Usha Parinayam captivates the audience in the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award ceremony.

During the third evening of the 29th OMC Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival 2023, a captivating Bharatanatyam recital and Sitar performance electrified the audience amidst thunder and rain.

First on the stage, the evening was graced by Amrita Lahiri, with a three-piece Kuchipudi recital. She began with an invocation to Lord Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles, seeking His auspicious blessings to commence the programme.

After this, she performed Usha Parinayam, from a Kuchipudi dance drama that she learnt under the able training of Swapnasundari. In this solo version of the dance drama, rich with drama and emotions, the dancer enters as the titular character Usha, dreaming of the handsome prince who embraced her in her sleep. In a nuanced portrayal of this Nayika, Amrita Lahiri enacted the awakening of Usha from her dream and the interaction with her sakhi, reminiscing about the handsome prince who loved her and went away.
She concluded with a powerful Shiva Tarangam, a choreography of Shri Jaikishore Mosalikanti. The presentation described the glories and majestic of the Almighty Nirguna Parabrahma, from the top of whose matted locks, the Holy Ganga descends.

After a brief interlude commenced the much-awaited Tabla recital of Ustad Akram Khan accompanied by the musical Harmonium play of Shri Nilay Salvi. The audiences witnessed an intricate, rhythmically captivating percussion recital, that set the auditorium reverberating to the timbre of Akram Khan’s delightful Tabla play, rendered effortlessly.

Today, on the final evening, Srjan will conduct the award ceremony, with the presentation of the coveted Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2023 to Dr Sonal Mansingh, Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) for her contributions to Odissi dance and to Shri Anant Mahapatra, feted polymath, theatre artiste, and director for his lifetime achievement in Theatre. The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman 2023 will be presented to Smt. Arupa Gayatri Das and Smt. Siddhi Waikar for Odissi dance; Shri Arup Das for Odissi music (Mardala); and Shri Vishal Krishna for Kathak acknowledging their dedication to their art forms. The finale features the much-awaited cultural presentation by Srjan, which will conclude the momentous Award Festival.