{"id":63115,"date":"2026-01-22T16:29:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T10:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/22\/bhanja-mati-ra-mahak-brings-odishas-living-folk-traditions-to-the-national-capital\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T16:29:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T10:59:25","slug":"bhanja-mati-ra-mahak-brings-odishas-living-folk-traditions-to-the-national-capital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/22\/bhanja-mati-ra-mahak-brings-odishas-living-folk-traditions-to-the-national-capital\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Bhanja Mati Ra Mahak\u2019 Brings Odisha\u2019s Living Folk Traditions to the National Capital"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

New Delhi [India], January 22: <\/strong>Odisha\u2019s rich folk heritage was celebrated through music, movement, and traditional theatre at \u201cBhanja Mati Ra Mahak \u2013 A Journey Through Odisha\u2019s Folk Rhythms,\u201d a two-day cultural festival that paid tribute to the creative soil of Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja. The festival showcased the depth and diversity of Odisha\u2019s indigenous art forms, performed by over 50 folk artists from Berhampur, Ganjam district.<\/p>\n

The two-day festival was curated by Anwesha Brahma in collaboration with Anwesha Kala Kendra, Odisha and Sundar Odisha Foundation, New Delhi.<\/p>\n

Day One: Classical Roots and Theatrical Legacy<\/h4>\n

The first day of the festival was graced by Shri Jatin Das ji, Padma Bhushan awardee and eminent artist, and Shri Charudutta Panigrahi ji, distinguished technocrat, author, policy thinker, and visionary. Their presence added intellectual and artistic gravitas to the evening.<\/p>\n

Day One set a powerful cultural tone with traditional folk dance presentations, followed by a compelling performance of Prahlad Nataka, Odisha\u2019s iconic open-air theatrical tradition that blends devotion, dialogue, and dramatic expression. The performance, under the guidance of Guru Shri Arun Parida ji, captivated the audience with its spiritual narrative and centuries-old storytelling style.<\/p>\n

Day Two: Ritual, Rhythm, and Celebration<\/h4>\n

The second day featured a vibrant line-up of folk performances, including Bagha Nacho, Chadhya Chadhyani, Nabadurga, and Dholokirtana, reflecting Odisha\u2019s ritualistic, celebratory, and martial traditions. These performances were led under the mentorship of Guru Shri Sudhansu Shekhar Sattpathy ji.<\/p>\n

Day Two was graced by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat ji, Hon\u2019ble Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, as the Chief Guest, along with Dr. Prof. K. G. Suresh ji, Director, Indian Habitat Centre, and Shri Niharika Sharma ji, Founder, Anveshka Foundation.<\/p>\n

While addressing the gathering, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat ji emphasised the importance of preserving India\u2019s folk traditions and ensuring that grassroots artists receive national platforms and institutional support. He appreciated the organisers for presenting authentic regional art forms and for bringing Odisha\u2019s living cultural heritage to the national stage.<\/p>\n

\"Bhanja<\/p>\n

Artists Who Brought the Festival Alive<\/h4>\n

The performances were brought to life by dedicated folk artists from Berhampur, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tutu Nahak, Purni Sattam Swain, Reshma Swain, Mithun Swain, Babula Parida, Anil Behera, Prem Chand Behera, Pankaj Behera, Maheswar Behera, Ramesh Chandra Behera, N. Rohini Reddy, Mitu Parida, Pabitra Behera, Nilanchal Bank, Debendra Behera, Sambit Behera, among others, each carrying forward Odisha\u2019s oral traditions, rhythms, and ritual expressions passed down through generations.<\/p>\n

Anchoring and Curation<\/h4>\n

The programme across both days was thoughtfully curated and seamlessly compered by Anwesha Brahma, ensuring narrative continuity and cultural context for the audience.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Sangram Dhar, Founder, Sundar Odisha Foundation, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBhanja Mati Ra Mahak is our humble effort to take Odisha\u2019s folk soul beyond geographical boundaries. These art forms are not performances alone\u2014they are living histories of our communities, beliefs, and collective memory.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Usharani Mahapatra ji, Founder, Anwesha Kala Kendra, added:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe artists from Berhampur carry traditions nurtured over generations. Presenting them on a national platform like Delhi is both a responsibility and a celebration of Odisha\u2019s cultural resilience and creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The festival attracted cultural practitioners, scholars, members of the Odia diaspora, students, and art enthusiasts, reinforcing Delhi\u2019s role as a significant platform for celebrating India\u2019s regional and indigenous cultural expressions.<\/p>\n

If you have any objection to this press release content, kindly contact pr.error.rectification@gmail.com to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 24 hours.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Delhi [India], January 22: Odisha\u2019s rich folk heritage was celebrated through music, movement, and traditional theatre at \u201cBhanja Mati Ra Mahak \u2013 A Journey Through Odisha\u2019s Folk Rhythms,\u201d a two-day cultural festival that paid tribute to the creative soil of Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja. The festival showcased the depth and diversity of Odisha\u2019s indigenous […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":63116,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[309],"class_list":["post-63115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63115\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theindianinfluencer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}