Bhubaneswar: The 19th Guru Debaprasad Award Festival, organized by Tridhara to honour the legacy of the legendary Odissi Guru Debaprasad Das, concluded today following a grand closing ceremony and performance.
The closing ceremony commenced with the traditional lighting of the lamp by esteemed guests, including Dr. Rabindra Narayan Behera, MP, Jajpur; Shri Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, CMD, MGM Minerals; Prof. Prasanna Kumar Swain, Vice Chancellor, Utkal University of Culture; Shri Samir Mohanty, Odisha Olympics Association President; Guru Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, eminent Odissi dancer and founder of Sutra Foundation, Malaysia; and Guru Dr. Gajendra Kumar Panda, Director of Tridhara.
The prestigious Guru Debaprasad Award 2024 was conferred upon Guru Niranjan Rout for Odissi Dance, Shri Sivarajah Natarajan for Visual Arts and Light Design, and Guru Yudhistir Nahak for Radha Prema Leela.
The Guru Debaprasad Yuva Prativa Award – 2025 was presented to four talented Odissi dancers: Guru Jayant Acharya, Bidushi D. Priyanka, Bidushi Sudipta Panda, and Ms. Aarya Nande. Ms. Yuuri Iijima received the Guru Debaprasad Sishu Prativa Award – 2025 for Odissi Dance.
Following the awards, the Sutra Foundation, Malaysia, presented a captivating group Odissi dance titled Radhe! Radhe! The Sweet Surrender. The performance was choreographed by Guru Dr. Gajendra Kumar Panda and Shri Datuk Ramli Ibrahim. The music was composed by Guru Gopal Chandra Panda and Pandit Laxmikant Palit & Smt. Sangita Panda, with rhythm arranged by Guru Sachidananda Das. The dance presentation successfully enthralled the audience until the end.
The 19th Guru Debaprasad Award Festival – 2025 was sponsored and supported by the Department of Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Government of Odisha; the Ministry of Culture, Government of India; Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC); MGM Minerals; NALCO; Ajanta Advertisers; Sutra Foundation; The New Marrion; and Royal Midtown Hotel (RMH). The programme was anchored by Punya Darshan Sahu
Shri Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, CMD, MGM Group of Industries, a prominent figure in the state’s industrial sector, was particularly recognized for his consistent and sustained commitment to supporting art and culture efforts aimed at boosting Odia Language, Literature, and Culture. Mining Major, MGM Minerals, was a key sponsor of the event, reflecting his dedication to providing a strong foundation for the arts to thrive.