President Pranab Mukherjee, inaugurating the golden jubilee function of the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya here on Saturday, praised the institution’s legendary gurus, who have not only excelled in Odishan art and culture but have also been instrumental in propagating it throughout the world.
Mukherjee lauded the efforts of the gurus, late Singhari Shyam Sunda Kar, late Pankaj Charan Das, late Sanjukta Panigrahi, Dr Bidut Kumari Choudhury and Umesh Chandra Kar and their disciples Dhirendranath Mallick, Bhabani Charan Biswal, Subrat Pattnaik , Ileana Citaristi and late Gangadhar Pradhan for creating a distinctive identity for themselves in the field of the performing arts.
“I am deeply appreciative of the efforts made by the Mahavidyalaya to keep alive Odishan art and culture,” he added.
The President said India has one of the oldest and culturally rich civilisations in the world. It is, therefore, only natural that performing arts have been an integral part of Indian identity and culture. They display amazing depth, richness and diversity developed over several millennia, he added.
Mukherjee released a souvenir of the institution. Among others, Governor Dr SC Jamir, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani, Culture Secretary Aravind Padhee and Mahavidyalaya Principal Tamasarani Das Mohapatra also spoke on the occasion.
