Chinta O Chetana’s monsoon festival ‘Barsha’ comes to an end

Bhubaneswar: Soulful rendition by some popular singers like Debasish Mohapatra, Sangeeta Panda, Bijay Kumar Jena, Laxmikanta Palit and his sons – Randeep & Bandish Palit, Jyotirmayee Nayak and Narayan Rath marked the concluding evening of 44th edition of Barsha, the monsoon festival organised by Chinta O Chetana, at Rabindra Mandap, Thursday.

The evening was dedicated to former Chief Minister Harekrushna Mahatab. Among the dignitaries, former Indian Ambassador Abasar Beuria, Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Secretary Prabodh Rath, Akash Byju’s Ajay Bahadur Singh (Regional director EAST), Natonal president of Chinta O Chetana Sashibushan Behera, President Sahadeva Sahoo, Secretary Surendra Das and other office bearers of Chinta O Chetana were present on the occasion.

Earlier, the three-day cultural event comprising dance and music to pay tribute to the monsoon was inaugurated Tuesday.

The first evening of the festival was dedicated to former Chief Minister Nandini Satpathy, a former President of Chinta O Chetana.

The event opened with a dance recital by eminent Odissi danseuse Kumkum Mohanty who performed Geeta Gobinda. Arupa Gayatri Panda, who came next, presented a recital on monsoon.

Subhashree Panda for social service, CRPF commander Khirod Kumar Behera for bravery and Kumkum Mohanty for Odissi dance were felicitated for outstanding contributions to their respective fields on the evening.

This apart, 60 CRPF jawans and 40 members of 7th battalion were also felicitated on the occasion.

The second evening, dedicated to former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, one of the chief architects of modern Odisha, witnessed a fusion of dance and music.

The programme opened with a mardala recital by eminent musician Jagannath Kuanr and group. Needless to say, the attendees were spellbound by Kuanr’s magical performance.

The viewers were next treated to classical performance by eminent Odissi dancer Ileana Citaristi and her group Art Vision showcasing the magic of monsoon.

Led by Guru Prabhat Kumar Swain, the members of Nrutya Naivedya also presented Megha Malhar, a recital in the glory of rain on the same evening.

Chinta O Chetana is a premier socio-cultural organisation of the state founded by Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab in 1980. It is not only dedicated to cultural upliftment but also committed for the growth of socially, economically and educationally oppressed communities. Eminent personalities from different fields are closely associated with the organisation and are committed to the cause of socio-cultural development of the people across India.