Odissi Exponent From Maharashtra Rasika Gumaste Presents Enthralling Performance In Odisha’s Berhampur

Berhampur: The dance lovers witnessed an enthralling performance of Odissi exponent from Maharashtra Rasika Gumaste and her disciples Puja Kale of Dubai and Sai Bakshi of Amravati at ITI Auditorium in Berhampur on Wednesday.

Internationally acclaimed Odissi dancer Rasika presented her performance at the “Kumara Punei Jahna Lo” programme, organised by Madhumaya Panigrahi Foundation, Berhampur.

The trio performed a beautiful dance ‘Dambru’ in Raag Desh with Ektaal, leaving the audience mesmerised by their graceful postures. The dance started with a prayer and the ‘Yoga’ of Lord Shiva and it was conjoined with 64 yoginis who represent the feminine energy to justify nature.

“I choose ‘Dambru’ theme to perform here because Madhumaya Panigrahi Foundation intends to promote women rural sports or women empowerment,” said Rasika who praised the Berhampur audience.

Rasika has performed in various prestigious festivals such as Kalaghoda Festival, Shaniwarwada Festival, Guru Pankaj Charan Das Utsav, Odissi International Art Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Institute in Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur Pustak Mahotsav, Delhi Odissi Utsav.

Trained under Guru Maniktai Ambike and Yogini Gandhi, she performs in both Bharatnatyam and Odissi styles, solo as well as group. She is the founder of Akanksha Odissi Nrityalaya since 2017 and has several choreographies to her credit.

Rasika’s performance was followed by a depictionof ‘Krushnarghya’ by youth sensation Samhita Panigrahi of Bhubaneswar.

‘Sabse Tej Folk Dance of India’ Panthi dance of the famous Dinesh Jangde and troupe of Raipur in Chhattisgarh was another attraction of the day. Masculine youngsters performed acrobatics and formed human pyramids on the beat of the rhythms. This dance relates to the Satnami community of Chhattisgarh and bears religious overtones.

Dance ballet ‘Thia Puchi Naranga’ by the rural sports winners was another attraction of the evening. It was choreographed by Rina Rani Sahu while song ‘”Kumara Punei Jahna Lo” was rendered by renowned female singers of Odisha and West Bengal.

“Madhumaya Panigrahi Foundation has launched the initiative to give a fresh lease of life into the almost extinct traditional rural sports and simultaneously train the winners of the traditional rural sports competition to dance on the stage in tune to ‘Thia puchi Naranga’,” said Founder and chief convenor of the foundation Hrushikesh Panigrahi and Advisor Sudipta Panigrahi.