The 14th Dhauli Kalinga Mahotsav, which was being held jointly by the Tourism Department, Orissa Dance Akademi and Art Vision, at Dhauli on the city outskirts concluded on Sunday.
Dances like Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odishi and many other forms were presented by noted artists on the valedictory evening, leaving the connoisseurs mesmerized. Lake the previous year, the ‘Ruchi Buddha Samman’ was presented to iconic cultural personality Padma Bibhushan Dr Sonal Mansingh this year.
At the beginning of the programme, Skill Development Authority of Odisha Chairman Subroto Bagchi recited a poem. Then, Kathak dance with a theme on the Ganges was presented by Vidha Lal and Group.
An Odissi dance was performed by the students of Orissa Dance Academy, Bhubaneswar. Their presentation was Ahimsa- An Ode to the father of the Nation. The last presentation was a contemporary dance presented by Madhu Nataraj and Group. They presented an item “AIKYAM- Invoking Equipoise”.
The dignitaries who graced the occasion include Odissi exponents Minati Mishra, Sambalpur University former VC Dr Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi, former Member Board of Revenue Ashok Kumar Tripathy, Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Secretary Dr Kamalakanta Mishra, Tourism Director Dr Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, Orissa Dance Academy president Satyananda Mishra, Guru Aruna Mohanty and Guru Ileana Citaristi graced as guests. The programme was compared by Dr Srinibas Ghatuari and Meghna Das.