News & Notes
Sraddhanjali to Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra

a tribute to the Odissi legend guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sweta Dance Academy, spearheaded by Odissi dancer Saswati Sarkar, organised an assorted offering of Indian classical dances titled, Guru Charane Nibedan at the Gyan Manch, Kolkata. Opening with the ritualistic mangalacharan and then Megh pallavi by the dancers of the academy, Saswati Sarkar, a seasoned performer and the artistic director of the academy took the stage with an impressive Dekho go sakhi, Radha Madhava chaali. The solo by Saswati was a lovely poet Banamali number on chandan jatra set to a traditional tune, grace and clarity of movement. The academy dancers and Saswati concluded with a taal Jhampa based Dasavatar with devotional involvement.
The destruction of the tyrannical authority of Hiranyakasipu and the tearing of his chest by the Nrisimha avatar of Vishnu (portrayed by Saswati) appealed to the audience. At the rise of the curtain, the spectators were awed at the indefinable relationship of the magnificence of the frieze of the distinguished Odissi dancer Sujata Mohapatra, with a bow and arrow, as the stately idol of Lord Rama at the centre of the stage. She was ready for the Ramayana, composed by her guru and father-in-law, the legendary Kelucharan Mohapatra, set to Bhubaneswar Mishra’s music. As if in the shrine, the stance produced a sense of dreamy wonder.
One of the masterpieces of Kelubabu seen time and again, it is a favourite amongst dance lovers and occupies a special place. Sujata’s performance began with the wedding of Rama and Seeta, their “banavas” (exile), the abduction of Seeta, and finally, Jatayu moksha (salvation of the golden bird Jatayu). The exotic qualities of the episodes conformed to the etiquette of time and place. To the natural grace, Sujata added an inordinate fondness for distinction in the multiple roles she steered spontaneously with the facility of her expressions. Her opening step unfolded with a sense of proud elegance, and the body was in serene relaxation accompanied by perfection of equilibrium. Technical and mechanical virtuosity apart, the striking classicism sought a complete knowledge of the idiom by immersing into the sub-variations of the grammar of dance and music—the swagger of Ravana in terrorising Seeta being unforgettable. Asimbandhu Bhattacharya, an acclaimed senior dancer of the city, began to interpret life’s journey and its coalescence with the destination, to complete a cycle in Parikrama. Together with two fine male dancers of Upasana Centre for Dance, the nritta-based item covered a choreographic stenography comprising rigorous footwork, chakkars, and nuances with a variety of tala patterns. The piece displayed Performance by dancers from Sweta Dance Academy Saswati Sarkar Sujata Mohapatra.
The annual two-day dance and music festival 2022, together with the 12th and 14th Rasheswar Saikia Barbayan Sattriya Award Ceremony, 2020 and 2022, was organised by the prestigious Sattriya Institution Sangeet Sattra, at the Sri Sri Madhabdeva International Auditorium, Guwahati. The founder and principal of Sangeet Sattra, the erstwhile Muktiar of Kamalabari Sattra (monastery), Rasheswar Saikia Barbayan, was a crusader of Sattriya. With a pioneering mind on whose sagacity of the sattra tradition and visionary insights rested, the future course of the Sattriya culture includes Sattriya dance, devotional ragabased songs (Borgeet) and drama (Ankiya Nat or Bhaona). Untiring efforts of Rasheswar Saikia and other intellectuals, with the persistence of the great scholar, Professor Maheswar Neog, led a movement championing the cause of this art form which was confined within the bhakats (devotees) in the sattras for worship to their deity, by imparting their knowledge of music and dance to dance lovers outside.
Rasheswar Saikia Barbayan displayed a revolutionary initiative and took a bold step forward to teach women the dance form for which he was expelled from the sattra. And this was a boon in disguise. The dance world in Assam, in the country and outside are indebted to Rasheswar Saikia Barbayan for bringing the intricate form of classical dance, possessing some rare qualities of its own, based on some principles of Natya Sastra, from the Kamalabari Sattra, for the first time to the world outside. He was the main person behind the establishment of the pioneer institution Sangeet Sattra, where Sattriya dance and music are practised and taught as an art form with a stipulated curriculum without ignoring its core devotional aspect. His unstinted dedication and persuasion was also motive for getting a classical status for the dance form. The seed in the form of Sangeet Sattra that he had sown has been nurtured with great care by two of his dancer-daughters, Ranjumoni Saikia and Rinjumoni Saikia, blossomed and flourished with more than 280 centres all around Assam and several others abroad. As a mark of respect for this great maestro, an award was instilled in 2009 by a group of art lovers of Assam.
From 2013, Sangeet Sattra continued the coveted award presentation to persons who contributed immensely to the development of Sattriya and Indian art and culture traditions. Annual festival of dance and music by sangeet sattra 2022 skill and power, but the theme appeared blurred. An all-female Amir Khushro number, Eri sakhi morey piya ghar aye, often sung as a qawwali, was enjoyable but needed a performance space for a better appeal. Sakhya Prem, in the Manipuri idiom, saw a sunlit performance by a group of female dancers of Sruti Performing Troupe groomed by Sruti Banerjee. A popular composition of guru Bipin Singh based on Goshtoleela, the childhood pranks of Sree Krishna, had been rearranged for the occasion covering ‘nanichuri’ and ‘kendukakhel’ (ball game) and ‘Kaliyadaman’ (killing of the snake Kaliya).
A neat presentation by the
trained dancers with bright yellow
costumes and mellifluous music by
M. Theiba Singh received immediate
attention and audience appreciation.
The costume of the ‘uncommon’
Kaliya needs special mention.
And, of course, she was anything
but frightful and looked like a
sweet toy!
The programme concluded with the
oft-seen Choodamani Pradan from
the episode of Ramayana where Seeta
gives Hanuman her ornament from
her head to provide to Rama as proof
of his devotee meeting her. Performed
by two seasoned Odissi dancers,
Sayomita Dasgupta (as Seeta) and
Subikash Mukherjee as Hanuman in
Ratikant Mohapatra’s choreography,
this piece truly captured the theatre
and dramatic flavour, blended with
good dancing