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Articles by Kedar Mishra
A Multitude Of Worlds Within A World: Jagannath Panda’s 'The Long Now Of Us'
As I stepped out of the Regional Centre of Lalit Kala Akademi in Bhubaneswar on February 27, my mind overflowed with images, colour palettes, metaphors, forms, frames, and a narrative without beginning or end. It was chaotic yet profoundly still—crowded, yet silent as a cold iron rod. So many elements, such depth, yet a single, delicately woven story alive with countless characters. I had come to see the solo exhibition of veteran Indian artist Jagannath Panda, titled ‘The Long Now of Us’.
Ravana Chhaya, Odisha's Poetic Shadow Narrative Precursor To Motion Pictures
The transformation of the bioscope into modern motion pictures is recent, with the Lumière Brothers screening their first film in Paris on December 28, 1895. Yet Odisha boasts an indigenous precursor to cinema in shadow puppetry, an ancient art form as old as the region’s early civilisation. Odisha holds the unique distinction in Indian as the state preserving all four traditional puppetry forms: glove, string, rod, and shadow.
Durbar: First Overtly Political Poem On 'Red Turban's Terror' In Odia Literature
Before 1894, Odisha had no established tradition of political poetry. While a few poems may have contained implicit political references, it was never a central or dominant source of inspiration in Odia verse. In an era when poetry and politics kept a considerable distance from each other, it is striking that a bureaucrat in the British colonial administration would choose to compose an explicitly political work.
Voice Of The Voiceless: Odisha Saint-Poet Bhima Bhoi's Radical Reimagining Of Indian Spirituality
Bhima Bhoi (1850–1895), a saint-poet, mystic, and social reformer from Odisha, is one of the most remarkable figures in Indian literary and spiritual history. Born into a marginalized Kondh (Khond) tribal family in the Rairakhol region (likely Jatasingha village in Sonepur district, though nearly half a dozen villages in the Rairakhol-Birmaharajpur area claim to be his birthplace), he rose from abject poverty and social exclusion.
Beyond the Spotlight: How Odisha's Chandrabhaga Poetry Festival Keeps Poetry Pure & Independent
Puri: For over a decade, a committed circle of poets from across India and the world has converged annually on the tranquil banks of Odisha’s Chandrabhaga river, in the shadow of the iconic Konark Sun Temple—a monument where poetry seems eternally etched in stone. In an era when literary festivals have proliferated like mass-market products, endlessly pursuing sponsors, celebrity draw, and commercial success, this gathering remains distinctly different.
Centenary Tribute: How Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Transformed Odissi Into Living Temple Sculpture
Renowned physicist Fritjof Capra, author of ‘The Tao of Physics’, described witnessing Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s performance alongside disciple Sanjukta Panigrahi in Mumbai in 1980 as a transcendent experience: “To see this oddly beautiful old man float across the stage on swirling, twisting, flowing movements, the candles flickering all about him, was an unforgettable experience of magic and ritual.
Konark Festival : Grand Finale With Grandeur Of Odissi & Kathak - odishabytes
Konark: Hamsadhwani or the sound of the Swan is basically a Carnatic raaga but subsequently has been adopted by both Hindustani and Odissi streams of music as their own. In Odissi context, a pure dance ‘Pallavi’ composition based on Raaga Hamsadhwani by two of our legends Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and Pandit Bhubaneswar Mishra back in 1970s made it a part of Odisha’s cultural life. The last evening of the Konark Festival 2023 came alive with the celestial sound of that musical Swan.
Fourth Evening Of Konark Festival 2023: Panorama Of Grace & Elegance In Mohiniattam
They spontaneously swing like branches of coconut trees with the touch of gentle breeze. Their storytelling ability is not limited to their body movements alone, but mostly it is nuanced. Mohiniattam is all about the graceful swing of the body, the mind and the soul. Pallavi Krishnan, renowned Mohiniattam exponent with her group from Kerala arrived on stage with grace, elegance and beauty.
Third Evening Of Konark Festival 2023: Exploring The Idea Of Silence And Slowness
Janasammohini, which literally means enchanting the masses is the name of a Pallavi. It had a spell of its own on the third evening of the Konark Festival 2023. Intricate taal patterns and flawless execution of rhythmic tempo made this choreography a very communicative one. After the first couple of disappointing Odissi performances, Rojalin Mahapatra’s Bhubaneswar-based Odissi group Devadasi, ensured rapturous end.
