MAGNIFICENT SHOW OF ODISHI CONCLUDED AT MUKTESWAR DANCE FESTIVAL

MAGNIFICENT SHOW OF ODISHI CONCLUDED AT MUKTESWAR DANCE FESTIVAL 17/01/2012
ODISHA NEWS:


The three day Odissi fest at the magnificent Mukteswar temple ended with spell-binding performance of Odissi by renowned Odissi dancers of national and international repute showcasing the varied items of Odissi repertory. It was as if the dancing damsels came alive out of the 10th century AD monument, indisputably one of the most refined and beautiful temples of Odisha. At the outset the eminent musician and singer Suramani Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi with his disciples Dr. Adyasha Das, Dr. Mitali Chinara, Parthasarathi Panigrahi, Dr. Sangeeta Goswami and Rajendra Kumar Patra presented Siva Bandana “Pasunam Patim Papa Nasam Paresam” which permeated a spiritual fervour in the audience.

The evening’s programme started with lighting the lamp by Dr. Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi, Former Vice Chancellor, Sambalpur University & Odissi Dance exponent, Shri Pranab Pattnaik, eminent Singer, Shri Ashok Gupta, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India, Shri Ashok Kumar Tripathy, IAS, Principal Secretary, Tourism & Culture Department, Shri H. S. Upadhyay, IFS, Director, Tourism and Shri S. K. Das, Director, Culture.

Renowned Odissi dancer Madhusmita Mohanty presented “Haragouryastaka” in Mangalacharan and invoked the blessing of Lord Siva & Parvati while eulogizing the glory and the beauty of Siva and Parvati culminating with the synergy of Prakruti and Purusa as Ardhanariswara. It was based on the music composition by Guru Ramahari Das, rhythm composition by Guru Dhaneswar Swain and Guru R. K. Patra and dance choreography by Guru Aruna Mohanty. In her Abhinaya she presented “Bhumisuta” an episode on Sita from the great epic Ramayana in which she elegantly exhibited the sequences depicting how the mother earth was very caring in giving birth to her as Janaka Nandini and also took to her lap after Sita was rejected by Lord Shree Ram. The theme was conceived and choreographed by Guru Aruna Mohanty and music was composed by Guru Gopal Chandra Panda.

In duet the very talented brother and sister duo Shri Devraj Patnaik and Miss Elora Patnaik from Canada presented Kedara Pallavi set to Tala Ektali followed by Abhinaya “Harihara” depicting glory and prowess of Lord Bishnu and Siva. Music was composed by Devraj Patnaik and the dance was choreoghraphed by both Devraj and Ellora.

In the group category renowned dancer Jyoti Srivastava with her students of Vaishali Kala Kendra, Noida, UP started her programme with an invocatory piece on Lord Siva followed by Pallavi set to Rag Kedarkamodi and Tala Ekatali and in Abhinaya an episode depicting the glory of Goddess of Ganga. The music of both the items was composed by eminent Odissi Guru Ramahari Das and choreographed by Smt. Jyoti Sivastava.

The Odissi lovers in large numbers were delighted by the superb performance of Odissi repertory. Another interesting item which added the beauty of the Mukteswar ambience was on-the-spot-painting synchronising the themes presented on the stage by the great artiste Shri Baladev Maharatha. The programme was conducted by Dr. Mrutunjaya Rath and Sanghati Pani.

SIDDHARTHA SHANKAR MISHRA,
BUREAU CHIEF, THESE DAYS