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Wednesday, Oct 03, 2007
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Tributes through songs

Shyamhari Chakra

‘Arpan’ organised to mark Gandhi Jayanti

—Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

With reverence: Members of the Utkal Choral Group presenting a programme in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.

BHUBANESWAR: Exactly a year ago, it was a befitting tribute to Bapu on his birth anniversary through an exhibition of paintings on him by Oriya painters.

And on Tuesday, it was the turn of the singers and dancers of the State to pay similar homage to the Father of the Nation on Gandhi Jayanti.

The unique event, aptly named ‘Arpan’ (offering), was mounted by the one-year-old Orissa chapter of the Sarvodaya International Trust that seeks to orient the new generation towards Gandhan ideology and philosophy through various programmes. ‘Arpan’ began at the IDCOL auditorium with popular music composer and singer Laxmikant Palit along with his troupe presenting a bouquet of six immensely popular songs of patriotic and devotional fervour.

Commencing and concluding with Bapu’s all-time favourites bhajans ‘Vaishnava janato’ and ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ respectively, the choral singers regaled the gathering of prominent personalities and children with popular film songs ‘ye mere watan ki logo’, ‘itni shakti hame dena’ and ‘dedi hame azadi bina’ besides Bankim Chandra’s heart touching Bengali song ‘dhana dhanne puspe bhara’. City-based Odissi dancer Puspita Mishra, one of the Trust members, performed to Gandhi’s favourite bhajan ‘Vaishnaba janato’ on the occasion with a brilliantly-painted portrait of Gandhi as the backdrop for the event.

New Delhi-based painter Jatin Das along with the Trust members collectively inaugurated the event.

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