Bhubaneswar: The stage came alive with rhythm and grace as the curtain went up on the 31st edition of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival, organized by Srjan – Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Nrityabasa, at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
The auspicious lighting of the lamp by distinguished guests were Ananta Mahapatra, veteran theatre thespian; Ashok Kumar Tripathy, former member, Board of Revenue & Independent Director, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL); Smt. Paramita Panda, Vice Chairperson & whole time Director, Utkal Manufacturing and Services Limited (UMSL); and Babu Singh, MLA, Bhubaneswar marked the formal commencement of the festival.
Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, Director, Srjan felicitated the guests with a traditional ‘Angavastra’ and a bouquet of flowers as a token of appreciation.
The inaugural evening got off to a glittering start with a spellbinding performance by Smt. Sujata Mohapatra & Sushree Preetisha Mohapatra, representing a magnificent mother-daughter duo that embodies the rich legacy of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s gharana.
While Sujata Mohapatra stands among the most distinguished exponents of Odissi dance as the disciple of the father-architect of Odissi Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Preetisha Mohapatra represents the third generation of this illustrious Odissi legacy.
They commenced with Guru Vandana ‘Guru Brahma, Guru Visnuh Gurdevo Mahesvarah’, a reverent invocation to the Almighty, the Guru, and the Parabrahman. Set to Raga Malika (Bhairav, Bairagi, Darbari & Bhairavi) in Adi Tala, this piece is choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra with music composition by Sempagodu S. Vighnaraja.
They followed it up with ‘Satyakāma Jābāla’, a profound tale from the ‘Chhāndogyopaniṣad’ that celebrates truth and dedication in an individual’s journey toward self-realisation.
This story of a young boy raised by his single mother Jabālā highlights the deep moral values that guide us in our quest for ultimate reality – the knowledge of Brahman, the eternal truth. When Satyakāma (portrayed by Preetisha) expresses his desire to join a Gurukul, his mother’s (Smt. Sujata Mohapatra’s) honest counsel – “You are Jābāla, the son of Jabālā. Always speak the truth and never be ashamed of it”- becomes the foundation of his character.
Set to Raga Malika and Tala Malika, Odia script by Pt. Nityananda Misra, music composition by Guru Lakshmikanta Palit, and choreography and rhythm composition by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, the item was a treat for both trained and untrained eyes.
Both the items marked with fluidity, grace and precision set a high standard for the evening, captivating the art lovers and common audience.
This was followed by Smt. Bimbavati Devi and her troupe, Manipuri Nartanalaya who presented ‘Devatmayee – The Soul of the Gods’. The performance was nothing short of mesmerising, instantly striking a chord with the rasikas.
In her presentation ‘Devatmayee’, the ancient Manipuri concept of mother goddess has been contrasted and compared with the Vedic interpretation of the God Mother. Her divinity is derived from the puranas as well as local folklores, sometimes as a force of nature, sometimes a mother figure, or sometimes as the progenitor womb – often one and the same.
The music used a harmonious blend of indigenous Manipuri music and hymns and chants from Vedas and Puranas. The artistes of Manipuri Nartanalaya who performed included Smt. Bimbavati Devi, Tanusree Das, Kankana Singh, Ivana Sarkar, Noel Datta, Paramita Makhal, Kalpana Waikhom, Kaushik Roy and Mousam Nandi, aided by the irradiating light designing of Gopal Ghosh.
Smt. Bimbavati Devi, a versatile Manipuri exponent is also proficient in the Pung (Manipuri Mridanga) and Thang Ta, Manipur’s traditional martial art. She is currently engaged in experimental choreographs that explore various dimensions of Manipuri dance.
The anchor of the evening was Dr Mrutyunjay Rath.
The festival will continue till September 9.
Photo courtesy: Srjan
