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Aruna Mohanty On How Dhauli Fest Has Been Spreading The Message of Peace





Aruna Mohanty On How Dhauli Fest Has Been Spreading The Message of Peace

For Aruna Mohanty, Odissi describes her whole existence, her being. She has not only dedicated herself to the majestic dance form, she has left no stone unturned in carrying forward the legacy of her Guru – Gangadhar Pradhan. She has been relentlessly working to make Dhauli-Kalinga Festival, started by her Guru, as one of the leading dance festivals in India. The annual festival which has already got underway, has attendance of many eminent artistes from across the country. To understand more about the Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav, My City Links interacted with festival director, Aruna Mohanty.Picture Courtesy: Seher

How much the Dhauli festival has progressed according to you since its inception?

It’s been 14 years, and the festival is really doing well. When Guru Gangadhar Pradhan started it, there was nothing in the Dhauli area and it was entirely covered with forest. So, having started under such circumstances, the festival has surely come a long way to be recognised as one of the major festivals of India now. The ambience it has created has added flavours and fragnance to the festival. Earlier we used to call it only Dhauli Festival but for the last couple of years, we have collaborated with the Kalinga Festival that propagates the martial arts of Odisha and other states.What according to you makes Dhauli festival different from other dance festivals?

Dhauli festival gives out a message. Mukestwar or Konark festival talks about the history of the monument, its architecture and beauty. But Dhauli festival apart from all these information talks about the great battle fought near the Daya river, it talks about how Ashoka became ‘Dharma’ Ashoka from ‘Chanda’ Ashoka. The festival propagates the message of peace.

What is the aim of this festival?

Our aim is that to propagate and spread the message of peace through performing art.Many dance festivals are coming up in and around Odisha today. What is your opinion about such festivals?

The dance festivals should be designed in such a way that it should create interest among audiences so that they come and see all the performances. The more stage and organisation emerges, young dancers would get more scope to perform. So, from that perspective, I feel such festivals are a good attempt to create more opportunities. But mushrooming of such festivals would also be a problem as people would start taking them lightly.What would be your suggestion to all those dancers who aspire to leave a mark as an Odissi dancer?

I see lots of young dancers very enthusiastic about dance which is a very good sign. I appreciate their spirit that they want to conquer the world. My only word of caution is that when they start taking steps, they start to run but before running, they should learn to take steps properly at different paces. Watch more, listen to people. Listening is learning. There is so much to know. As a dancer, we should keep ourselves aware about various information and have respect for our gurus and masters. Follow the guidelines of Odissi, then success will be yours.You have performed on various platforms in India and abroad.  Any interesting incident or experience that you would love to share?

There are many interesting experiences, but the Odissi presented at Kennedy Centre for the first time was a very different kind of experience for us. It felt good showcasing the best of Odisha out there. Our performance was appreciated by everyone. Another performance at China where all classical forms came together under the leadership of Leela Samson was also a unique experience. We were happy that we were presenting each segment of classical forms and felt like representing India. When we perform classical forms in international diaspora, we carry India with us. This sort of feeling among performing artists is completely unique.

While performing on stage today, do you experience the same excitement level like earlier?

Yes, I feel I am as excited as I was at the age of 16. When we performed during the 22 Asian Athletic Games where we used 500 dancers, I felt the same energy level I had experienced when I had performed for the first time. The appreciation we received for our performances was both exciting and encouraging.What is Odissi for you?

In one word its my dhadkan, its my spandana.

Feature and Banner Image Courtesy: Wikimedia 

Author: Monalisa patsani

Being into journalism since 2012, Monalisa loves listening to people and narrate their stories. She has been exploring different genres of journalism, but writing about the environment, places and people suits her interest.

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