Exuberant Kuchipudi And Timid Odissi: Second Evening Of Konark Festival 2023 - odishabytes
An open-air auditorium is jammed with thousands of spectators and imagine what they are watching? In the magnificent backdrop of Konark, the epitome of Odishan architecture, Indian classical dancers are performing Kuchipudi and Odissi, and this joyful audience is gathered and cheering them there. That’s the magic of the Konark Festival in Odisha. Here people don’t come to watch any Bollywood show but to have a taste of real India.
First Day Of Konark Festival 2023: Bharatanatyam Steals The Show
This sounds obvious and predictable to write that the famous Konark Festival, the prime cultural event annually hosted by Odisha Tourism, has begun with a Soorya Stuti: an ovation to the Sun god. Well, that is needed, but there can also be a possibility to reimaging the beginning with some kind of out of box ideas. In Indian classical dance “out of box” is a bad word as it goes against the institution of tradition. Somehow tradition is not all about a confined space of cultural practices.
Odisha's Khageswar Seth: The Original Feminist
It was not a fancy stage, rather a simple meeting pedal, having no facilities of dramatic lights and sound and absolutely not a place to expect a quality theatre production. There, I had the opportunity to watch one of the finest folk plays of our time based on a rare poem written by the late Khageswar Seth, one of the pioneers of the Koshali language. I firmly believe that “Paerchha Sati”, literally “that pure woman” written by Seth is one of the greatest feminist poems in any language forever.
Odisha Artist Pratul Dash’s 'Bend In A River': Shaping A World Of Death And Devastation
Immediately after watching Pratul Dash’s new solo paintings exhibition titled “Bend in the River” in Bikaner House, New Delhi, my instant reaction was poetic. The dark and devastating images of a river bed evoke something inside my mind and I know not what it was exactly. Was it a sense of fear or a flash of awakening? Was it a discovery of our time or a whiteboard where all our memories become void? With his skillful strokes, Pratul creates a world of skulls, bones, nakedness, and greed.
A New City For Odissi
Since the day of its revival in 50s of last century, Odissi has travelled from temples of Odisha to the most advanced global stages across the world. Apart from its home ground, this dance form found practitioners and connoisseurs in cities like Kolakata, Mumbai and New Delhi. However, southern part of the country has somehow remained comparatively less enthusiastic to Odissi.
Jayanta Mahapatra, The Politics Of His Poetry
On August 8, Jayanta Mahapatra was sitting pretty on his hospital bed and happily released his last poetry book in Odia titled ‘Jhanji- the Sunstroke’. On the evening of August 27, he was gone forever. He was 95. In between his last book and death, there remained a long history of path-breaking poetry and an innocent question — who was the real Jayanta Mahapatra? The world knows him as one of the master craftsmen of Indo-English poetry, but all his life he wanted to be an Odia poet.
Colours Of Krishna: From The Mundane To The Divine
Blue is the colour of Krishna, but blue contains the colour of the ocean, which is endless and enchanting. From the single colour of a peacock feather to a riot of colours engulfing the heart of universe – that’s the consciousness of Krishna. In her new choreographic production ‘Colours of Krishna’, Madhulita Mohapatra, the Bengaluru-based Odissi dancer, creates a panoramic narrative of Krishna on the stage of ADA Rangamandir as part of 12th Naman Festival.
The Jengaburu Curse: Masterpiece With Odisha As Its Heart
When the last tree of the earth is gone, what will you do with your money and power? asks Priyambada Das, the protagonist of ‘The Jengaburu Curse’, a web series streaming on the OTT platform SonyLiv. Ferociously, Priyambada (brilliantly played by Faria Abdullah with her expressional intensity and unconventional acting skills) asks this question to a crooked mining mafia (portrayed by veteran `Nasser whose cold-faced acting has redefined the role of a villain).
'Ganjapa': The Game & The Art
The relationship between art and sports is not very close. While art is subtle and spiritual, sports are gross and largely concerned with physical energy. However, not all sports are limited to physical skills. There are many sports that only stimulate the brain and psychological strength. Indoor games such as Chess, Cards etc depend on mental strength and have subtle forms of brain power. As in the game of Cards, there are many new applications in the colours, lines and figures in its making.
Sweta Mukti, Feminine Glory Of Nirvana
Sweta Mukti is an intense search, a gripping journey into the compassionate world of womanhood. This is a long story of five women, divided into five short episodes and all five are dazzled with the aura of illumination and self-realization. Budhha, the supreme soul of enlightenment and greatest torch bearer of liberation for humanity is conceived, nurtured, loved, cared, challenged and charmed by these women.
