Rasika’s Odissi enthrals audience at ‘Kumara Punei’ prog

Berhampur: It was a unique experience to watch Odissi dance by Rasika Gumaste from Maharashtra. Rasika performed Odissi along with her disciples, Puja Kale of Dubai and Sai Bakshi of Amravati, during the 15th ‘Kumara Punei Janha Lo’ programme organised by Madhumaya Panigrahi Foundation, Berhampur on Wednesday.

The trio performed a beautiful dance ‘Dambru’ in Raag Desh with Ektaal, leaving the audience spellbound with graceful dance postures. The dance started with a prayer and the ‘Yoga’ of Lord Shiva and it was conjoined with 64 yoginis, who represent the feminine energy to justify nature. “I choose ‘Dambru’ theme to perform here because Madhumaya Panigrahi Foundation intends to promote women rural sports or women empowerment,” said Rasika, who praised the Berhampur audience and expressed her desire to visit the silk city every year to perform dance.

Rasika has performed at various prestigious festivals such as Kalaghoda Festival, Shaniwarwada Festival, Guru Pankaj Charan Das Utsav, Odissi International Art Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Institute in Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur Pustak Mahotsav and Delhi Odissi Utsav. Trained under Guru Maniktai Ambike and Yogini Gandhi, she gives performances in both Bharatnatyam and Odissi styles, solo as well as group. She is the founder of Akanksha Odissi Nrityalaya, Pune since July 2017 and has several choreographies to her credit.

This dance was followed by another performance, which depicted ‘Krushnarghya’ by youth sensation Samhita Panigrahi of Bhubaneswar. It is said dance is like poetry in motion and the performance of Samhita was indeed a testimony to this. Her deep and composite understanding of art was vividly reflected in her captivating expressions and movements towards devotion of Lord Krishna.

‘Sabse Tej Folk Dance of India’ Panthi dance of the famous Dinesh Jangde and troupe of Raipur was another attraction of the day. Masculine youngsters performed acrobatics and formed human pyramids on the beat of the rhythms. This dance relates to Satnami community of Chhattisgarh and bears religious overtones.

Performed on ‘Maghi Purnima’, the birth anniversary of their guru, Ghasidas, the dance evolves to include a variety of steps and patterns. The dancers dance around a Jaitkhamb set up for the occasion, to the songs eulogising their spiritual head. The songs also reflect the Nirvana philosophy, conveying the spirit of renunciation of their Guru and the teachings of saint poets like Kabir, Ramdas and Dadu. Dancers with bent torsos and swinging arms continue to dance till they get carried away by their devotion.

Dance ballet ‘Thia Puchi Naranga’ by the rural sports winners choreographed by Rina Rani Sahu and traditional song ‘Kumara Punei Janha Lo’ presented along with ‘Jahni Osha’ by renowned female singers of Odisha and West Bengal also captivated the audience with a sense of rich cultural tradition of Odisha.

Madhumaya Panigrahi Foundation has launched the initiative to give a fresh lease of life to the almost extinct traditional rural sports and simultaneously train the winners of the traditional rural sports competition to dance on the stage in tune with ‘Thia Puchi Naranga’, said its Founder Hrushikesh Panigrahi and Advisor Sudipta Panigrahi.

Sankha Nada by Sarat Mohapatra and troupe and ‘Jatayu-Ravana Yuddha’ of Ramleela by Shyamsundar Panigrahi and troupe added to the rich cultural touch.

Three youth achievers, Amresh Kumar Sahu of Deogarh and World Skill award winner on Renewable Energy, Raimati Ghiuria of Kundra in Koraput and Millet Queen of India and Asit Tripathy of Berhampur and acclaimed Bollywood playback singer, were

felicitated.