Mukteswar Dance Festival 2026 concludes with spectacular show of Odissi dance

Bhubaneswar : The three-day Mukteswar Dance Festival organized by Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department, Government of Odisha in association with Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi at the magnificent Mukteswar Temple ended with spellbinding performances of Odissi by renowned Odissi dancers of national and international repute showcasing the varied items of Odissi repertoire.

It was as if the dancing damsels coming alive out of the 10th century AD monument Mukteswar Temple, indisputably one of the most refined and beautiful temples of Odisha.

The evening’s programme was started after lighting the lamp by Prof. Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi, Eminent Odissi Dancer & Former VC, Sambalpur University; Smt. Kum Kum Mohanty, Eminent Odissi Dancer; Guru Dr. Aruna Mohanty, Eminent Odissi Dancer & Secretary, Orissa Dance Academy; Dr. Bijay Ketan Upadhyay Secretary, Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department; Shri Deba Prasad Dash, Special Secretary, Odia Language, Literature, Culture; Dr. Chandrasekhar Hota, Secretary, Odisha Sangita Natak Akademi.

The first programme of the evening was the Chorus in honour of Lord Shiva eulogizing the glory of Lord Shiva presented by the student of Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneswar. Renowned Odissi dancer Lucky Prajna Pratisthita Mohanty started his programme with Kalabati Pallavi set to Rag- Kalabati and Taal- Jhampa.

The dance composed by Guru Padmashree Kumkum Mohanty and music composed by Pandit Damodor Hota followed by Abhinaya – Mana Sumana set to Raag-Khamaj and Taal-Rupak.

In duet Sayani Chakraborty & Shubham Kumar Ojha presented Shivamdhimayee was a dance tribute to the Lord Shiva followed by Sakhi Gopinath reflects the sacred bond between the devotee and the divinity.

The dance was choreographed by Guru Dr. Aruna Mohanty. The concluding presentation of concluding evening was a Group Odissi presentation by the students of Odissi Dance Creation led by Guru Pankaj Kumar Pradhan.

Their first item was Bisweswar Vandana, the auspicious Mangalacharan is an invocation that sanctifies space, body and breath followed by Madhyamadi Pallavi unfolds as a luminous architecture of pure dance, set to the resonant contours of Raga Madhyamadi. Their last item was sacred verses of Jayadeva’s Astapadi (Gita Govinda), Chandana Charchita.

The music composed by Guru Srinibash Satpathy, rhythm composed by Guru Bijay Kumar Barik and the dance choreographed by Guru Pankaj Kumar Pradhan. The programme was anchored by Dr. Srinibas Ghatuary and Dr. Nazia Alam.