Jayadev Samaroh being performed on the premises of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 15: The turnout might not have been big but the audience enjoyed and applauded the performances of young artistes at Jayadev Samaroh, a cultural soiree of music, dance and drama. The event presented colourful shades of each genre.

Held on the premises of the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, the budding artistes gave impressive performances on productions of their well-known gurus. The festival concluded on Thursday evening.

The three-day festival started on April 12 with an Odissi musical extravaganza. Melodious voices created a fascinating ambience around the venue. As young vocalists trained by eminent Odissi musician Guru Ramahari Das and other faculty members of the Odissi vocal department performed, passers-by stopped in their tracks to catch the notes.

The artistes performed at an open-air stage crafted by students of the institute. Tabla recital and Odissi dance presentations were also part of the first evening.

An enchanting repertoire of Hindustani classical ragas, followed by vibrant Chhou choreographies were the highlights of the second evening.

A rare scene, Hindustani percussion instrument pakhawaj, was also played at the concert, that captivated the audience.

“Wide range of instruments and vocalist genres were presented at the festival this year. The stage arrangements and decoration of the institute added to the pleasure,” said Rabi Kanungo, a viewer.

The concluding day was the most astounding of the entire programme. A mega symphony of Odissi and Hindustani classical instruments was organised.

The artistes at the wide stage that was broad at the centre and spread out its wings on both sides that included portions of the lawn of the institute. More than a score instrumentalists played violin, flute, tabla, sitar, mardala and harmonium presenting an inspiring composition.

The final event, the drama Shankara, written and directed by Nabin Kumar Parida, principal of the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, gripped many viewers late into the evening.

The play had elements of folk drama and a village-based plot. The protagonist Shankara, a poor but talented sportsman of the village, was considered to be an enemy of the zamindar’s son and so as the story progressed, the enmity took a violent turn. Within this serious plot, there were interesting sub-plots made of comedy, tragedy and romance.

“The comical parts of the play were immensely hilarious. The effect of lights and division of the stage into various portions of the campus made it even more impressive,” said Parikshit Swain, a viewer.

“All members of the institute, including faculty and students, put in their efforts to make the fifth edition of the annual event a success,” said principal Parida.