From Kalinga’s Past to Present, Dhauli Festival Reaffirms Peace Through Performance

The 22nd Dhauli Kalinga Mahotsav unfolded at Shanti Vihar in the foothills of Dhauli, Bhubaneswar, from February 6 to 8, organized by Odisha’s Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department alongside Orissa Dance Academy, with Art Vision’s collaboration and support from the state Ministries of Culture and Tourism. Rooted in the historic Kalinga War site where Emperor Ashoka renounced violence for Buddhism, this annual event merges classical, folk, and martial arts to champion peace, compassion, and India’s “unity in diversity,” drawing over 300 artists and thousands of spectators against the iconic Dhauli Peace Pagoda backdrop.

Launched in 2004 by Odisha Dance Academy founder Guru Gangadhar Pradhan as Dhauli Mahotsav, it fused in 2011 with Ileana Citaristi’s Kalinga Mahotsav (started 2003), emphasizing martial dances that honor peace’s triumph over war at Dhauli Shanti Stupa by the Daya River. Now a national platform, it preserves heritage, boosts tourism, educates youth on performing arts, and spotlights Odisha’s Buddhist legacy while showcasing pan-Indian traditions. The 2026 edition, graced by dignitaries like Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, reinforced cultural harmony amid global media coverage. Debamitra Sengupta, disciple of Kelucharan Mohapatra, led Kolkata’s Mayur Lalit Dance Academy in opening with Snehamayee Ganga, an Odissi narrative tracing the Ganges from Puranic origins (Valmiki Ramayana, Brahma Purana), its civilizational cradle, modern pollution woes, to a pledge for restoration—conceptualized by Sengupta, scripted by Sakti Roy Chowdhury, overseen by Nityananda Misra.

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The vast theme, conveyed through Odissi’s gestural elegance with props-not needed to be used in traditional forms where gesture language is more than sufficient to express every thought with clarity; promised timeless beauty; rich music complemented performers like Ambika Roy, Poulami Nag, Rohini Yadav, Aditi Bose, Snigdha Majumder, Pragya Sen, Shreya Banerjee, Prateeti Mukhopadhyay, Aheli Mukherjee, Debasmita Mullick, Sheersha Banerjee, and Sumon Sengupta. Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, founded April 14, 1964, by Biju Pattanaik under Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, followed with Sri Jagannath Astakam by Adi Shankaracharya, exalting Lord Jagannath—Odia culture’s soul—in eight stanzas.

Their Shakti evoked the dynamic feminine energy (Mahakali, Shyamangi, Shyama Ghatitam, Jagadhatri) to whom Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh bow; choreographed by Gurus Lingaraj and Pankaj Kumar Pradhan to Bijay Kumar Jena and Barik’s music and rhythms, dancers Tanuj Kumar Panda, Sayta Prakash Mallick, Basistha Kumar Jena, Dipti Prakash Champati, Sampurna Indu Pani, Sanjana Gouda, Aeious Gunaprava, and Aradhana Dash brought mythological vitality alive. DYNAMIC CHHAU DISPLAYS. Purulia’s Kalipada Chhau Nritya Samity, under 27-year veteran Susanta Mahato (UNESCO-listed form), staged Mahishasura Badha: Durga’s cosmic battle against arrogant demon Mahishasura, with masked stomps, leaps, somersaults, dramatic expressions, and music from folk reed pipes/drums symbolizing good’s victory.

Artists Susanta Mahato, Mantulal Rajwar, Asim Patar, Kartik Rajwar, Nitai Rajwar, Prabhas Mahato, Barun Mahato, Krishna Karmakar, Ghaltu Roy, Sahadeb Badyakar, Bibek Bouri, Jharu Gope, Goutam Mahato, and Sunil Roy embodied rhythmic bravery. Mayurbhanj’s maskless Nichuapada Uttarsahi Chhau Nritya Pratisthan presented Shadaripu, philosophically dissecting mind’s foes—Kama (desire), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Mada (ego), Moha (attachment), Matsarya (jealousy)—that chain the soul, advocating mastery for moksha via acrobatics and circular jumps. Dancers Haripada Mohanta, Pitambar Mohanta, Durga Charan Mohanta, Satyajit Tipiria, Bijay Kumar Bindhani, Ashok Baitha, Akshay Kumar Mohanta, Ajit Bindhani, Samir Bindhani, Girija Sankar Bindhani, Sanjay Bindhani, Bhabani Shankar Mohanta, Kailash Patra, Laltu Mohanta, Bechna Mohanta, Nageswar Si, Ashok Kumar Mohanta, and Sachina Dhada schooled audiences on inner peace.

