Rourkela: Vedvyas Sangeet Nrutyotsav-2023, a five-day annual national festival of classical dance, classical vocal, folk dance, and tribal/folk dance, got Wednesday evening underway here. This music and dance extravaganza remains one of the most awaited events for Rourkelaites and this is the 26th edition of the festival. The tone was perfectly set at the huge open-air stage of Bhanja Bhavan Exhibition Ground with spectacular performances in Odissi, tribal, and Raut folk dance.
The audience loved every bit of the entire evening which began with the presentation of the state anthem ‘Vande Utkala Janani’ by a group of young students of Bhanja Kala Kendra led by Binapani Rath. This was followed by ‘Dasavatar’ by the students of Bhanja Kala Kendra, one of the scintillating performances of Odissi choreographed by Durga Charan Ranbir and Niladri Mohanty. The performance truly reflected the long hours of effort given by the students in learning the intricacies and subtlety of the performing art form. The grace in the movement equally matched their facial expressions. The next in the line was a performance by the Keshav Yadav group from Chhattisgarh. They performed Raut dance where the rhythm of the dance perfectly blended with the music creating a real visual treat. Finally, it was time for the Mayurbhanj troupe led by Jhano Murmu, which showed the extraordinary prowess of the performers showcasing difficult body movements to the tune of tribal music.
Earlier, Labour & ESI Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak, chief guest of the inaugural evening, congratulated the organisers for such a grand event and said, “The festival has found a place in the culture calendar of the state.” Rourkela will soon get a park known as Koel River Bank built at the cost of Rs 34 crore on 32 acre land by next year, he informed. Nayak reiterated the commitment of the state government to promote art and culture and reassured the continued support of the government to the organisation. The introductory speech was delivered by the general secretary Radhakrushna Mohapatra and the welcome speech was given by Ashim Behera, a former general secretary.