Singer Sukalpa Mukherjee performs at the musical evening at Jaydev Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 13: The enchanting tunes of Hindustani music reverberated in the auditorium of Jaydev Bhawan when artistes from Varanasi regaled the music aficionados of the city.

The musical evening organised by Loknath Sangeet Kala Niketan on Sunday, had enthralling rendition by the artistes.

Singer Sukalpa Mukherjee who has been training singers in Varanasi and many other music schools all across the country began her rendition with a Ganesh vandana. This was after followed a series of songs composed by Bhakti saints like Meera Bai on raga Shudha Kalyan.

The recital then varied from devotional to romantic verses. “Music travels beyond boundaries and the appreciation by the audience here is testimony to that,’’ said a smiling Mukherjee after her Thumri performance.

She also added that given a chance she would also love to pick up Odissi music.

Renowned sitarist Pandit Rabindra Narayan Goswami cast a spell on the audience through his music by presenting a duet with tabla player Gyana Swaroop Mukherjee.

The duo delighted the listeners with raga bageswari that Goswami began with an alaap. Goswami has been an active musician for more than 40 years and has performed all over the world winning accolades in India and abroad.

The musical festival was presented in the memory of the first All India Radio (AIR) artiste in the Odissi section from Orissa, late Pandit Loknath Rath on the occasion of his 91st birth anniversary. He had passed away in 2001.

“Being an AIR artiste I had the fortune to meet Rathji. He was a maestro but dedicated his life to teaching music in his hometown and did not go after fame,” said Goswami.

The annual award Loknath Rath Smruti Samman was presented to veteran dance guru Gopikrushna Behera.

A souvenir titled Murchana was also released on the occasion.