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Photo: Shyamhari Chakra

Class apart Birju Maharaj performing at the festival.

For Guru Gangadhar, known as a one-man institution that promoted Odissi worldwide through hundreds of his disciples besides hosting at least four annual festivals for the performing artistes of the nation, this February has brought immense cheer.

Kuchipudi by Pallavi’s troupe.

While he was named for the prestigious Padma Shri by the Government of India, Kathak’s living legend Birju Maharaj graced the 23rd annual Konark festival of dance and music and performed in it too.

The three-day event was mounted on the specially designed Konark Natya Mandap open-air auditorium that replicates the Sun temple. While each evening’s performance commenced with Panchadeva Stutee - a prayer for the five gods in Odissi dance style - followed by Guru Gangadhar’s choreographic classic Konark kantee depicting the beauty of the sculptural marvel of the gigantic monument, the festival featured Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak along with tabla, veena and Odissi vocal recitals apart from a few folk arts styles of the state including the enchanting Gotipua dance.

In his brief but breath-taking performance, the audience had an experience of a lifetime as the septuagenarian Birju Maharaj transformed himself into the character of the seven-year-old Krishna. His troupe, led by prime disciple Saswati Sen presented Jayadev’s Geet Govind as a befitting tribute to the 12th century saint-poet of the soil.

Mumbai’s Bharatanatyam dancer and scholar Sandhya Purecha and her troupe presented three of her new choreographic compositions that included Trimurti Kalpakkam –– a tribute to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. However, it was Hyderabad-based budding and promising Kuchipudi dancer P.B. Pallavi who stole the show with stellar performances along with her troupe. The Gotipua dancers of Konark were also at their best with their highly acrobatic and yogic postures.

The festival featured three gifted young artistes as soloists who, by sheer coincidence, were offsprings of three eminent musicians –– Kolkata’s Mallar Ghosh (son and disciple of legendary table maestro Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh), Satvik veena player Salil Bhatt (son of the famous Mohan veena exponent Viswa Mohan Bhatt) and Odissi vocalist Nazia Alam, daughter of celebrated Oriya singer Sikandar Alam.

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