Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra awards announced

Bhubaneswar, Sep 2 (UNI) The prestigious Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra awards have been announced here today.

Eminent Odissi Guru Hare Krishna Behera, theatre artiste Brundaban Patra, Odissi music exponent Nilamadhab Panigrahi and renowned Oriya film actor and director Sarat Chandra Pujari have been choosen for the awards this year for their outstanding contribution in the field of their excellence.

Instituted by Srijan 13 years ago to generate fellow feeling among the artiste fraternity, the award carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000 and a citation for each awardee.

Srjan Director Ratikanta Mohapatra told newspersons that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik would present the awards on the concluding day of a three-day cultural function at Bhubaneswar on September 16.

He said the awardees were chosen by a five-member jury from the fields of music, theatre, cinema, dance and media.

State Culture Minister Suryanarayan Patra is scheduled to inaugurate the three-day cultural extravaganza on September 14.

Besides Mr Patra, Tourism and Excise Minister Debi Prasad Misra, West Bengal Dance Group Federation General Secretary Aditya Mitra and Nalco Executive Director D N Swain will grace the occasion.

Eminent artistes are also scheduled to perform Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak and Dhrupad dance recitals, santoor and flute jugalbandi to entertain the people during the function.

On the concluding day, Guru Ratikanta Mohapatra and the Kelucharan gharana group will present an innovative Odissi dance recital on ''OMM''.

UNI