Wounded Immortality: The Tale Of Ashwathama
He is blessed to never die, but he is also cursed to live death as an ever-growing wound on his forehead. His life is a line of curse which shall never be stopped. He is to suffer and cry in pain for a life which shall never meet death. He is immortal, but life is a betrayal for him. The vengeance and the violence make him a man of mean morality. He is Ashwathama, the chivalrous son of Guru Drona. He is a friend to the Kauravas and a dreaded enemy of the Pandavas.
Guru Pankaj Charan Das: The Pathfinder Of Odissi
Until now and forever he will be addressed as the Adi Guru or the first teacher of classical dance, Odissi. He was first among the famous triad of the dance form, who reshaped, rearranged and reintroduced Odissi. The famous troika – Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Deba Prasad Das and Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra – is in fact a combination of one plus two because the later duos were pupils of Guru Pankaj Charan Das. So always he was the first one, the father and the pathfinder.
Ravana Chhaya: Poetry Of The Shadow
The transformation of a bioscope into a motion picture is quite a recent phenomenon. Historically, the motion picture by Lumiere Brothers was first released in Paris on December 28, 1895. That is the one-liner history of cinema, but in Odisha, we had a desi version of motion pictures, which was as ancient as the first civilisation in Odisha. Odisha is known as the citadel of puppetry.
Balakrushna Dash: The Icon And The Iconoclast
Balakrushna Dash’s arrival in Odia music was iconic. As a young singer and composer, he started his career in Odia films with a golden mike. Whatever he composed or sang, was an instant hit. In his thirties, he was the most sought-after music composer in Odia cinema, Odissi dance and All India Radio. His voice was as deep as the Bay of Bengal and his tonal sweetness was as great as the water of Mahanadi. He was the first Odia superstar in the world of music.
Dance Spiritualism: The Tale Of Odissi
Odissi is one of the most ancient classical Indian dance forms dating back to the second century B.C. Odisha is the confluence of various socio-religious streams like Buddhism, Jainism, Tantricism and Vaishnavism in a broad time frame from the second century B.C. to the 21st century AD curved out the prevalent dance form of Odissi today, which gained international accolades, imbibed various socio-historical influences in its multi-folded existence.
Making Of Odissi: The Infighting And The Unity
Attacking Nehru’s minister Nityananda Kanungo inside the Lok Sabha for creating hindrances to recognise Odissi as a classical dance form was basically a consequence of infighting amongst the cultural icons of Odisha based in the city of Cuttack. There was a serious professional rivalry between two principal institutions: Kala Vikash Kendra led by Babulal Doshi and National Music Association led by Ramananda Kanunogo and Gobind Tej.
Making of Odissi: A Political Discourse
1956 to 1958 was the watershed moment for Odissi dance. The first couple of Odissi recital by Priyambada Mohanty drew extraordinary attention of dance critics and scholars in New Delhi. Celebrated art critic of national daily, The Statesman, Dr Charles Fabri wrote a historical line on the performance – There was a strikingly original Odissi dance by Kumari Priyambada Mohanty, obviously a born dancer – which in fact opened the door for Odissi and its future glory.
Political History Of Odissi Dance: Parliamentary Debate Of 1959
Odissi or Orissi? Odissi is a traditional dance or a classical one? Why is Sangeet Natak Akademi so slow in according Odissi the status of a classical dance of India? Why is the Government of India not giving due importance to the views of Kalicharan Patnaik, who is actually the pathfinder of Odissi dance? Would the minister like to go to watch Odissi dancer Indrani Rehman’s recital in the Sapru House on that day?
Odisha's Pashu Mukha Nrutya Deserves Respectful Revival
The ancient cannibal spirit of nature has found a personification in the animal mask dance of Ghumusar of Southern Odisha. Ghumusar, is a princely state infamously chronicled by colonial administrators as the prime seat for the evil practice of human sacrifice.
The Question Of Caste In Odissi Dance
A debate is on at the national level on “implicit and explicit casteism” in the classical dance scenario of India. The question of “implicit and explicit casteism” needs an answer from all the stakeholders of classical dance. In the era of constitutional democracy and social justice, no art form can stick to its traditional approach to caste and class. A hegemonic tradition, how far pure or divine it may be, shall definitely be countered with democratic logic and that’s happening now.
How Can We Decode 'Pure Dance'?