Kolkata’s Arupa Lahiry (trained under Chitra Visweswaran), researcher and strategist, offered 30-minute Pravaha on spiritual-physical flow: Anjali (Hamsadhwani raga, Adi tala) as water motion; Ganga kavutvam evoking devotee euphoria; her choreography Meenakshi Pancharatnam (Raga Malika by Sudha Raghuraman) on Devi’s eyes (grace/destruction), dancing feet, Ardhanarishwara kundalini rise, myriad forms (Bhavani to Kali), and nada-swarupini realization—body as temple. Performers Arupa Lahiry, Soma Mondal, Deedhita Singha, Sangita Banerjee, Mayuri Shom, Atasi Karmakar, Shradhasree Brahmo, Nilay Mandal shone across banis, illuminated by Milind Srivastava’s lights.

Souvik Chakraborty’s Nrityadisha (Kolkata) evoked Raag Sang Ragini (Ek Taal): raag as masculine structure, ragini as feminine grace, their Purusha-Prakriti/Shiva-Shakti union transcending notes for soul-stirring contrast. Disciples Sayeri Ghosh, Poulami Basak, Aadita Sinha, Priyanka Paul, Tiyasha Dey, Sucharita Pal, Sharanya Rana, and Chakraborty (Pt. Birju Maharaj disciple) excelled; Darbari (Teen Taal, Raga Darbari) added ladi, tehai, paran, tukda from Kathak repertoire. Orissa Dance Academy (1975, Guru Gangadhar Pradhan; now Dr. Aruna Mohanty) dazzled with Patha Rajapatha, fusing classical-folk-contemporary: from tribal Nilamadhava/Vishwakarma craftsmanship to Dravida-Nagara-Kalinga temples, honouring rivers/land/people as civilization architects, culminating in Vibiddha Varna celebrating India’s legacy (script Kedar Misra; inputs Anitha Guha, Gauri Divakar).

Stellar ensemble—Shreepunya, Sandhya, Sayani, Suprava, Abhipsita, Srutilekha, Nibedita , Tanisha, Swananda, Akanksha, Ritika, Ayushi, Pragyan, Ananya, Satyabhama, Monali, Sangeeta, Swati, Jyotirmayee, Swagatika, Madhusmita, Amrutalagna, Sulagna, Simran, Shibani, Omm Rani, Shomiya, Vabya, Roop Ratan, Archeeta, Saishree, Sayoni, Shraddha, Manisikha, Nidhyati, Aradhya, Saanvi, Sanaya, Aadyasha, Chinmay, Diptiranjan, Himansu, Shubham, Bhimsen, Binayak, Chintamani, Biswajit, Abhiram, Purnendu, Umashankar, Subrat, Aman, Ratikanta—romped in Pradhan-Mohanty enriched Odissi, an anthropological spectacle.

Thrissur’s Navaneetham Cultural Trust, led by 37-year Kalaripayattu maestro Belraj Soni (trained under Sankara Narayana Menon, Chundayil Viswanathan Gurukkal), reinterpreted Ramayana’s Sita as empowered warrior: earth-born princess with slum-girl Samichi under Jatayu’s tutelage; ruling Mithila, facing Ravana, wedding Rama, exile clashes with Shurpanakha, abduction, fiery Lanka duel ending in betrayal—merging martial arts, Bharatanatyam (Rutuja Mairn), Kathakali (Sujith K.S., Kalamandalam Ashik), Kathak (Vinita Venugopal), Kalaripayattu (Prajil Kumar, Dilna Sreedhar), Mohiniyattam (Kalamandalam Krishna), lights (Shymon Chelad). This bold “what if Sita wasn’t docile pativrata?” resonates with youth craving powerful heroines.

THE WRITER IS A VETERAN CRITIC OF PERFORMING ARTS