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Konark festival off to a glittering start

Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

IN SYNC: Venkit Raman along with his troupe performing Kathakali during the Konark Dance Festival on Sunday. —

KONARK: The magnificent Sun temple in Konark served as the perfect back drop. The exquisitely-designed huge amphitheatre was packed to its capacity with connoisseurs of Indian classical dances from far and wide, including a large number of foreigners. And it was a pleasant winter evening in this sleepy hamlet-like small town beside the Bay of Bengal on Orissa coast that was an apt ambience to host India’s second best-known festival of its kind after Khajuraho -- the 18th edition of the annual Konark dance festival.

As usual, the inaugural evening kicked off with Orissa’s own Odissi by the state-owned Odissi Research Centre (ORC). But, like most of the previous years, the inaugural performance was not homage to the Sun God. It was an ode to the Bible of Orissa -- the Oriya Bhagabat scripted by Jagannath Das.

Brilliantly choreographed by Odissi exponent Durga Charan Ranbir and complemented with composition of an equally enchanting music by Ramahari Das, the versatile Odissi vocalist, who heads the ORC, dance ballet ‘Gopakeli’ based on the ‘Bhagabat’ was a unique treat for the eyes and the ears. The costume, the stage-space management, scene construction and the mesmerising accompanying musicians -- everything was at its best except a few dancers in the troupe who lacked the desired level of perfection.

After the enchanting Odissi, it was the turn of the Mumbai-based gifted Kathak dancer and ‘thumri’ singer Bireswar Gautam, disciple of the legendary Damayanti Joshi, who is known for his intricate footwork and eloquent and amazing miming. “I don’t believe in experimentation with the tradition,” announced the dancer-choreographer before beginning his troupe’s performance that presented a bouquet of traditional compositions.

Commencing with ‘Krishna Vandana’ with his troupe, Mr. Bireshwar impressed with his ‘thumuri’ in sitting posture. However, with just four co-dancers, his group presentations failed to impress on a sprawling open-air stage. His musicians were, however, greeted with cheers from the spectators.

Chief Minister Mr. Naveen Patnaik’s delayed arrival at the venue for inauguration by an hour disappointed the gathering.

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