Bhubaneswar: The 1st Prabasi Nrutya Sangam program was held at Rabindra Mandap on 23rd and 24th December 2023 organised by the Directorate of Odisha Paribar in collaboration with Nritya Sadhana (USA) with support of Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra Odissi Research Centre, Bhubaneswar.
The inaugural event was held with the goodwill messages of both the Governor of Odisha Raghubar Das & Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The event was graced by the Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena, Sujata R Karthikeyan, Commissioner cum Secretary, Odia Language Literature and Culture; Special Secretary Madhususan Dash; Joint Director Subodh Chandra Acharya and Director Nrityasadhana ( USA ) Dr Tapasi Rath. Chief executive GKCM ORC welcomed the guests on the occasion. The dignitaries highlighted the importance of giving a platform to artists who carry forward the legacy of Odissi dance and embody the Odia spirit.
On this occasion, the artistes and gurus who have made lifetime contributions to the field of Odissi were also honoured with various awards.
The 1st Prabasi Nrutya Sangam Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Padmashree Kumkum Mohanty for her monumental contribution to Odissi dance. The award for International Icon was presented to Padmashree Aruna Mohanty and the award for Prabasi Nrutya Guru was presented to Jyoti Rout. Two awards were also presented to young talents for encouraging them in their pursuit of Odissi dance.
Tapasya Ray, a student of Nrityasadhana from USA was given the Prabasi Yuva Pratibha Award and Preetisha Mohapatra from Odisha was awarded the Yuva Award.
The event witnessed scintillating performances by noted exponents of Odissi and their dance groups. Jodi Sankha troupe from Narendrapur and the Gotipua group from Brahmagiri also performed in the festival.
