The audience was enthralled by the deft moves of Chhau artistes who performed on the opening day of a two-day National Chhau Dance Festival at the Rabindra Manda here on Wednesday.
The festival, which was supposed to kick off on Tuesday at the Utkal Mandap, was delayed by a day due to inclement weather and was also moved to the Rabindra Mandap on Wednesday. The festival is being organised by the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Mayurbhanja Chhau on Dandi Mahabharata staged by artists of the Aangika Institution of Bhubaneswar was simply captivating. The artistes staged the story of Dandi Mahabharata.
As per the epic written by poet Sarala Das, the main game-planner and conspirator was Shakuni and not lord Krishna as portrayed by Ved Vyasa in his script. It explains how Shakuni took a silent vow to eliminate the entire Kuru Kula (dynasty) to avenge the death of his brothers and other family members at the hands of Duryodhan, who imprisoned and let them die without food or water.
later, artistes of Acharya Chhau Nrutya Bichitra of New Delhi staged Seraikela Chhau. Their first performance was Ratri, which revolves around the story of Ratri or night as conceived from Ratri Sukta, a verse in the Rig Veda that personifies night into a goddess, who protects her beings from threatening forces that may lurk in the darkness.
Then, setting tune with the rain pouring outside the venue, the artistes of the Acharya Chhau Nrutya Bichitra performed Mayur, which portrayed the peacock, a bird known for its grandeur and beauty. Its dance, at the sight of rain-laden clouds and spreading of its resplendent plumage, epitomises an almost divine grace.
Their third performance was Hansa, which was followed by Radhakrishna. Earlier, Minister of Textile, Handloom Sarojini Hembram inaugurated the show.