32nd Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival to Begin in Bhubaneswar on September 5

Srjan—Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Nrityabasa, in collaboration with Sri Sri University, is all set to organise the 32nd edition of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival from September 5 to 9, 2026, at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar. The five-day festival will begin at 7 pm every evening.

This year’s edition holds special significance as it coincides with the Birth Centenary Year celebrations of legendary Odissi guru Kelucharan Mohapatra.

Five-Day Celebration of Indian Classical Arts

One of Odisha’s most prestigious annual cultural festivals, the event will bring together leading artists from across India representing classical dance, music, theatre and cinema.

The festival has been curated under the artistic guidance of renowned Guru and artist Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, Director of Srjan and Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Communication and Indic Studies at Sri Sri University.

Four Icons to Receive GKCM Award 2026

The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2026 will be presented to four eminent personalities for their lifetime contributions to their respective fields.

The awardees are:

• Smt. Sharon Lowen – Odissi Dance
• Shri Keshab Chandra Rout – Odissi Music
• Shri Dhirendranath Mallick – Theatre
• Smt. Mahasweta Ray – Cinema

Each award carries a cash prize of ₹1 lakh and a citation.

Kala Samman and Yuva Pratibha Samman

The second edition of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Kala Samman will recognise artists in the 40–55 age group. Shri Agnimitra Behera in instrumental violin and Sushree Nazia Alam in vocal music will receive the honour, along with ₹50,000 and a citation each.

The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman, carrying ₹25,000 and a citation, will be presented to four emerging artists:

• Sushree Vrinda Chadha – Odissi Dance
• Sushree Aishwariya Singhdev – Odissi Dance
• Sushree Nikita Banawalikar – Kathak
• Shri Soumya Ranjan Nayak – Odissi Music (Mardala)

Shubha Mudgal to Open Festival

The festival will open on September 5 with a Hindustani vocal recital by Vidushi Shubha Mudgal, accompanied by Dr. Aneesh Pradhan on tabla and Shri Sudhir Nayak on harmonium.

On September 6, celebrated sarod maestro Pt. Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, accompanied by Shri Satyajit Talwalkar on tabla, will perform a sarod recital. The evening will also feature an Odissi performance by Smt. Lipsa Satapathy.

Dance, Theatre and Jugalbandi to Follow

On September 7, audiences will witness Mārgānātya, featuring the choreographed play “Saugandhika Haranam” by Chidākāsh Kalālay Centre. The production has been choreographed by Dr. Piyal Bhattacharya, with music by Shri Sayak Mitra.

September 8 will feature a Bharatanatyam performance by acclaimed exponent Dr. Janaki Rangarajan, followed by a flute jugalbandi by Shri Abhiram Nanda and Shri Srinibas Satapathy, accompanied by Shri Yashwant Vaishnav on tabla.

Srjan Ensemble to Present ‘Mā’ in Grand Finale

The festival will conclude on September 9 with the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Ceremony 2026, followed by a special performance by the Srjan Ensemble.

The ensemble will present “Mā”, inspired by the evocative poem of renowned Odia poet Radha Mohan Gadanayak.

Choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, with music by Guru Lakshmikant Palit and script adaptation by the late Jaydev Das, the production retains the distinctive vocabulary of traditional Odissi choreography while incorporating creative and contemporary elements.

Support from Government and Corporate Partners

The 32nd Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Department of Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Government of Odisha.

MGM Minerals Ltd. and Shalimar Chemical Works Pvt. Ltd. are supporting the festival through CSR initiatives. Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd. (OMC) and Odisha Tourism are the Gold Sponsors, while Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is the Silver Sponsor.

NALCO, MCL, IMFA and Priyadarshini are among the Festival Sponsors. Dharitri and OrissaPOST are the Media Partners, The Royale Midtown is the Hospitality Partner, and Narthaki is the Web Partner.