Artistes perform at Bhanja Madhuri in Berhampur. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, March 3: Folk dance and Bhanja sangeet, performed during Spring Festival (Basant Utsav) 2014 of the All-India Radio (AIR), Berhampur, at Yuvraj Bunglow in Khallikote last night, won the hearts of the audience.

Sudha Mishra, senior vocalist and deputy director-general of the AIR, Cuttack, inaugurated Bhanja Madhuri, a special programme of AIR Berhampur on Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja to be aired on every Wednesday at 7.30am.

Mishra rendered Kabi Samrat’s two champu, including Kala srimukha he, nagala mohair dukha and Nirmala Chandra mandala sarade biraje. She was accompanied in Bhanja sangeet by another acclaimed vocalist, Mahapatra Minati Bhanja, who rendered Kantabina diba rajani sajani in raag Bajrakanti. Sudha Mishra had obtained her PhD in Bhanja sangeet in 1977.

Hrushikesh Panigrahi, assistant director, programmes, AIR Berhampur, said the main thrust of Bhanja Madhuri would be to popularise songs of Upendra Bhanja in Odisha just like Rabindrasangeet of Bengal.

Folk dance of Ganjam, including Prahalad natak, Radha premaleela, mrudanga badya and khanjani bhajan by various local groups also mesmerised the audience.

Artistes of the Paschimeswari Natya Sangha of Jayantipur village performed Prahalad natak, popularly known as Raja Nata, with Babula Padhi, 38, portraying the role of Hiranya Kashyapu, the main attraction. Babula has been playing the role of Hiranya Kashyapu since 1991 after the death of his father, Baini Padhi, who also used to play the demon king. “The number of Prahalad natak groups in Ganjam has decreased to 20, but we are struggling hard to survive the folk art,” Babula said. He is training his younger son Asish to follow his footsteps.

The Balaji Thakur Natya Kala Sansad of Kumarada village performed Radha premalila with 11 boys in the age group between seven and 12. “It is difficult to maintain the group as we are spending money on the education and medical expenses of the boys, who form the backbone of the group,” said B. Khali Pradhan, the guru of the group. “We have to search for new boys as the present artistes are getting older,” he said. The photograph of this group was published on the DAVP calendar 12 years ago.

Khanjani bhajan by the Ananta Gopal Group of Ranipada, led by 66-year-old Trinath Behera, too, amazed the viewers. This group is the only one of its kind in Ganjam district.

Mrudanga badya by the Dakhini-Odishi Kirtan Mandali at Digi, led by 45-year-old Shankar Swain, filled the hearts of the audience with sweet rhythms.