A cultural potpourri

Photo: Shyamhari Chakra

Masterly tunes Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.

The world heritage site of Konark hosts two annual dance festivals at the same name — one by Odissi Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and the other by the Government of Orissa. And both the events have carved a niche for themselves in the cultural calendar of the country.

While the festival organised by the government is held in an open-air auditorium with the Sun temple serving as its backdrop, Guru Gangadhar’s festival, which is four years older to that of the government event, is being staged on Konark Natya Mandap, a stage that replicates the temple. Here the 24th edition of the Konark dance and music festival got underway recently and aroused tremendous response from connoisseurs from India and abroad.

The three-day festival had Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, the martial dance of Chhau and the acrobatic Gotipua dance in which boys dance dressed as girls besides a few folk dances of Orissa in its dance segment while flute wizard Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia was the star attraction of the event that featured Hindustani and Odissi music, both instrumental and vocal. Each evening commenced with the customary panchadeva stutee (salutation to the five gods through offering of dance) followed by Odissi dance ballet Konark Jyotee in praise of the sculptural marvel conceived by Guru Gangadhar.

Performing during the inaugural evening, legendary flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia paid his tribute to spectacular Sun temple through a keertan for Konark. The dhun was preceded by recital of raga Bhupali — an evening raga that echoes melancholy. Kolkata-based Sarod player Avijit Ghosh and Odissi vocalist Dhiraj Mohapatra from Bhubaneswar were the other two young artistes who were featured in the music segment.

The dance segment that gets prominence in this festival had solo, duet and group presentations by artistes from India and abroad. The most moving presentation came from Chennai-based Sridevi Nrithyalaya led by Guru Sheela Unnikrishnan. Her excellently trained band of budding and brilliant dancers staged a spectacular show of Lord Shiva’s Anand tandav.

Similarly, presentation of Krishna Gatha ballet by the well-known Kathak Kendra of New Delhi was quite impressive. Kolkata-based Manipuri dancer Baisali Basusarkar and US-based Odissi dancer Jyoti Rout had the other group presentations in the festival. Three exciting folk dances of Orissa — Gotipua, Ranapa and Chhau — were the major attractions.

In duet presentation, Bhubaneswar-based young Odissi dancer couple Pabitra Pradhan and Sridutta Bhol put up a neat recital of the characters of Krishna and Radha. The dance segment further showcased three soloists — all Odissi artistes — Sharanya Mukhopadhyay and Pallavi Das from USA and Yudhisthir Nayak from Bhubaneswar who is also a brilliant dance teacher.

The find of the festival this year was 22-year-old Sharanya who could be safely claimed as one of the future stars of Odissi. Her impressive execution of the composition of Navarasa proved her potential.

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