Bhubaneswar, Oct. 3: The two-day Adi Guru Pankaj Charan Das award festival featured a series of performances by Odissi artistes from all age groups.

Hosted at Rabindra Mandap by the Guru Pankaj Udra Sanskruti Academy, the festival concluded last evening.

On the inaugural evening, it was the 62-year-old Padma Charan Dehury's emphatic vigour that garnered praise for the Odissi guru's Mangalacharan or the dance item invoking the divine. He performed a piece dedicated to Lord Shiv that was composed by Guru Pankaj Charan Das, under whom Dehury had trained for many years.

"I was employed in the city's police force and retired in 2005. I was lucky that in 1978, guru ji took me under his wings and groomed me," said Dehury, who is trained in several percussion instruments.

Followed by the veteran's act was the performance of another soloist, who is known for her precision.

Rajashree Prahraj from Srjan, founded by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, brought alive various moods of monsoon in a composition, Varsha, choreographed by dance guru Ratikant Mohapatra.

A pleasant surprise was the group act of artistes from the city-based Debadasi Dance School. Young dancers in the two items showcased by the group were impressive, while the choreography itself was refreshing. Other artistes such as Munmun Chakroborty and artistes of the Nrutya Upasana Pitha also performed on the first day of the festival.

Dancers from the Rudrakshya foundation - Lingaraj and Sanjukta Pradhan - showcased brilliant chemistry in their duet last evening. The two solo presentations by Arati Kar and Dushmant Swain were also impressive.

The award ceremony was hosted yesterday when eminent vocalist Guru Ghanashyam Panda and Odissi guru Gopi Krushna Behera were presented with the Adi Guru Pankaj Charan Das Award for their lifetime contribution to Odissi dance and music.