Bhubaneswar, August 31: Srjan—Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Nrityabasa, with the institutional support of Sri Sri University, is set to host its flagship annual classical dance and music festival, the 30th Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (GKCM) Award Festival 2024. Scheduled from September 5–11 at Rabindra Mandap, the festival will commence at 7 pm daily, marking a significant milestone in Odisha’s cultural calendar. The festival’s mission remains steadfast: to create and sustain awareness of India’s classical traditions in dance and music. Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival

An Extended Celebration of Classical Art Forms

This year, the festival departs from its traditional five-day format, extending to seven days of carefully curated performances. Each evening promises to captivate audiences with the highest calibre of classical dance and music. The festival will culminate on the final day with the prestigious award presentation ceremony, followed by a grand finale by the Srjan ensemble, led by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra.

The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2024, carrying a cash prize of ₹1,00,000/- and a citation, will be presented to four iconic figures who have made significant contributions to Odisha’s rich cultural heritage. Smt. Kumkum Lal will be honoured for her immense contributions to Odissi dance, while Guru Lakshmikanta Palit and Guru Dhaneswar Swain will receive accolades for their lifetime achievements in the fields of Music and Percussion, respectively. Shri Uttam Mohanty will be recognized for his outstanding contributions to Odia Cinema.

In addition, the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Prativa Samman will be awarded to four exceptionally talented artists under the age of 40, in recognition of their outstanding performances in classical dance and Odissi music. Pompi Paul and Rajnita Mehra will be honoured for their achievements in Odissi dance, Avijit Das for Kuchipudi, and Rohita Pradhan for her dedication to Odissi music (Mardala). Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival

A Week of Unforgettable Performances

The inaugural evening will feature a soulful Ghazal recital by the renowned singer Chandan Dass. On the second day, acclaimed Bharatanatyam exponent Vaibhav Arekar and his Sankhya Dance Company will present “Shrimant Yogi,” a homage chronicling the life and times of the legendary Shivaji Maharaj. The third evening will bring a Carnatic Vocal recital by the celebrated singer Kalaimamani OS Arun.

At the festival’s midpoint, SubraMania, led by the famous musicians Ambi and Bindu Subramaniam, will deliver a captivating evening of musical fusion, blending creative elements into their repertoire. The following evening will showcase the illustrious Hindustani Flautist Rakesh Chaurasia, accompanied by famed Tabla artiste Ojas Adhiya. On the penultimate evening, classical dance will take centre stage again with “Moonstruck,” presented by the reputed Kathak exponent Ashimbandhu Bhattacharjee and his dance troupe, Upasana Centre for Dance.

The final evening will commence with the prestigious award ceremony, followed by the much-anticipated finale by the Srjan ensemble. Under the artistic direction of Ratikant Mohapatra, the ensemble will present “Tantra,” a powerful performance invoking the divine feminine and exploring the esoteric tradition of Tantra. This evocative presentation promises to be a visual and aesthetic delight, with unique embellishments in music, choreography, and costumes.

Institutional Support and Sponsorships

Srjan has partnered with Sri Sri University, Cuttack, a leading educational institution in India, to foster the interconnectedness of academia and performing arts in the classical realm. The entire festival is curated and conceptualized by Ratikant Mohapatra, with program execution by Debiprasad Mishra.

The 30th GKCM Award Festival has garnered significant support from various sponsors, including MGM Minerals and Shalimar Chemical Works Pvt Ltd. The festival is also supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Department of Odia Literature Language and Culture, Government of Odisha. Additional sponsors include SBI, IMFA, Priyadarshini Handlooms, and Paradeep Phosphates Limited, with The Royale Midtown Hotel serving as the hospitality partner. Dharitri and Orissa Post, along with Narthaki.com, are the media and web partners, respectively.

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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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Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival 2023, found its pièce de résistance of performances in Shri P. Praveen Kumar’s Bharatanatyam presentation, followed by the tantalising Sitar recital of Shri Niladri Kumar.

Shri P. Praveen Kumar is no stranger to audiences across India. An accomplished performer, Nattuvanar and choreographer, commenced his recital with a Muruga Kavutuvam, invoking the divine and extolling the great virtue of Lord Muruga. His commanding stage presence and nuanced presentation in this brief but befitting invocation set the tone for the evening, with his versatile choreography and dancing finesse.

The second recital in the evening of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award, was the Sitar performance of Shri Niladri Kumar, accompanied by Shri Yashwant Vaishnav on the Tabla. Melding the contemporary world music space with the classical through his creative and masterful performances and compositions. He explored the beautiful nuances of the electrifying stringed instrument in his recital.

The inauguration was conducted elegantly and briefly, with the esteemed guest Guru Smt. Aruna Mohanty lighting the lamp. Shri Subodh Chandra Acharya and Shri Ratikant Mohapatra, the Festival Director, were also present along with the President of Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi and Secretary of Orissa Dance Academy.

