(Top) A flautist performs at Parampara a cultural evening at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar and (above) classical instrumentalists at the same event. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, March 16: From Odissi musical choir to dance and drama, all shades of cultural entertainment were presented at a colourful programme held at the Rabindra Mandap on Tuesday evening.

The event was organised by Parampara on the occasion of its sixth anniversary.

Odissi symphony led by musician Dhaneswar Swain and his group gave the cultural evening a tuneful start. The group of musicians played various instruments: tabla, dholak, mardala, veena, flute, sitar, harmonium and violin and the waves of music reverberated through the auditorium. Later, Odissi music exponent Ramhari Das presented an experimental composition of music.

Written by Brundaban Jena, Das presented his composition Jai Rajguru, a musical eulogy of the brave freedom fighter from Orissa. The rendition by a choir of 22 vocalists and a large number of musicians captivated the audience.

“It was thrilling. It was such a novel composition. The lyrics were touching and instilled a sense of patriotism through the legacy of Jai Rajguru,” said Monica Dhal, a college student.

“The musical sonata was simply breathtaking. It was a beautiful presentation,” said Parsuram Beura, a music lover.

After the music sessions, it was time for an Odissi dance performance by Manoranjan Pradhan and Minati Pradhan. The duo began with a sequence about Lord Krishna — Nachanti Raneg Shrihari — and then performed group dance drama Manika Patna. The dance drama was widely appreciated.

“The story of the love and devotion of a simpleton village girl Manika for Lord Jagannath has always been touching. Watching the Odissi ballet was a great experience,” said Baishnab Charan Mishra, a viewer.

The first day of the two-day festival was concluded with a play about the environment and the preservation of trees. Called Banchao, meaning ‘save us’, the play was directed by Tusharkant Pattnaik and written by Pragyan Ranjan Khatua. “We wanted to stress how trees can help avoid natural disasters,” said Pattnaik.

Parampara has been involved with the promotion of cultural programmes for the last six years. “We want to attract more people to cultural programmes. We are glad the turnout for the festival has been good,” said veteran actor Bijay Mohanty, president of Parampara.