Dancer Meera Das and students of Gunjan Dance Academy perform Odissi at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 22: Devotion and love merged in Odissi renditions by artistes of the Gunjan Dance Academy that hosted a cultural fiesta at Rabindra Mandap.

The artistes of Odissi danseuse Meera Das’s school staged a series of recitals on Saturday evening.

The institute justified its fame for choreographic brilliance in various recitals at the concert titled Gunjan Sandhya. The evening began with an invocatory piece of dance. Dedicated to Lord Jagannath, this sequence was titled Jagannath Mangalam and enacted the Jagannath temple’s culture.

Meera had brilliantly choreographed the next sequence in the genre of Pallavi or rhythmic dance that her dancers showcased as Mood of Rhythm. Guru Dhaneswar Swain’s music gave the dancers the perfect beat to present intricate feet movements synchronised with the motion of the hands and torso.

Dance aficionados were fascinated with the solo piece performed by Meera on the Madana Mohana stotra eulogising the attractive beauty of Krishna as felt by Radha and other devotees. The spiritual essence of love between the nayika and Krishna were presented through Meera’s subtle movements and poignant expressions.

Among other recitals, Jay jay sankha gadadhar — a tribute to Lord Vishnu — performed by a group of Meera’s disciples was also appealing.

Sajani lo, a duet composition performed by ace dancers Sasmita Panda and Pushpa Panda, was a treat for the eye as it portrayed an excellent co-ordination among the duo and the dancers.

The concluding item was one of the most appreciated sequences of the concert. Bhakti saint Meera’s unconditional love for Lord Krishna was showcased in this ballet that emphasised on the oneness of love and devotion. The viewers were touched by this performance.

“Dance accompanied with the right music can create a spiritual sensation in the viewer and this is what most of the items of the concert did today,” felt Samarpan Mohanty, a viewer.

“Though we don’t perform here as frequently as we would have loved to, it is deeply moving to see the confidence in our performance by the dance lovers here. We are glad that the viewers appreciated us,” said Meera.