Rourkela: The Vedvyas Sangeet Nrutyotsav, one of the most awaited five-day cultural extravaganza in this part of Odisha, will begin November 2. This is one of the most prestigious national events featuring classical and folk dances, folk music and performances by tribals. The event will be held at the Bhanja Bhavan Exhibition Ground in Sector-V and is being organised by the Bhanja Kala Kendra. The festival will be inaugurated November 2 evening by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram This year’s festival holds special significance as it will feature performances from many celebrated names in the field of music and dance. Over 300 artistes from across India will converge here to participate, showcasing the country’s rich performing arts traditions.
Among the noteworthy performers who will adorn the event this year, are Padmashri Aruna Mohanty and her troupe from Bhubaneswar, who will present an Odissi dance programme on the evening of November 5 and the Kalasakta group from Pune who will perform Bharatnatyam November 3. The festival will also feature Manipuri dance by Guru Poushali Chatterjee’s troupe and a vibrant array of folk attractions, including Lavni dance from Mumbai, West Bengal’s Lok Nrutya and ‘Pashu Mukha Nrutya’ performed by artists from Ganjam.
Acclaimed performers like Padma Vibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Padma Shir Sanjukta Panigrahi and Padma Bhushan Saroja Vaidyanathan, to name a few, have participated in this event. “The uniqueness of the festival is it features classical and folk dance forms on a single stage. One evening is exclusively dedicated to classical music,” said Radhakanta Mohapatra secretary Bhanja Culture Trust. “This programme now holds a prominent position in Odisha’s culture and tourism calendar and has few parallels in the region,” he added. This year the cultural jamboree is being held for Rs 20 lakhs. “While other festivals have government support, we conduct the programme successfully on a shoestring budget. Even though every year there is some deficit, we manage to host the programme successfully,” said SS Raychowdhury, president, Bhanja Kala Kendra.