Bhubaneswar: After the magnificent opening evening with the captivating Odissi performance by Smt. Sujata Mohapatra and Sushree Preetisha Mohapatra, who presented the profound tale of Satyakāma Jābāla- the story of a mother teaching her son that honesty is not something to be ashamed of, leaving an indelible impression on the audience; and Smt. Bimbavati Devi and her troupe, Manipuri Nartanalaya’s enthralling Manipuri dance presentation Devatmayee. The Soul of the Gods, the second day of the 31st Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (GKCM) Award Festival 2025 continued to create a profound impact on the listeners with its promised auditory feast for music lovers.
The second evening commenced with the lighting of the lamp by distinguished guests Shri Sudhi Ranjan Mishra, Head Corporate Affairs, Paradeep Phosphate Limited; Swamy Satya Chaitanya, Director Operation, Sri Sri University; Shri Baboo Panigrahi, Eminent Singer and Guru Ratikant Mohapatra,Director, Srjan, formally marking the opening of another evening of artistic excellence at this prestigious festival that continues to uphold the tenets of classicism in modern times.
The programme commenced with a Hindustani vocal recital by Shri Kumar Mardur, eminent Hindustani vocalist from Dharwad whose vast repertoire spans Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, Bhajans, Kannada DaasSahitya, and Bhavageete, encompassing both technical precision and melodic expression. He was accompanied on the live orchestra byShriAmitavaSen on Tabla;Shri Akash Biswal on Harmonium; and Shri Pawankumar Chaubey on Vocal Support. The melodic unity of the accompanists created a harmonious foundation that allowed the Shri Kumar Mardur’s artistry to flourish, as he beautifully blendedthe Kirana, Gwalior, and Jaipur gharanasto showcase his versatility.
The second recital for the evening featured the celebrated Carnatic Mandolin duo, Mandolin UP Raju and U Nagamani, whose mastery transformed the evening into a cohesive musical dialogue. Ably accompanied by Shri K. Sekar on Thavil and Dr. S. Karthick on Ghatam, their consummate understanding of ragas and talas, combined with their ability to weave melodic conversations created moments of pure musical harmony.Their synergy demonstrated the harmonic richness that a confluence of musical instruments can bring to a soulful recital.
As the festival approaches its half-way mark, the third evening will again witness dance performances featuring Shri Samrat Dutta and Shri Santanu Roy, the versatile Bharatanatyam Guru-Shishya duo from Kolkata, who will present Dashamahavidya. This will be followed by a group Odissi presentation by Smt. Chinmayee Dwaraknath and the Temple of Fine Arts, Coimbatore.
Srjan benefits from valuable institutional collaboration with Sri Sri University (SSU). The 31stGKCM Award Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Department of Odia Literature Language and Culture, Government of Odisha. The festival has benefited greatly from the CSR initiatives of MGM Minerals Ltd., Crown Worldwide Group, and Shalimar’s® Shalimar Chemical Works Pvt. Ltd., Odisha Mining Corporation Limited (OMC), and Ruchi™ Foodline. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) serves as the Silver Sponsor for the Award Festival.Other festival sponsors include National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), Shalimar’s® Coconut Oil, State Bank of India (SBI), Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Limited (IMFA), Paradeep Phosphates Limited (PPL), Priyadarshini, and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL). The Royale Midtown Hotel serves as their hospitality partner. Dharitri and Orissa Post, along with Narthaki.com, continue as media partners and web partner respectively.
The artistes of the festival are aided by the brilliant light designing of Shri Debiprasad Mishra and Shri Dhilip Kumar, and the meticulous sound engineering of Shri C. Anand Krishna and Shri Bharath Krishna. The entire festival has been curated, conceptualized, and designed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, with the programme execution by Shri Debi
