Bhubaneswar: Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya’s monthly cultural programme ‘Nrutyayan’ was held at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
With the support of Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department, Government of Odisha, Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya organises ‘Nrutyayan’ every month to give a platform to its students.
Deputy Director of Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department Suchismita Mantri, noted Odissi exponent Meera Das and Chhau and Odissi dancer Guru Ashok Ghoshal inaugurated the evening by lighting the auspicious lamp.
The first item of the evening was a group Odissi dance recital presented by the students of the Odissi Dance department of the institution. The students including Ananya Debadarshini, Pragyan Paromita Nayak, Satyabhama Nayak, Monali Priyadarshini Das, Arpita Priyadarshini Pradhan, Sangeeta Manjari Panda, Anjali Das, Kajal Pratyasha Mohanty and Tanuj Kumar Panda presented ‘Shree Ganesh’.
The item was a heartfelt invocation to Lord Ganesha by well trained dancers of the institution. They beautifully described the physique of the Lord. The item set to Raga Raga Malika and Tala Tala Malika was choreographed by Guru Lingaraj Pradhan and Guru Pankaj Kumar Pradhan, script by Pandit Nityananda Mishra, music composed by Guru Bijay Kumar Jena and rhythm composed by Guru Bijay Kumar Barik.
Next, the students including Pragyan Paromita Nayak, Arpita Priyadarshini Pradhan, Satya Suryanshu, Bunty Mandal, Tanuj Kumar Panda, Satya Prakash Mallick, Dipti Prakash Champaty, Anjali Das, Lopamudra Das, Tanuja Biswal, Ranjita Priyadarshini Pani, Monali Das, Tilottama Das, Rutambhara Pradhan, Seemarani Nayak, Subhashree Das, Jayashree Priyadarshini Parida, Sonali Sahu, Erina Manjari Mallick, Puja Das, Sampurna Indu Pani, Sanjana Goud, Ayush Gunaprava, Aradhana Das, Priyanka Biswal, Kajal Pratyasha Mohanty, Janhabi Mohanty, Jyotirmayee Padhi, Karishma Behera, Baisakhi Jena, Smrutimayee Swain and Saina Dhal presented ‘Basudha’.
Here they depicted the pain the earth is suffering due to mindless activities of human beings. The item was choreographed by Guru Lingaraj Pradhan and Guru Pankaj Kumar Pradhan, script by Kedar Mishra, music composed by Guru Ramhari Das and rhythm composed by Guru Dhaneswar Swain.
The following item was a group Chhau dance presentation ‘Mahadev’ performed by the students of Chhau dance department. The dancers were Krushna Mohanta, Snigdhapriya Mohanta and Sumitra Bindhani. Here, different aspects of Lord Shiva were shown.
The students of the said department went on to present another scintillating item ‘Sagar Sangam’ where the river is personified as a damsel, while the sea is depicted as a dashing hero. The narrative revolves around the river’s initial hesitation to merge with the sea, fearing the loss of its identity. However, as the story unfolds, the river’s unyielding passion and love for the sea ultimately prevail, and it surrenders itself to the vast ocean.The dance is a masterful blend of emotions, with the river’s trepidation giving way to an unshakeable devotion. As the river finally merges with the sea, it is a powerful metaphor for the triumph of love and destiny.
The accompanying musicians who gave the dancers a good support were Guru Gouramohan Mohanta and Bijay Bindhani on the Dhol, Guru Biranchi Mohanta on the Mahuri, Dindayal Mohanta on the Flute, Bikas Mohanta on the Kadkha and Ramkrushna Mohanta on the Dhumsa.
The Odissi dancers and the Chhau dances were found in no way inferior to the professional dancers. The audience enjoyed the evening.
