Odissi dancer Sasmita Panda and artistes of Odissi Nrutya Mandal, Cuttack, perform at a programe organised by Indian Council for Cultural Relations at Kala Bikash Kendra in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, July 28: Odissi exponent Sasmita Panda and members of her group, Odissi Nrutya Mandal, showcased some brilliant performances at a concert organised by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on Wednesday at Kala Vikash Kendra in the city. The Odissi recital began with Ganesh bandana and mangalacharan, in which the artiste invoked Lord Ganesh and sought his permission to start the recital. The performance was staged in three sections including bhumi pranam, bandana and sabha pranam.

Guru Akhil Lenka composed the music while guru Ashish Das directed the dance. The artiste then performed a pallavi that was a composition of late guru Kelucharan Mohapatra.

A huge audience had thronged Kala Vikash Kendra to witness the cultural extravaganza that was being held after a long gap in the city.

“It is after many days that we got an opportunity to witness such a splendid Odissi performance. Moreover, efforts should be initiated to ensure that such kind of cultural programs are held on a regular basis to preserve our rich tradition,” said Biplab Singh, 44, a member of the audience.

The sequence composed on madhurastaka and a group performance (abhinaya) titled Jaya Rasheswari Radhe were the centre of attraction at the concert.

Madhurastaka, written by Vallabhacharya, is an item that glorifies the beauty of Lord Krishna. From the time when Krishna is a playful child to when he overcomes Kaliya, the serpent, danseuse Sasmita Panda gracefully depicted the tales and adventures mentioned in the composition in this solo performance.

“Words often fall short to describe the beauty of Lord Krishna, who is full of love, energy and compassion. But this performance was impressive. Even in the group performance, the rasalila was wonderfully portrayed with amazing synchronisation between the artistes. The tunes of traditional instruments added to the enchantment of the rendition portraying the love of the gopis for Krishna,” said Geetanjali Swain, 31, another member from the audience.

“ICCR has been organising a number of cultural programmes under the Horizon series which aims at reaching out to the youth and at the same time providing an opportunity to our artistes to showcase their talents,” said Minakshi Mishra, ICCR regional director.