Kumkum Lal, Lakshmikanta Palit, Dhaneswar Swain & Uttam Mohanty To Receive Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award

Bhubaneswar: Celebrating three exquisite decades dedicated to excellence in Art, Srjan—Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Nrityabasa with the institutional support of Sri Sri University will host its flagship annual classical dance and music festival and the 30th Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (GKCM) Award Festival 2024, from September 5 to 11, at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar.

The Award Festival has always been organised with one specific aim – to create and sustain awareness of our classical traditions in dance and music.

Departing from its traditional five-day format, the Award Festival this year is spread over seven days, each evening’s performance designed with the view of edifying the audiences of Odisha with classical dance and music of the highest calibre.

The coveted Award Presentation ceremony is hosted on the final day after six evenings of scintillating dance and music performances and concludes with a grand finale by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra’s renowned Srjan ensemble.

This year, the Awards are being presented to four iconic figures in India’s and in particular, Odisha’s rich and diverse cultural milieu.

The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2024, carrying a cash award of Rs 1 lakh, and a citation, will be presented to Kumkum Lal for her immense contributions to Odissi dance; Guru Lakshmikanta Palit and Guru Dhaneswar Swain for their lifetime achievements in the field of Music and Percussion, respectively; and to Uttam Mohanty, for his outstanding contributions to the realm of Odia Cinema.

Additionally, the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Prativa Samman, with a cash prize of Rs 25,000, and a citation will be presented to four exceptionally talented performing artistes under the age of 40 years in the field of classical dance and Odissi music to acknowledge their outstanding performances.

Pompi Paul and Rajnita Mehra will receive the same for Odissi dance, while Avijit Das will be honoured for his dedication to Kuchipudi and Rohita Pradhan, to Odissi music (Mardala).

The inaugural evening will open with a Ghazal recital by renowned singer Chandan Dass. On the second day, acclaimed Bharatanatyam exponent Vaibhav Arekar and his Sankhya Dance Company will present Shrimant Yogi, a homage chronicling the life and times of the legendary Shivaji Maharaj.

The third evening will witness a Carnatic Vocal recital by celebrated singer Kalaimamani OS Arun. At the halfway mark of the festival, SubraMania led by famous musicians Ambi and Bindu Subramaniam will engage audiences in a captivating evening of musical fusion, blending compelling creative elements into their repertoire.

The subsequent evening will see illustrious Hindustani Flautist Rakesh Chaurasia take the stage with famed Tabla artiste Ojas Adhiya. The festival will see classical dance take the centre stage again on its penultimate evening, with the presentation Moonstruck by the reputed Kathak exponent Ashimbandhu Bhattacharjee and his dance troupe, Upasana Centre for Dance.

The concluding evening commences with the prestigious award ceremony, followed by the much-awaited finale by the Srjan ensemble led by the artistic direction and vision of Ratikant Mohapatra. They will present Tantra, invoking the divine feminine and seeking the path to liberation by channelling Tantra sadhana for the betterment of society and humankind.

Presented as an evocative blend of haunting imagery and distinctive elements of Odissi subsumed in the esoteric tradition of Tantra, Srjan’s presentation will feature unique embellishments in the music, choreography, and costumes that promises to provide a delightful visual and aesthetic experience to the audience.

The entire festival is curated, conceptualized, and designed by Ratikant Mohapatra, with the programme execution by Debiprasad Mishra. The 30th GKCM Award Festival has received ample donations from MGM Minerals and Shalimar Chemical Works Pvt Ltd.

Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Department of Odia Literature Language and Culture, Government of Odisha, the festival sponsors include SBI, IMFA, Priyadarshini Handlooms, and Paradeep Phosphates Limited.