Cuttack, Dec. 23: Odissi was again the centre of attraction on the third evening of the Barabati Nrutyoutsav here in the silver city. The event is being held in front of the historic Barabati fort.

Well-known Odissi dancer Rajashri Praharaj regaled the audience with scintillating moves. The artiste weaved magic with a performance based on the mythological episode of Sita Haran. The dancer presented the moving tale of trust, betrayal, devotion and pain of separation, which has been taken from the Ramayana.

The music of Sita Haran was composed by Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi and choreographed by guru Kelucharan Mohapatra.

“This dance is close to my heart as it beautifully depicts the love and separation of Ram and Sita,” said Praharaj.

Apart from Sita Haran, a dance drama, Chandalika, by Rabindranath Tagore was another attraction at the festival yesterday.

The artistes of Nateswari Cultural Group, Calcutta, staged the dance ballet, which depicts the obsession of a lower caste girl with a Buddhist monk. The musical dance drama also deals with the evils of untouchability that once prevailed in our society. “We really enjoyed the drama which was beautifully enacted by the artistes of the group,” said Swati Khandelwal, a member of the audience.

Odissi Nrutya Mandal has been organising the Barabati Nrutyoutsav annually. This year, it entered its 11th edition. The event is organised in association with state tourism department, Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and the district administration.

Earlier, Odissi dancers from Russia — Taissia Shpulnikova and Olga Femina — had mesmerised the audience with their dance rendition.

“It is good to see that a lot of viewers are keen to witness the cultural extravaganza despite the cold weather. The Barabati Nrutyoutsav has emerged as one of the major music and dance festivals in the state and hence we try to showcase various dance forms at the event,” said Asish Das, general secretary of the organising committee.

The five-day festival will conclude tomorrow.