Srjan commences 31st Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival 2025 with professionalism and splendour
Bhubaneswar : Commemorating over three resplendent decades in their pursuit of artistic excellence, Srjan – Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Nrityabasa is hosting their 31st Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (GKCM) Award Festival 2025 from September 5th – 9th, 2025 at Rabindra Mandap at 7 pm each day. The Award Festival has remained steadfast in adhering to its founding vision by the late maestro and Padma Vibhushan awardee Guru Shri Kelucharan Mohapatra to nurture and perpetuate profound appreciation for our invaluable heritage by celebrating the performing Arts at their best.
The auspicious lighting of the lamp by distinguished guests were Shri Ananta Mahapatra, veteran theatre thespian; Shri Ashok Kumar Tripathy, former member, Board of Revenue & Independent Director, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL); Smt. Paramita Panda, Vice Chairperson & whole time Director, Utkal Manufacturing and Services Limited (UMSL); and Shri Babu Singh, MLA, Bhubaneswar marked the formal commencement of the Award Festival. The guests of honour were felicitated with a traditional Angavastra and a bouquet of flowers as a token of appreciation, by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, Director, Srjan and Dean, Faculty of Arts, Communication and Indic Studies (FACIS), SSU.
The inaugural evening opened with a performance by Smt. Sujata Mohapatra & Sushree Preetisha Mohapatra, representing a magnificent mother-daughter duo that embodies the rich legacy of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s gharana. While Sujata Mohapatra stands among the most distinguished exponents of Odissi dance as the disciple of the father-architect of Odissi Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Preetisha Mohapatra represents the third generation of this illustrious Odissi legacy.
They commenced with Guru Vandana, a reverent invocation to the Almighty, the Guru, and the Parabrahman following the sacred verse “Gururbrahmā gururviṣṇuḥ gururdevo maheśvaraḥ, Guruḥ sākṣāt parabrahma tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ.” Set to Raga Malika (Bhairav, Bairagi, Darbari & Bhairavi) in Adi Tala, this piece is choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra with music composition by Shri Sempagodu S. Vighnaraja. This was followed by their central piece for the evening, Satyakāma Jābāla, a profound tale from the Chhāndogyopaniṣad that celebrates truth and dedication in an individual’s journey toward self-realisation.
This story of a young boy raised by his single mother Jabālā highlights the deep moral values that guide us in our quest for ultimate reality – the knowledge of Brahman, the eternal truth. When Satyakāma (portrayed by Preetisha) expresses his desire to join a Gurukul, his mother’s (Smt. Sujata Mohapatra’s) honest counsel – “You are Jābāla, the son of Jabālā. Always speak the truth and never be ashamed of it”- becomes the foundation of his character. Set to Raga Malika and Tala Malika, with Odia script by Pt. Nityananda Misra, music composition by Guru Lakshmikanta Palit, and choreography and rhythm composition by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra. Satyakāma Jābāla struck a particularly resonant chord – the story of a mother teaching her son that honesty is not something to be ashamed of, felt deeply personal when performed by an actual mother and daughter. Their relationship demonstrated how traditional guru-shishya and family lineages pass down not just technique, but values across generations.
This was followed by Smt. Bimbavati Devi and her troupe, Manipuri Nartanalaya who presented Devatmayee – The Soul of the Gods. Smt. Bimbavati Devi, a versatile Manipuri exponent is also proficient in the Pung (Manipuri Mridanga) and Thang Ta, Manipur’s traditional martial art. She is currently engaged in experimental choreographs that explore various dimensions of Manipuri dance. In her presentation Devatmayee, the ancient Manipuri concept of mother goddess has been contrasted and compared with the Vedic interpretation of the God Mother. Her divinity is derived from the puranas as well as local folklores, sometimes as a force of nature, sometimes a mother figure, or sometimes as the progenitor womb – often one and the same. The music used a harmonious blend of indigenous Manipuri music and hymns and chants from Vedas and Puranas. The artistes of Manipuri Nartanalaya who performed included Smt. Bimbavati Devi, Tanusree Das, Kankana Singh, Ivana Sarkar, Noel Datta, Paramita Makhal, Kalpana Waikhom, Kaushik Roy and Mousam Nandi, aided by the irradiating light designing of Gopal Ghosh.
The second day of the festival will showcase exceptional artistes from the fields of Hindustani and Carnatic music. The evening opens with a Hindustani vocal recital by eminent singer Shri Kumar Mardur, followed by a performance by the exceptional Carnatic Mandolin husband-wife duo, Mandolin Shri U.P. Raju and Mandolin Shri U. Nagamani. The evening promises to be an auditory feast for music connoisseurs.
