Chronicle Reporter, Bhopal
Annual celebration of Utkal Samaj, the non-resident Oria community in the city, was organized in a grand way in the city recently.
Classical Odissi performances were the highlight of the event, which held the audience spellbound at Ravindra Bhawan.
The 11th edition of the celebration was in collaboration with state department of culture. Utkal Diwas primarily celebrated the formation of a politically separate state under the British Raj on a linguistic basis on April 1, 1936.
The evening kicked off with a rapturous Shiva Stuti, only to be furthered with more presentations dedicated to the Lord Shiva and an episode of Sita Haran from Ramayana. The presentations were from a Mumbai based Odissi group.
Pallavi, which is an integral part of all performances across cities for Odissi dancers, was also showcased. It was the Shiva Tandava, however, that stole the spotlight by being a visual and stimulating experience for the viewers as dancers showed the lord’s rage.
What started as just a community gathering back in the 90s has now become a full fledged celebration in the city. “It is almost like a festival for us now, where we meet-greet and celebrate our culture like a festival” said organiser S S Das.