Bhubaneswar: Srjan—Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Nrityabasa, in collaboration with Sri Sri University, is preparing to host the thirty-second edition of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival from September fifth to ninth at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Commencing each evening at seven o’clock, this year’s festival holds special commemorative significance as it coincides with the Birth Centenary Year Celebration of the legendary Odissi visionary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra.
Under the artistic vision of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, Director of Srjan and Dean at Sri Sri University, the five-day cultural celebration continues its three-decade legacy of honoring mastery, tradition, and innovation across Indian classical performing arts.
The festival will confer several prestigious awards to outstanding contributors across multiple generations. The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award for lifetime achievement, carrying a citation and one hundred thousand rupees, will be presented to veteran artistes Sharon Lowen for Odissi Dance, Keshab Chandra Rout for Odissi Music, Dhirendranath Mallick for Theatre, and Mahasweta Ray for Cinema. The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Kala Samman, which recognizes accomplished mid-career artistes, will honor violinist Agnimitra Behera and vocalist Nazia Alam with fifty thousand rupees and a citation each. Additionally, the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman will recognize four promising young artistes, presenting twenty-five thousand rupees and a citation to Odissi dancers Vrinda Chadha and Aishwariya Singhdev, Kathak dancer Nikita Banawalikar, and Mardala player Soumya Ranjan Nayak.
The artistic program begins on September fifth with a Hindustani vocal recital by Vidushi Shubha Mudgal, accompanied by Dr. Aneesh Pradhan on Tabla and Sudhir Nayak on Harmonium. September sixth features a Sarod performance by Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar alongside Satyajit Talwalkar on Tabla, followed by an Odissi dance presentation by Lipsa Satapathy. On September seventh, the Chidakash Kalalay Centre presents Marganatya, featuring the choreographed play Saugandhika Haranam, directed by Dr. Piyal Bhattacharya with music by Sayak Mitra. September eighth features Bharatanatyam exponent Dr. Janaki Rangarajan, followed by a Flute Jugalbandi with Abhiram Nanda and Srinibas Satapathy, accompanied by Yashwant Vaishnav on Tabla.
The festival concludes on September ninth with the formal presentation of awards, followed by the premiere of Mati by the Srjan Ensemble. Choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra with music composed by Guru Lakshmikant Palit and script adaptation by the late Jaydev Das, this flagship dance production draws inspiration from the poetry of iconic Odia poet Radha Mohan Gadanayak, blending classic Odissi movement vocabulary with modern choreographic concepts.
The event is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, Government of Odisha. Cultural patrons supporting the festival include corporate sponsors MGM Minerals Ltd, Shalimar Chemical Works, Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd, Odisha Tourism, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, NALCO, MCL, IMFA, and Priyadarshini, with media support from Dharitri, OrissaPOST, The Royale Midtown, and Narthaki.