At a dance seminar that I attended recently, leading Odissi dancers were discussing something called ‘pure dance.’ Those who are well-versed in Indian classical dance or have some knowledge about it, know the term ‘pure dance’ which does not go with lyrical representation or theatrical action.
For Sasi| Countercurrents
Farewell to Sasi etta, brother K.P. Sasi 27/12/2022 — Satya Sagar Share:Share on WhatsAppShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on TelegramShare on RedditShare on Email Our beloved K.P.Sasi is no more. Filmmaker, cartoonist, writer, mentor, friend and above all tireless activist championing the cause of every underdog, Sasi breathed his last, mid-afternoon this Christmas day – after battling a medical condition for months. I remember the last time I met him, almost[Read More…]
Konark Festival 2022 Finale: New Promise In Odissi
The curtains came down on Konark Festival 2022 with an energetic Odissi and deeply moving Kuchipudi recitals on December 5. While the Odissi segment was led by a young and promising composer Pravat Kumar Swain, Kuchipudi was presented under the tutelage of veteran Jaikishore Moshalikanti, a protégé of legendary Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam. Pravat and his group began their recital with a vivacious ‘Surya Stuti’.
Day 4 Of Konark Festival 2022: Magic & Mathematics
Dance is not all about rhythmic movements but also nuanced poses and meaningful pauses. The fourth evening of Konark Festival: 2022 began with a nuanced Bharatanatyam performance by well-groomed dancers of Spanda Dance Company led by one of the finest dancers and choreographers Leela Samson. The best part of Leela Samson’s choreography is the minimalistic approach and no-nonsense craftsmanship. Hardly one finds a step, a move or a pose which is out of context or unnecessary.
Day 3 Of Konark Festival 2022: Dance Of The Supreme God
The third evening of the Konark dance festival began with an ovation to the motherland. ‘Bharata Vandana’ by Odissi exponent from Kolkota Debamitra Sengupta and her group depicted the glory of Mother India on the Konark stage. They showed the magnificent Himalayas and unending waves of the ocean through their choreography. The literary input of this choreography came from Pt Nityanand Mishra.
Day 2 Of Konark Festival 2022: Twin Tales of Elegance & Electrifying Courage
It felt like a group of lotus being cradled by a gentle breeze. It was pure joy, grace and glory. It was divine yet humane. It was slowness all over the stage. Somehow, slowness can be deadly boring, if you fail to hear the music of silence imbibed in it. In the Manipuri dance style, slowness is the core aesthetic value and aesthetically designed slowness is the poetry of life and nature.
First Day of Konark Festival: A Dull And Disappointing Start
Against the majestic backdrop of the Sun Temple, the 33rd edition of Konark Dance Festival began on Thursday. The festival, considered to be one of the major cultural events of the country, has been hosting the best of choreographers and dancers in the field of Indian classical dance. Year after year, we have seen the most influential choreographers, presenting their work of creative innovations in front of the 13th-century architectural marvel which epitomises Odishan arts and culture.
Odia Literature Struggling To Stand By The People - odishabytes
When I started writing poetry in the late eighties, I confronted a vast tract of death and alienation. The poets of my time and my language were talking about something which was not at all familiar to my reality or imagination. Most of them were singing in unidentifiable tune and their images appeared too distant from my life. I found my own language to be absurd, meaningless and hard to crack. Our poets and writers were rich with awards, they had won laurels.
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival: A Magical Play Of 'Sur' And 'Taal'
The 28th edition of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival got concluded on September 9, with a dance ballet presentation by the host team ‘Srjan’. The five-day festival proved its worth once again to be the most sophisticated platform for Indian classical dance and music in Bhubaneswar. The festival itinerary of this year was a brilliant mix of young and veteran talent. The festival had four musical and three dance recitals.
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival, A Nostalgic Recollection Of Its 28-Year Journey
Today, the stage is all set for the 28th Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (GKCM) Award Festival at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar. 28 years ago this festival was started by none other than legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra himself. It upholds the legacy, vision and dreams of Guruji. As a lover of classical dance and music, this festival is the most awaited annual event for me. For the last 18 years, I have been witnessing this festival without fail.
'Naman', Celebrating The Humane Spirit In Dance
It was an unusual poetic ground. Poets belonging to different socio-cultural backgrounds and from diverse time zones make a common ideological space where humanity is celebrated as spirituality. What could be the poetic common ground amongst poets like Amir Khusrou (1253-1325) writing in Persian and Hindustani, Achyutananda Dasa (16th century) writing in Odia and Mirza Ghalib ( 1797-1869) writing in Urdu? Do they have any connection to the Vedic ideology of cosmic truth?
