(From top) Odissi dancer Kumkum Mohanty, Kathak exponent Uma Dogra and pakhawaj player Pandit Bhawani Shankar perform on the second day of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 9: The tinkling ankle bells of Indian classical dancers and a fascinating recital on the traditional percussion instrument of pakhawaj made the second evening of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Awards festival a memorable event.

The auditorium at Rabindra Mandap resonated with applauses as the artistes performed.

Known for her effortless and poignant abhinaya, Odissi dancer Kumkum Mohanty — who will be presented with the guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award this year — captivated the viewers with her graceful moves and subtle expressions presenting a vivid repertoire.

One of the leading disciples of the legendary Mohapatra, she displayed various genres of Odissi starting off with a Guru Bandana. The well-known composition of her guru, Hansadhwani Pallavi, was rendered with ease and elegance by the senior dancer.

Mohanty also went on to present her own composition, an abhinaya on the song Aare babu ghanashyama that portrayed the motherly affection of Yashoda for her son Krishna.

After the enchanting performance of Mohanty, renowned Kathak exponent Uma Dogra charmed the viewers with her nimble feet and artistic rendition.

The Jaipur-based dancer presented Ganesh Bandana to begin with and later showcased pure aspects of Kathak. Her intricate steps and poise on tatkaar and layakari engrossed the viewers while her abhinaya on the composition Khandita Nayika was spectacular.

In this piece, Dogra illustrated the changing moods of a lovelorn woman who first adorns herself waiting for her beloved but is disappointed later as he does not turn up.

Both dance sequences had already left the audience in awe when the highlight of the evening, a pakhawaj recital by eminent musician Pandit Bhawani Shankar, lifted the musical spirit of the audience to a much higher level.

The illustrious artiste presented Ravana Shiva Tandava and an array of versatile ragas from the Jaipuri gharana. The viewers went ecstatic over this remarkable performance by the veteran artiste.

“All the performances were unique and exquisite. While the dancers had already cast a spell on us, Pandit Bhawani Shankar was simply enchanting. It was a thrilling performance,” said Deepak Tripathy, a viewer.

“We are immensely delighted to see the passion of music lovers who gathered here from different parts of the state and outside to witness the 17th edition of our festival,” said Odissi guru Ratikant Mohapatra, organiser of the festival.