Bhubaneswar: Curtains came down on the five-day long 29th edition of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival 2023, organised by Srjan—Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Nrityabasa in collaboration with Sri Sri University Cuttack, at Rabindra Mandap here on Saturday.
After the lighting the lamp ceremony, commenced the Award presentation ceremony.
Prof. (Mrs.) Rajita Kulkarni, president of Sri Sri University, presented the awards to the awardees from Odisha and outside.
The GKCM Award 2023 was presented to noted theatre personality and Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Samman recipient 2019 and nominee of the one-time Sangeet Natak Akademi Amrit Award 2022, Shri Anant Mahapatra for his lifetime achievements and immense contribution to the field of Theatre. The coveted award carries a respectable allocation of Rs. 1,00,000 and a citation.
This was followed by the presentation of the GKCM Yuva Prativa Samman, which focuses on reviving the all-important role of the solo artiste in the classical idiom. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000/- and a citation. This year, the GKCM Yuva Pratibha Sammans were presented to four exceptionally talented performing artistes under the age of 40 years in the field of classical dance and Odissi music to acknowledge their outstanding performances. Arupa Gayatri Panda and Siddhi Waikar received the same for Odissi dance, while Vishal Krishna was honoured with the Yuva Samman for Kathak and Arup Das for Odissi music (Mardala).
After a thoughtful and supportive speech by Prof. (Mrs.) Rajita Kulkarni, who emphasized on the grandeur of the festival and the importance of preserving traditional values in the modern world through Art and excellence, the cultural programme of the evening, featuring a presentation by each of the GKCM Yuva Pratibha Samman awardees began.
The first item of the evening was the Odissi Mardala recital by Arup Das, who explored the intricacies of the Odissi Tala system with a laudable rendition. He presented compositions in Adi Tala, while staying true to the integrity of the resounding Odissi Mardala. Arup was ably accompanied on the harmonium by Muralidhar Swain, who reinforced his percussion play with the melodic accompaniment.
This was followed by an Odissi dance performance by Smt. Siddhi Waikar who presented Navagraha, the embodiment of infinite cosmic energy which turns the wheel of life, the wheel of Karma or action. Portraying the nine demigods, who are the navagrahas, the dancer beautifully executed the choreography that illustrated the celestial configuration of the nine planets at the moment of birth that dictate an individual’s horoscope and ordains their future. In obeisance, Siddhi offered her salutations to the Navagrahas – Surya, Som, Mangal, Buddh, Guru, Shukra, Shani,Rahu and Ketu. Choreographed by Guru. Smt. Daksha Mashruwala, Navagraha is set to the music composition of Jateen Sahu with the rhythmic inputs of Rohan Dahale.
This wonderful beginning to the dances for the evening was followed by the powerful Kathak presentation of Vishal Krishna, who performed the Shiva Kavitt Paran written by his great grandfather Acharya Pt. Sukhdev Maharaj followed by some technical compositions in Banaras Gharana in taal Teen taal, 16 beats. He concluded with a bhajan choreographed by Padmshri Shmt. Madhavi Mudgal depicting the eternal love between Radha and Krishna, designed to the ambience of the beautifully romantic rains, featuring the mesmerising dance of the peacock as a symbolism of her effulgent love for the dark Lord. The dance transcended into a Raas Leela and portrayed the union of Radha and Krishna in the climax of this performance.
The final performance of the evening was by Smt. Arupa Gayatri Das, who presented the ashtapadi, a composition from 12th century saint and poet Shri Jayadeva’s love song, the Geeta Govinda. In Ramate Yamuna Pulina Vane, Arupa Gayatri Panda enacted the role Lord Krishna, who was indulging in passionate dalliance and love play with a woman, who was exhilarated by his bewitching nature. And then, switching over to the role of Radha, she wonders why she was waiting, in futile hope, for her gallant Krishna, knowing of his amorous escapades and impassioned trysts with other women by the banks of the Yamuna, feeling defeated by the lack of his love and longing. Choreographed by Guru Smt. Aruna Mohanty, Arupa’s rendition of Ramate Yamuna Pulina Vane was set to the music composition of Dr. Subas Pani and the rhythm composition of Guru Bijaya Barik, and was a befitting conclusion to the evening.
The artistes were aided by the radiant light designing of Debiprasad Mishra and Sujith Raj, the meticulous sound engineering of C. Anand Krishna and Bharath Krishna, with the elegant and striking visual media, both live and in the background, by Dhilip Kumar.
The event was attended both physically and virtually by several dignitaries, influential citizens, luminaries from the world of Art, and audiences from across India and abroad. The entire festival has been curated, conceptualized, and designed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, with the programme execution by Debiprasad Mishra. Dr Mrutyunjaya Rath ably conducted the proceedings of the evening.
Photo courtesy: Srjan
