(From top) Pandit Bhajan Sopari with santoor,Violinist Swarna Khuntia,Ustad Irshad Ahmed Khan and painter Baladev Moharatha perform at the mahotsav. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 21: The mega cultural extravaganza organised by the Orissa tourism department, titled ‘Ekamra- The temple city festival’ concluded with a musical touch on Thursday evening.

The 11-day cultural event, that featured three major festivals of music and dance, had begun with Kalinga Mahotsav martial dance festival, followed by Mukteswar dance festival and ended with the elating renditions presented on the final day of the Rajarani music festival.

On Thursday, the courtyard of the stunning Rajarani temple came alive with vibrant renditions of classical ragas by exponents of Hindustani classical music from all over the country. From violin to santoor in instrumentals and Thumri, khayal to ghazal in vocal recitals, a kaleidoscope of music was presented on the closing day of the three-day festival.

Like the first two days when Odissi and Hindustani music enchanted the crowds right from the first recital, the rendition by violinist Swarna Khuntia gave the perfect start to the event on the last day. She was accompanied by her father Harmohan Khuntia during her presentations of raga Gorakh Kalyan and the well-known devotional song, Bhaja Govindam.

The enthralling recitals by vocalists-duo Ustad Irshad Ahmed Khan and Irfan A Khan lifted the spirits of the audience. They performed a wide range of repertoire that included khayal, thumri and even ghazals. After performing the Puriya Kalyan raga, the duo also regaled the crowd with bhajan and kawali. The variety in music presented by the singers received a rave response.

“It was a wonderful experience to witness so many aspects of Hindustani music on one day,” said Balram Mishra, a member of the audience. “The renditions of instrumentals were amazing. Be it violin or santoor, the musicians gave enthralling performances,” said Sunita Dhal, a home maker.

The santoor rendition by Pandit Bhajan Sopari was mesmerising. He presented ragas Kaushik Kanhada and Kirwani. “With santoor one can present all aspects of music. However, the general concept is that it is limited to an accompanying instrument,” explained Pandit Sopari.The Rajarani festival was the last of the three festivals held under the Ekamra festival organised by the tourism department. “The response this year was good. It has encouraged us to hold the event in a bigger way in the coming year,” said Ashok Tripathy, secretary, culture.