The five-day-long annual Konark Festival of Classical Dances kick-started in the backdrop of the World Heritage Site Sun Temple here on Sunday. The programme started with Odishi Dance presented by Purnashree Rout, lucky Prajna Mohanty and a troupe from Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
In Ardhanareswar, the artists presented the philosophy of duality within a human being. It was followed by an Odia devotional song Ahe Nila Saila composed by devotee poet Salabega.
The artists then performed an episode from the Ramayana which depicted Sita’s marriage to Rama, their exile in forest and abduction of Sita to the loud applause of the enthralled audience.
The next troupe entered the stage with the classical Bharatnatyam led by Anitha Guha from Chennai. Their first item was Suryastakam, a humble prayer to Surya Deva (Sun) Temple. Then, Ardhanariswaram depicting the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies was presented which was followed by a very popular composition of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal’s Bhavayami Raghuramam set to Varnam format in Raga Malika and Roopaka Thalam. The programme ended with Thillana in Ragam Kafi on the composition of PR Venkatsubrmaniam. The programme was compered by Sadhana Srivastav and Mrutyunjaya Rath. Minister of Tourism & Culture Maheswar Mohanty, State Planning Board Deputy Chairman Surendra Nath Nayak, Puri MP Pinaki Mishra and several other leaders were present.