Draupadi’s Mahabharata will be the highlight of Odissi festival, Naman

The 14th edition of Naman — an annual Odissi dance festival, curated and presented by Nrityantar Academy of Performing Arts, Bengaluru — will be held on August 24 (5 p.m.) at ADA Rangamandira at 5 p.m. 

Since its inception in 2010, Naman has been pay tribute to legendary gurus and practitioners of Odissi. ‘Naman’, means ‘salutation’, and the event brings together varied styles and schools of Odissi, offering a platform for traditional style and contemporary interpretations of the dance, says Madhulita Mohapatra, dancer-choreographer and founder of Nrityantar.

Madhulita Mohapatra
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Special Arrangement

This year’s line-up includesDraupadi’s Mahabharata, choreographed by Madhulita, will be presented by Nrityantar. “This is an emotionally-layered work that re-imagines Mahabharata through the eyes of Draupadi, exploring themes of justice, duty, dignity, resilience and the moral dilemmas that continue to speak to us today,” explains Madhulita. Music is by Rupak Kumar Parida, rhythm by Dhaneswar Swain and poetic contributions by Ashtavadhani Balachandra Bhat (Sanskrit) and Kedar Mishra (Odia).

Gajendra Panda
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Special Arrangement

This will be followed by a solo Odissi recital by Gajendra Panda — a leading exponent of Guru Debaprasad Das style of Odissi and the festival concludes with a performance by the Soor Mandir Dance Ensemble from Cuttack, directed by Jyotsna Sahoo.

The festival is open to all.