30th August 2025, Bhubaneswar: Commemorating over three resplendent decades in their pursuit of artistic excellence, Srjan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Nrityabasa will host their 31st Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (GKCM) Award Festival 2025 from September 5–9, 2025 at Rabindra Mandap at 7 pm each day. The Award Festival has remained steadfast in adhering to its founding vision by the late maestro and Padma Vibhushan awardee Guru Shri Kelucharan Mohapatra to nurture and perpetuate profound appreciation for our invaluable heritage by celebrating the performing Arts at their best. A prominent highlight in the cultural calendar of Odisha, the prestigious Award Presentation ceremony takes place on the final evening following four nights of exceptional dance, music, and theatre performances, culminating with the finale by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra’s celebrated Srjan ensemble.
As always,on the concluding evening, Srjan presents the coveted lifetime achievement award to veterans of the classical universe for their immeasurable contributions to the Arts. This year, Smt. Madhavi Mudgal, distinguished Odissi dancer, Guru, choreographer, and Padma Shri awardee; and Shri Alekh Chandra Samal, eminent Odissi vocalist and music educator will be conferred with the Shalimar’s Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2025, accompanied by a prestigious sum of Rs. 1,00,000/- and a citation. The Shalimar’s Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Pratibha Samman 2025 with a cash award of Rs. 25,000/- and citation, recognizingtwo remarkable performing artists under the age of 40 years from the fields of classical dance and Odissi music will be bestowed upon Smt. Shatabdi Mallik for Odissi dance and Shri Muralidhar Swain for Odissi music. In a new introduction this year, Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, Director, Srjan has instituted the first Shalimar’s Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Kala Samman for established performing artistes from the fields of dance, music, and theatre, between 40–55 years of age for their noteworthy contributions and continued dedication to their Art forms. The Shalimar’s Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Kala Samman 2025, with a sum of Rs. 50,000/- and a citation will be awarded to Shri Raghunath Das and Shri Arnab Bandyopadhyay, both of whom have made a notable impact to the Odissi fraternity. In instituting this award, Guru Ratikant Mohapatra aimed to address the lacuna in recognising those committed and meritorious artistes who have matured over the years to become seasoned performers, teachers, and educators in their respective fields.
The inaugural evening of the Award Festival will commence with a much-awaited duet Odissi dance recital by the celebrated mother-daughter duo of Odissi dance, Smt. Sujata Mohapatra and Preetisha Mohapatra. They will present Satyakama Jabala, a testament to exemplary motherhood choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra. Day two will feature recitals by acclaimed artistes from the fields of Hindustani and Carnatic music. The first performance of the evening will be a Hindustani vocal recital by eminent singer Shri Kumar Mardur, who has drawn upon his influences from Kirana, Gwalior, and Jaipur gharanas to create a powerful gaayaki of his own. The audience may witness soulful renditions of Khayaal, Thumri, Dadra, Bhajans, Kannada Daas Sahitya, Vachana Sahitya, and Kannada Bhavageete. As the festival approaches its half-way mark, the audiences will again witness dance performances. Shri Samrat Dutta and Shri Santanu Roy, the versatile Bharatanatyam Guru-Shishya duo will present Dashamahavidya, a choreographic work of Shri Samrat Dutta portraying the ten forms of Parashakti from Tantra, depicting the journey of human life through varied emotions and stages, toward ultimate spiritual completeness. This will be followed by a group Odissi dance performance by Smt. Chinmayee Dwaraknath and the Temple of Fine Arts. They will present a bouquet of Odissi dance presentations including Vinayaka Smaraneand Shri Rama Bhajan, choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, and Mrutyujaya, a composition by Smt. Chinmayee Dwaraknath.
The penultimate evening will feature the only theatre performance of the festival, a performing Art that is intricately connected to the Odissi of today. Shri Nalini Nihar Nayak and the Newquest Repertory, a pioneering theatre organisation of Odisha that aims to resurrect the rich heritage of theatre, will present Byaghra Rohan, a satirical play about the destructive nature of hedonistic human beings who aim to tame a trapped tiger to prove their heroism, a desire that leads to disastrous consequences.
On the final evening, after the Award Ceremony, the Srjan ensemble will take stage and premiere the innovative choreography of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra—Duryodhana. Based on a concept by Dr. Srinibas Ghatuary and the script of Pt. Nityananda Misra, Duryodhana has been set to the music composition of Shri Rupak Kumar Parida, musical arrangement of the late Shri Tarakanta Panda, with the rhythm composition, music overview, and choreography of Guru Shri Ratikant Mohapatra. The Srjan ensemble’s sculpted and rigorously trained dancers will be aided by the brilliant light designing of Shri Debiprasad Mishra, as they continue their commitment towards preserving classical integrity under the visionary mentorship of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra.
Srjan benefits from the valuable institutional support of Sri Sri University, Cuttack. The 31st GKCM Award Festival is aided by the CSR Initiatives of MGM Minerals Ltd., Odisha Mining Corporation Limited (OMC), Shalimar’s Shalimar Chemical Works Pvt. Ltd., Ruchi Foodline. The festival is further supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Department of Odia Literature Language and Culture, Government of Odisha.The festival sponsors include State Bank of India (SBI), National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), Shalimar’s Coconut Oil, Paradeep Phosphates Limited (PPL), Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Ltd. (IMFA), and Priyadarshini Silks. The Royale Midtown Hotel is its hospitality partner. Dharitri and Orissa Post, and Narthaki.com are the media partners and web partner respectively. The festival is entirely curated, conceptualized, and designed by Ratikant Mohapatra, with program execution by Debiprasad Mishra.