Bhubaneswar, Jan. 1: From major highlights to a few setbacks, the cultural fraternity of the state experienced a blend of memorable events and bereavements in 2010.

Cultural activities by youngsters from all over the country including art, dance, drama and music, performed at the National Youth Festival hosted by the capital city kept the state eventful in the first month of 2010.

Similarly, it was the silver jubilee celebrations of the B K Art College of the city which saw a series of events by the art fraternity and art connoisseurs. “Different exhibitions for national level artists, budding artists of the state and children were held across the year,” said artist Tarakant Parida.

“However, the sudden death of prolific artist Byomkesh Mohanty, left the fraternity mourning,” he added.

The film industry too came abuzz in 2010. First, it was the completion of Oriya cinema’s 75 years that was celebrated through functions and vibrant events by various cultural outfits and organisations throughout the year. The year saw the maximum number of releases in a year ever for Oriya films. However, most of the films could not make an impact on the box office.

“A couple of films managed good collections but most Oriya films did very bad business,” said Rabindra Kumar Sahoo, manager of a cine complex.

Several exponents of music and dance performed in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack in the last year.

From Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Illaya Raja, Pandit Vikku Vinayakram, Pandit Jasraj to Pandit Birju Maharaj, Minati Mishra, Kiran Segal, there was a kaleidoscope of recitals and renditions that came across aficionados of music and dance in the state. The deaths of legendary singers Bhikari Bal and Sikandar Alam and Odissi dance and mardala Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, however, left an eternal void in the cultural fraternity.

There was a rise in the number of Odissi dance events and these were thronged by audience from the city. “We were surprised and encouraged by the huge footfalls,” said Ramhari Das, music exponent and organiser of Odissi International dance festival, a new event in the Odissi cultural calendar.

Young talents from the state rocked television reality shows in 2010. The team of sand artists including Manas Kumar Sahoo, Bulu Mohanty, Monalisa Sahoo and Suchitra Mahesweta, students of the Sudarsan Sand Art Institute, Puri and Silk City boy Harihar Dash, with his signature ‘popping and locking’ style, shot to fame on a popular talent hunt show on television, India’s Got Talent Khoj– 2. Ten-year-old Tejaswini Behera from Rourkela made it to the finals of dance contest Chak Dhoom Dhoom and won the title at Nachle Ve.

After a sensational 2010, artistes would be looking forward to make their mark in 2011.