranbir was evident from the very beginning of her recital. Her both items were characterized by lyrical body movements and unmatched facial expressions that left the art lovers enchanted.
Keeping the pace going, four well-trained artistes of Centre For Mohiniyattam, New Delhi, presented ‘Chollekettu’, the very first item of the art form of Kerala combining rhythmic syllables, music, graceful movements, body control in which pure dance movements are woven together.
Set to Ragam ‘Aarbhi’ and Talam ‘Aadi Talam’, the item was choreographed by Padma Shri recipient Guru Bharati Shivaji and performed by Megha Nair, Deepti Nair, Shalini John and Bhargavi J.
Next, Megha Nair, Deepti Nair and Bhargavi J presented an ‘Ashtapadi’, from saint poet Jayadeva’s ‘Geeta Govindam’, which is traditionally performed in Kerala temples and sung in the indigenous Sopana Sangeetham style.
This piece is a lyrical dialogue between Radha and her friend, describing the divine beauty of Lord Krishna, adorned with Tulasi garlands, sandalwood paste, and a yellow silk robe. His gem-studded earrings glimmer as he joyfully plays with the Gopikas in Brindavan, immersed in love and bliss.
This Ashtapadi, blending devotion and lyrical beauty, is rendered in Panthuvarali Raagam followed by Mohanam, set to Adi Taalam, evoking both spiritual fervor and classical elegance.
In both items, the dancers performed with confidence and energy, entertaining both trained and untrained eyes.
Next, Guru Sangeeta Mohanty delivered a spellbinding abhinaya ‘Kie Lo Sajani’, set to Raga Khambaj and Tala Ektali, written by Kavi Banamali Das, choreographed by Padma Shri Guru Durga Charan Ranbir and music composed by Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu.
Guru Mohanty is an amazing dancer who easily and instantly engages audience with her effortless presentation of abhinayas. Gifted with a communicative face and pair of eyes, she painted a vivid picture of Lord Krishna’s presence in Braj.
Here it is narrated how a village woman unaware of Krishna’s true identity, finds him standing under the Kadamba tree, playing the flute. She gets overwhelmed seeing his beauty and enquires about him from her Sakhi and realises that the beautiful person is none other than Sree Krishna. Her Sakhi then gives examples of different incidences involving him like teasing the Gopis, stealing their clothes etc.
While dancing, Guru Mohanty was not only enjoying her every moves and steps, she could also transfer her joy to the audience, leaving them utterly absorbed.
What followed next was a Kathak dance recitals by the artistes of Alkananda Institute for Performing Arts, Noida.
They presented ‘Love is universal — the essence of life’, conceptualised and choreographed by Alaknanda Dasgupta, music by Dr. Anirban Bhattacharya with Deepak Sar’s voice over.
Through intricate footwork and synchronized spins, the dancers beautifully explored themes of love, motherhood and sisterhood.
Their depiction of sisterhood, enacting ‘Sindoor Khela’, a cherished ritual performed at Durga Puja, which suggests how sister-love is the essence of our lives, touched hearts.
The evening drew to a fitting close with a scintillating group Odissi recital by the students of Patitapawan Kala Niketan. The dancers- Sangeeta Mohanty, Twinkle Soni, Anushka Nandi, Nishka, Jyoti, Khayati and Shivani-presented ‘Sthai’, based on Raga Shankarabharanam and Tala Ektali, choreographed by Guru Deba Prasad Das and group choreography done by Guru Prakash Kumar Mohanty.
The dancers’ performance was marked by sculptural position, clarity of movements and precision, bringing the house down.
The art lovers and common audience were seen glued to their seats till the very end, a testimony to the seamless execution and artistic excellence that defined the festival.
The evening was gracefully and eloquently anchored by Sadhna Srivastava.
For the uninitiated, Late Guru Pravash Kumar Mohanty first learnt Gotipua dance from Late Guru Ranka Mahakud at Chhatrapur in Ganjam and began his journey as a Gotipua dancer.
His coming in contact with Guru Deva Prasad Das in Bhubaneswar and later, Guru Srinath Rout in New Delhi shaped him into a celebrated Odissi dancer. Over the years, he performed widely, earning accolades and leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire.
