Bhubaneswar, July 17: Musicians and dancers across the state paid tribute to Odissi doyen guru Debaprasad Das on his 30th death anniversary yesterday.

Odissi recitals were staged from 9am to 9pm at Rabindra Mandap in the city by artistes from Cuttack, Rourkela, Angul, Jatni, Balasore and Bhubaneswar. The festival, organised by dance institute Tridhara, witnessed back-to-back performances over three sessions. Bipanchi Das, daughter of the guru, also performed at the event.

A number of pure abhinaya recitals such as Dasavatar and Chausathi Yogini and solo and group performances enacting compositions based on mythological stories were also staged. In performing Shiv Tandav, a choreography by Deba Prasad Das, dancers from Phulbani displayed force, artistry, precision and sublime emotions. Dancers from Balasore presented 'Krishna-Katha' depicting Krishna's pranks and dalliances. With aesthetic body movements coupled with intricate footwork, the dancers portrayed the divine and playful Krishna gracefully. Kalabati Pallavi performed by dancers of Nrutyarchana is considered as one of the purest forms of Odissi dance.

"It was an exalting experience to watch the disciples of the guru following in his footsteps," said Ananya Mohapatra, an Odissi dance enthusiast. In the concluding session, artistes from Debadhara, New Delhi, presented a number of popular abhinaya recitals composed by Das.