The audience at the Rabindra Mandap here was mesmerised being transported to a different world. The occasion was an Odishi dance recital under the “Horizon” series by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) in collaboration with the State Department of Culture.
Promising dancers of Srjan came up with “Vinayaka Sarane”, an invocatory item to lord Vinayak to do away with obstacles.
This was followed by ‘Synthesis’, an amalgamation of varied compositions with classical nuances in the tradition of Odishi. The grace with foot works and enchanting gestures had a lasting spell.
The Abhinaya of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra portraying the character of Shabari from the text of ‘Rama Charita Manasa’ stole the show of the evening.
The devotion and emotion in delineating the character in Odishi dance recital by Mohapatra was inimitable.
Then the Srjan artists presented ‘Ardhanariswara’, marking the fusion of Shiva, the masculine force, and Shakti, the feminine energy.
The concluding choreography of the evening was ‘Vande Mataram’, a salute to Mother India.
To the thunderous applause of the audience, the choreography of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra moved one and all.
The programme commenced with the customary lighting of lamp by Oopali Operajita, Fellow, Camegiemelon University, USA, secretary of Bhubaneswar Music Circle Khirod Pattanaik and Regional Director, ICCR-Baliarsingh Negi were present. The programme was compered by Dr Mrutyunjaya Rath.