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The 29^th OMC Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (GKCM) Award Festival 2023, a premier event in the cultural calendar of Odisha, organised by Srjan in collaboration with Sri Sri University (SSU), Cuttack kick-started yesterday. From September 5 to 9th it will showcase a dance and musical extravaganza at Rabindra Mandap in the evening.

After the auspicious lighting of the lamp and formal commencement of the Award Festival, the welcome address by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, Director, Srjan and Dean, Faculty of Arts, Communication and Indic Studies (FACIS), SSU was followed by speeches by the eminent guests of honour, Shri Ashwini Kumar Patra, Minister of State, Tourism, Odia Literature Language and Culture, Excise; Prof (Dr.) BR Sharma, Vice Chancellor, Sri Sri University, Cuttack; Shri Ashok Tripathy, Former Member, Board of Revenue, Government of Odisha & Independent Director, Steel Authority of India Limited; and Shri Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, Managing Director, MGM Minerals.

This edition of the Award Festival will witness solo dance performances accompanied by a live orchestra in the first half of each evening, followed by music recitals in the second half. In line with this festival design, the inaugural evening opened with a stellar Odissi dance recital by Shashwati Garai Ghosh from Kolkata, a seasoned Odissi dancer and senior disciple of renowned Odissi guru Smt. Sharmila Biswas. In her two-part presentation, she commenced with a befitting invocation to Goddess Devi, Mahamaya, who is the embodiment of life, the divine effulgence of worldly existence. This presentation was choreographed by Smt. Shashwati Garai Ghosh is set to the music composition of Shri Srijan Chatterjee.

She concluded with a beautiful Abhinaya, adapted to the Odissi idiom by Guru Smt. Sharmila Biswas from a choreography of Guru Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan. Based on a shloka from the Šrī Krishnakarṇāmrutam composed by 13th-century Sanskrit poet, Shri Bilvamangala, Ghosh presented Ramo Nama Babhuva, the endearing story of mother Yashoda putting a reluctant and tiresome baby Krishna to sleep by narrating to him, the epic Ramayana.

Her recital was interlaced with nuanced abhinaya exploring Vatsalya Rasa, while the invocation showed the power and finesse of her nritta and abhinaya in consonance. She was provided able accompaniment on the Violin by Suramani Ramesh Chandra Das, on the Flute by Shri Srinibas Satapathy, on the Mardala by Shri Budhanath Swain and on Vocals by Shri Rajesh Kumar Lenka. The light design further reinforced the vibrance of her performance.

The second evening of the festival on September 6^th commences with Kathak recital by renowned Kathak exponent, Smt. Shila Mehta, accompanied on the Tabla by Shri Vivek Mishra and Shri Amitangshu Kumar Brahma, on the Sarod by Shri Sunando Mukherjee, and on Vocals by Shri Jaydeep Sinha, followed by the Hindustani Vocal Rendition by Shri Jayateerth Mevundi, aided by Shri Narahari V. on the Tabla and Smt. Anushula More on the Harmonium.

The 29^th OMC GKCM Award Festival has been generously sponsored by the diamond sponsor Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd. (OMC). The Award Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Odia Language Literature & Culture Department, Government of Odisha.

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On the occasion of the 37th death anniversary of Guru Debaprasad Das, Tridhara in collaboration with Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra Odissi Research Center organized the 37th Sradhanjali Samaroha-2023 at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar.

More than 800 artists and more than 75 institutions participate in the two-day festival. The objective of this festival is to pay homage to Guruji through Odissi’s dance performance. Dancers perform in line with Guruji’s dance style. Many institutions and dancers of Odisha perform on the death anniversary of Guru Debaprasad Das.

In the afternoon session, Shreya Shradhanjali, Nrutyasree (Karanjia), Lingaraj Kala Niketan (Puri), Bagmishree Das, Rawa Dance Academy (Bhubaneswar), Nrutyalaya (Bhubaneswar), Nrutyadham (Bhubaneswar), Suravi (Bhubaneswar), Shree Dance Academy (Bhubaneswar) and Nrutya Prativa (Bhubaneswar) performed Odissi dance.

The evening program starts with the lighting of the lamp. Esteemed guests Satyabrata Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, and FormerAdministratorAshok Kumar Tripathy graced the occasion. Pandit Prosenjit Poddar, Secretary, Hindusthan Art & Music Society; Madhusudan Das, Special Secretary, Odia Language, Literature and Culture; Simanchala Panda, Working President, Tridhara and Guru Gajendra Panda, Director, Tridhara were among other dignitaries. All guests felicitated Gurus of the participating dance institutions in the Sradhanjali Samaroha-2023.

The evening cultural program began with the performance of the senior group of Tridhara, Bhubaneswar. Ms. Jhinook Mukherjee Sinha performed the Bharatnatyam dance. Guru Kavita Mishra & Shri Raju Mishra. The next performer was Ms. Sanghamitra Singh, the dancer from Bhubaneswar Kala Kendra. The last presentation was by the dancers of Nrutya Bilash.

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