An artiste performs at Shraddhanjali Samaroh at Jayadev Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, July 17: Veteran dancers got together in the city to pay homage to Guru Debaprasad Das, one of the foremost gurus of Odissi dance, on the occasion of his 25th commemoration day on Saturday.

Through some elegant compositions, the artistes showcased their respect towards the doyen of Odissi at the event Shraddhanjali Samaroh organised by Tridhara dance group.

The dance concert began with a Shivasthaka rendition by a young group of artistes of Tridhara. The artistes performed this vibrant item on raga Bhairavi displaying some intricate movements to illustrate the tandava of Lord Shiva. This composition was last choreography of Guru Das, said Guru Gajendra Panda, organiser of the event.

Veteran dancer Sujata Mishra performed a beautiful composition — Mina nayana khina hebani, an abhinaya depicting the beauty of Radha and her affection for Krishna. Youngster Shriya Acharya performed the Nabarasa, depicting the nine varieties of human emotions, giving examples from the mythological epic Ramayana.

Guru Niranjan Rout took the performances to a higher level with his effortless abhinaya Aja e ki gumana re. The veteran dancer depicted Odissi style of Guru Debaprasad Das giving emphasis to expressions and gestures to portray emotions.

Among other performances were impressive sequences presented by Dipti Routroy, Itishree Mohanty and Manoj Behera.

“Guru Das had contributed his entire life towards the growth and promotion of Odissi dance. Sadly, the dance fraternity and the state government have not made many arrangements to give him the tribute he deserved. Hence, most of us gathered together and held this event in his memory,” said Panda.

The programme included a morning session of discussion wherein eminent personalities of art, dance and theatre shared their experiences and memories of the late guru.

“Guru Debaprasad’s Odissi style included vivid details of tribal and folk dance forms of the state. He was the first to take Odissi outside the state and the country through his performances. However, his birth and death anniversaries have not been included in the calendar of Orissa Sangeet Natak Academy,” said Dinanath Pathy, artist and culture historian.

Other speakers included theatre personalities Ramesh Prasad Panigrahi, Asim Basu and Kartik Chandra Rath. The programme was held at Jayadev Bhavan.