Bhubaneswar: In keeping with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s heartfelt wishes, we at Srjan have been conducting this festival since last 22 years. Now, after his passing in 2004, this event has assumed special meaning for all of us-his students and fans worldwide. We remember him as the shrestha Guru, as a kind & concerned parent, as an incredibly skilled dancer and percussionist, as a cultural Ambassador for India who has carried the ambience of our dance heritage to many countries, as a thinking person, as father to all his disciples-in fact as an unforgettable & dearly beloved presence inour lives. The OMC Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival ceremony is a premium festival not only of Odisha, but also highly appreciated in various recognised cultural centres of India.
Year after year our audiences have had an unparallel strength of viewership with a large sprinkling of foreign tourists. This year’s festival is scheduled to be held from 5th to 9th September 2017 at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar.
Starting with a single-day festival in 1995, the Award Festival now grown to a 5-day celebration of scintillating performances featuring 4 classical music & 4 classical dance performances. The aim here is to give our Odisha audience an exposure to classical fare of the highest level; we do aspire to sensitise captive audiences, especially the younger section and students, so that an enthusiasm for the subtle flavours of classicism is planted in them. NALCO Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award hasbeen presented on an annual basis in the field of Dance, Music, Theatre & Cinema to exceptional individual with a cash prize of Rs 100,000/- (each) and a citation. Two such awards are presentedeach year. Further NALCO Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman will be presented with a cash prize of Rs 25000/- each to four meritorious young artistes in the area of classical dances and Odissi music for their outstanding continuous performance.
The “NALCO Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2017” will be presented to two eminent personalities Guru Dhruba Charan Biswal in the field of Dance and Smt. Shyamamani Devi in the field of Music.
The “NALCO Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman 2017” will be presented to Sri Lingaraj Pradhan(Bhubaneswar) & Smt. Namrata Mehta (Mumbai) for Odissi dance, Smt. Jyotsna Jagannathan (Bangalore) for Bharatanatyam and Sri Jateen Kumar Sahoo (Mumbai) for Odissi music.
Renowned artistes from inside and outside the state will be performing in the festival (Artist list attached).There will be a special presentations by Srjan – “Mahanayaka Bijayananda”, a thematic presentation in Odissi dance of the life and work of Sri Biju Pattnaik. This is an audio visual production and the dance choreography has been done by Ratikant Mohapatra. The music is by Laxmikant Palit, Script by Jaydev Das & Lyrics by Nityananda Misra. A short synopsis enclosed below.
Synopsis of “Mahanayaka Bijayananda”
(A brave and dynamic leader of the masses, his magnetic personality and dedication shaped his destiny as a political luminary with a huge following. His raw courage and fearlessness in the face of adversity is the stuff of legend. In fact, for us at Srjan, it was a big challenge to encapsulate in our choreography, the many and varied aspects of this supreme hero (Mahanayaka) and a colossal personality of our times, Biju Patnaik.
Uncommonly kind and generous by nature, he readily shared the joys and sorrows of the people. His very name, “Bijayananda” (victorious in bringing joy) speaks eloquently of his many deeds aimed at spreading happiness among the common folk. Thus his name Bijayananda was vey apt). “Odisha Minining Corporation (OMC)” is our festival’s Title Sponsor, “National Aluminium Company (NALCO)” is the award sponsor and “Dharitri” & “Orissa Post” are our ‘Media Sponsors’.
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