Thespian Anant Mahapatra received the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2023. GKCM Yuva Pratibha Samman presented to Arupa Gayatri Panda, Siddhi Waikar, Vishal Krishna & Arup Das.

After four evenings of captivating dance and music performances, the 29^th edition of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (GKCM) Award Festival ended. The program was organised by Srjan in collaboration with Sri Sri University Cuttack.

Shri Anant Mahapatra received the GKCM Award 2023 for his lifetime achievements and immense contribution to the field of Theatre. The coveted award carries a respectable allocation of Rs. 1,00,000/- each and a citation.

GKCM Yuva Prativa Samman focuses on reviving the all-important role of the solo artiste in the classical idiom. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000/- and a citation. This year four exceptionally talented performing artists in the field of classical dance and Odissi music received the GKCM Yuva Pratibha Samman. Arupa Gayatri Panda and Siddhi Waikar received the same for Odissi dance, while Vishal Krishna received the Yuva Samman for Kathak and Arup Das for Odissi music . Prof. (Mrs.) Rajita Kulkarni presented all the awards to the awardees from Odisha and outside.

After a thoughtful and supportive speech by Prof. (Mrs.) Rajita Kulkarni, the cultural programme of the evening, featuring a presentation by each of the GKCM Yuva Pratibha Samman awardees began. First, was the Odissi Mardala recital by Shri Arup Das, who explored the intricacies of the Odissi Tala system with a laudable rendition. This was followed by an Odissi dance performance by Smt. Siddhi Waikar presented Navagraha, the embodiment of infinite cosmic energy that turns the wheel of life, the wheel of Karma or action.

This wonderful beginning to the dances for the evening was followed by the powerful Kathak presentation of Shri Vishal Krishna, who performed the Shiva Kavitt Paran written by his great-grandfather Acharya Pt. Sukhdev Maharaj followed by some technical compositions in Banaras Gharana in taal Teen taal, 16 beats. The final performance of the evening was by Smt. Arupa Gayatri Das, presented the ashtapadi,  a composition from 12th-century saint and poet Shri Jayadeva’s love song, the Geeta Govinda.

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