Heritage Cabinet 2017 Remains A Non-Starter To This Day
They said it was a historic day and indeed it was. For the first time, the Odisha state cabinet sat out of the capital city of Bhubaneswar, in the temple town of Puri. The date, December 26, 2017, coincided with the 20 years celebration of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the ruling party of Odisha for the last 22 years.
Raghunath Panigrahi: His Music & His Magic
Those who have not heard Raghunath Panigrahi singing on the stage certainly have missed something extraordinary in their life. The way he used to play Harmonium and sing, that itself was a spectacle of divinity. He never sings, he becomes a song- that was Raghunath Panigrahi for pure music lovers. He poured his soul into his songs.
Lets' Leave The Stars Alone & Worry More About Odia Film Industry's Survival
Our media says they are stars. Cameras follow them wherever they go and whatever they do. Our Desi paparazzi hunt them to get a distant shot or a sound bite. They pose like stars too. In a tiny city like Bhubaneswar, their stardom looks more funny than glittering. A film industry with an annual budget of less than Rs 5 crore can hardly produce a star. At best there can be actors of some repute. Their lives and livelihood are overrated, over projected and overhyped in media.
Bibhuti Pattnaik: The Story Of A Bestsellers Author Of Odisha
He taught us how to fall in love, deeply and relentlessly. He guided us to know the secret joy of storytelling through his immaculately crafted storylines. He was the only lush green pasture in our deserted youth. 70s and 80s of the last century were years of slowness and boredom. There he came into our lives like a love song. His characters were one amongst us. They looked like us yet lived in a distant land of dreams. That was the era of black and white television and the monotony of Sarkari Radio.
Gangs of Puri : Anatomy Of A Desi Gang War
They are peculiar in their appearance and utterance, but they are real. They do exist in flesh and blood. They walk carelessly carrying country-made guns in their back pockets in the dark lanes of a small temple town of Odisha. They can pray and kill with equal ease. Their violence is as normal as a cup of tea. They can be human butchers and servitors at the same time. They can use slang and Shlokas with the same spirit. They are crime masters in a temple city.
Making Of The Mahatma In Dance Dialect
I am not here to write a review of a dance festival. It has really become a cliché to talk about festivals, naming the dance productions and their details and mostly to be appreciative and a little bit of criticism. Nowadays, I choose my bit of interest and pick up what I love the most at a festival.
Odissi Music, The Dawn In The Horizon - odishabytes
Do we really need a “classical tag” to prove that Odissi music is fundamentally different from the other two major classical Indian musical forms; Hindustani and Carnatic? Is Odissi singing completely a different stream in its tonal representation and performing style? Is it a clone or blend of others or absolutely an original tradition of music?
'Prati Nayaka': When Aruna Mohanty Blended Odissi With Prahlada Nataka, Sahi Jata & Geeti Natya
He is not the hero, but always the opposite of it. In western aesthetics, he is called an anti-hero, but in Bharata Muni’s ‘Natya Shastra’ he is ‘Prati Nayaka’ or the proto-hero. He is the prime mover to establish the divine grace of the hero. Usually, in dance, drama and poetry we do celebrate the hero. Here I am to talk about a dance production where the opposite was celebrated. It’s a dance production titled ‘Prati Nayaka’ choreographed and presented by veteran Odissi dancer Aruna Mohanty.
Revolutionary Life & Legacy Of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra
“To see this oddly beautiful old man float across the stage on swirling, twisting, flowing movements, the candles flickering all about him, was an unforgettable experience of magic and ritual. I sat there spellbound, staring at Guruji as if he were some being from another world, a personification of archetypal movement,” wrote Fritjof Capra, the famous scientist-thinker, the celebrated writer of “Tao and Physics” in the appendix of his book, “Uncommon Wisdom”.
Sunanda Patnaik, A Life In Music
Once in an interview, she told me, “My boy, Sur is life herself! You can’t simply sing her, you need to live her”. True to her words, her music was a pure flow of life. She was passionate as an artiste and aggressive as a performer. Always she remained soaked in her passion. She lived music and died leaving a rich legacy of her extraordinary compositions. Timber in her voice was something out of this world. Her renditions are unusual and unique. She jumps from low notes to high notes like a tide.
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