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Bhubaneswar, Nov. 9: The open-air auditorium at the Sun Temple in Konark will come alive on December 4 with renditions of the ancient dance form Mahari.
For the first time, the Konark Festival that is scheduled from December 1-5 every year will feature this ancient dance form that originated from the temples of Odisha.
Mahari exponent Rupashree Mohapatra is responsible for bringing alive the charm of this ancient dance form on stage. She and her team of 17 dancers are busy synchronising steps and practising with music for over eight hours a day and are quite determined to put up a good show at the festival.
“I am focusing on ensuring that all the dancers churn out graceful body movements along with significant facial expressions. Moreover, I am also giving special focus on the positioning of dancers so that nothing goes haywire on stage,” said the dancer.
Speaking of her repertoire that she is choreographing for the festival, Rupashree says: “The composition is our tribute to Lord Jagannath ahead of Nabakalebara. Mahari has been a part of the temple rituals for hundreds of years and through our show we will try to describe the ceremonies that take place at the Jagannath temple on a daily basis.”
The initiative of including Mahari at the festival was taken to propagate this dance form that has contributed immensely to the cultural heritage of the state. “The primary source from which the classical dance style of Odissi evolved is Mahari but it has not got its due recognition. A lot of tourists from across the country and the world will come to be a part of the festival that will help in broadening the visibility of this temple dance form,” said the director of culture, Sushil Das.
Hailing the initiative, Rupashree said: “It is applauding that the government is giving me opportunity to showcase the beauty of a dance form that has been performed for centuries in Indian temples. Now that the tradition is not in vogue anymore, it is gradually fading away. I am hopeful that the festival will give the necessary boost to Mahari.”
The festival will also feature performances by a number of classical dancers such as Ghanakanta Bora and Sobha Naidu.
A renowned dancing group from Bhutan is also expected to perform at the world-famous festival.