(From top) Ashok Kumar Ghosal and Bandita Ghosal perform a duet while Meera Das and Praveen Kumar stage solo shows at Jayadev Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 17: Dancers from all over the country gave a colourful start to the Odia New Year by putting their best foot forward at the week-long Baisakhi cultural festival that began on Sunday at Jayadev Bhavan. The festival, which is into its 32nd year, was host to some dazzling performances on stage on the first two evenings.

In the first segment of the show, artistes from the Puri Sahijata Sanskrutika Sansada carried Lord Jagannath’s idol to the stage in a pahandi procession. The ambience, resembling that of rath yatra, established a traditional base for the performances to come.

Danseuse Meera Das from Cuttack presented a solo performance on an ancient poetry dedicated to the lord. Meera’s movements and emotions dominated her recital.

Musician Bijoy Jena also regaled the crowd with a series of renditions in Odissi vocal. He started with a romantic poetry, Madhu malaya manda, based on raga Basanta. He then presented a rendition, Nakara he ramamana, that belongs to the natyanga or dramatic phase of Odissi music.

Bharatnatyam dancer Praveen Kumar from Bangalore presented an impressive repertoire. Paying a tribute to Lord Shiv through a Shiva Stutee, Kumar showcased a meticulously presented Tillana, a pure dance item.

Young dancers from the Odisha Dance Academy also gave a touching performance in the group recital Glani sanhar that depicted the various tales of Lord Vishnu during the Dasavatar. The dancers carried out the Odissi production well and the choreography was a blend of pure dance movements, expressional intricacies as well as a dramatic touch.

Young Gotipua artistes from the Konark Natya Mandap gave a memorable show with their stunts while dancing, followed by a pure dance recital.

The second day of the festival began with an Odissi duet by Ashok Kumar Ghosal and his wife Bandita Ghosal. The recital was based on poet Jayadev’s life while he was writing his epic, Geet Govinda. Jayadev was in two minds about writing Lord Krishna praise before his lover Radha.

Realising Jayadev’s faltering mind, Krishna himself crept into Jayadev’s room and finished his incomplete lines, Dehi padapallabamudaram. It did not take long for Jayadev to realise that Krishna was there in his room and completed his verse and he was ecstatic with joy.

“It is a beautiful piece from Geet Govinda and every time my wife and I performed this piece we have received immense appreciation,” said Ashok.

Guru Sachidananda Das and his group presented a maradala performance. Sachidananda cast a spell on the listeners with his rhythmic beats on Aditala. Students of the Rudrakshya Foundation performed on Ragashree Pallabi and Dasavatar.

“We have in store some traditional performing arts of the state for each day during the festival since we are trying to promote Odia culture on the occasion of the New Year,” said renowned Odissi dancer Ratikant Mohapatra, the festival director.

The cultural extravaganza organised by the Chinta O Chetna will conclude on April 21.