Captivating Performances by Renowned Dancers and Musicians Mark the Opening Night of the 33rd Nrutyanjali Festival
Guru Keshab Raut and Minakshi Behera Honored with Nrityanjali Awards
Bhubaneswar: “Nrityanjali” is a long-standing institution that has been promoting and popularizing Odissi dance, music, and theatre globally for the last 33 years while nurturing thousands of artists. Dedicated to Lord Jagannath’s beloved Mahari dance tradition, Nrityanjali has tirelessly worked to preserve and promote the globally renowned Odissi art form.
The 33rd annual Nrityanjali Festival and Awards Ceremony commenced today with its inaugural session held at Rabindra Mandap. The first session began at 10 a.m., featuring performances by over 200 emerging and established Odissi dancers, including solo, duet, and group presentations throughout the morning and afternoon.
During the evening session, which included award presentations and felicitation ceremonies, distinguished guests such as Hon’ble Speaker Smt. Surama Padhy, Ekamra MLA Mr. Singh, renowned dance guru Padma Shri Durga Charan Ranbir, News7 Editor Deb Narayan Sethi, educationist and social worker Dr. Purnachandra Mallick, Nrutyanjali Chairman Guru Sukanta Kumar Kundu, and Secretary Guru Pushparanjan Mangaraj were present and honored the awardees.
On this occasion, in recognition of their lifelong dedication and contribution to the arts, renowned dance guru Minakshi Behera was presented with the Nrityanjali Dance Award 2025**, and Guru Keshab Charan Raut received the Nrityanjali Sangeet Award 2025**.
During the morning session, dignitaries such as Dr. Bishwanath Patnaik, MD of Padma Hospital, Prof. Sushanta Kumar Das from Indrakala Sangeet University (Chhattisgarh), senior journalist Sandeep Jena, and senior advocate Debashis Mishra were also present and graced the inaugural event.
The evening session featured mesmerizing Odissi performances including Mahari dance by Gayatri Khuntia, Solo performances by Bhavana Bhagabati and Adyasha Patra
Odissi recital by Bidisha Basu Mallik, Group performance by children from **Biraja Kala Academy under the direction of Guru Sasmita Panda, Shubhashree Mahapatra** of Nrityanjali also gave a captivating performance
Throughout different phases of the event, students from Nrityanjali, Bharati Nrutya Mandir, Nrutyayan, and disciples of acclaimed gurus like Pushparanjan Mangaraj, Bharat Giri, Mita Das, Dr. Sonali Sabat, and Gayatri Ranbir showcased their talents through various classical dance pieces.