The Pandit Kasinath Pujapanda Smruti Sansad organised a music festival at the Rabindra Mandap here on Sunday with Nabakalebar Infrastructure Supervision Committee Chairman Maheswar Mohanty inaugurating the event.
The festival showcased the life and works of renowned Odissi vocalist Guru Kasinath Pujapanda. Chief guest Mohanty said such festivals would also be held in other parts of the State to ensure people in different urban pockets get a chance to enjoy these art forms.
On the occasion, eminent singer Guru Ramahari Das was conferred with the Pandit Kasinath Pujapanda Smruti Samman. Veteran Hindustani classical singer Dr Sunita Tikare from Mumbai was also conferred with the award. Both the awardees later featured soulful recitals accompanied by Dr Tapas Paul on tabla and Bidya Satpathy on harmonium.
Guru Kasinath’s son Hadibandhu Pujapanda demanded that the Culture Department organise this festival every year in the memory of the Guru. Among others, Smruti Sansad president Arjun Charan Samal, working-president Damodar Pradhani and vice-presidents Amarnath Guru and Siba Naryan Pattnaik, convenor Hadibandhu Pujapanda and general secretary Satya Narayan Guru were present.