OMC GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA AWARD FESTIVAL CONCLUDED WITH ODISSI ABHINAYA “MAHANAYAKA BIJAYANANDA”

OMC GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA AWARD FESTIVAL CONCLUDED WITH ODISSI ABHINAYA “MAHANAYAKA BIJAYANANDA”

Bhubaneswar (09.09.2017): The concluding evening of 23rd OMC Guru Kelu Charan
Mohapatra Award Festival started with the customary award giving ceremony by the
Guests. The Award was instituted in the year 1995 with a view to generating a feeling of
cultural amity amongst the performing arts fraternity and acknowledging the excellence
and contribution of great artists in the field of dance, music, theatre and cinema. Guru
Ratikanta Mohapatra the leading torch-bearer of his father and Guru Kelu Charan
Mohapatra’s legacy is committed to reach out the nook and corner of the Globe with all
its pristine glory and purity. Srjan (Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra Odissi Nrutyabasa)
founded in 1993 by Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra has pioneered the cause of
recognizing the talents and achievements of individual artists in different art forms.
This year the “NALCO Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2017” presented to Guru
Dhruba Charan Biswal in the field of Dance and Smt. Shyamamani Devi in the field of
Music. Secondly “NALCO Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman 2017”
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.
The artistes of Srjan presented an audio visual special presentation - “Mahanayaka
Bijayananda”, a Odissi dance of the life and work of Sri Biju Pattnaik. 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. 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. The
production and the dance choreography were made by Ratikant Mohapatra. The music
was by Laxmikant Palit, Script by Jaydev Das & Lyrics by Nityananda Misra. Encapsulate
the choreography in varied aspects of the supreme hero (Mahanayaka) and a colossal
personality of Biju Patnaik by the artistes from Srjan is mesmerized the audience till the
end.
The dignitaries who graced the occasion were Shri R. Balakrishnan, Development
Commissioner-cum- Additional Chief Secretary, Odisha; Shri Ashok Kumar Tripathy,
Former Member Board of Revenue; Smt. Leela Venkatraman, Dance Critic and Guru
Ratikanta Mohapatra, Director, Srjan.