Naman

Since its first edition in 2010, Naman has grown into an annual celebration of Odissi in Bengaluru. Conceived by Madhulita Mohapatra and inaugurated by her guru, Padma Shri Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, the festival was created to bring together different styles and lineages of Odissi and create a space for audiences to experience, learn about, and engage with the art form. Over fifteen years, Naman has brought generations of students, emerging performers, senior artistes, gurus, scholars, and audiences together around Odissi. It has become an important part of Nrityantar’s artistic life and a space through which the institution continues to contribute to Bengaluru’s engagement with the classical dance tradition.

A Salutation to the Gurus

The name "Naman", meaning salutation, reflects the festival’s deep respect for the gurus and pioneers of Odissi. A dedicated evening of the festival celebrates their contribution to the evolution and preservation of the form, while bringing senior gurus and dancers together in performance. The festival thus becomes not only a celebration of the art, but also an acknowledgement of the lineage through which Odissi has been taught, nurtured, and carried forward.

A Festival of Odissi

At the heart of Naman is its presentation of Odissi in its many forms and voices. Over the years, the festival has featured some of the most respected practitioners of the tradition, including Guru Aruna Mohanty, Guru Sharmila Biswas, Guru Bijayini Satpathy, Guru Madhavi Mudgal, Guru Smt. Sangeeta Dash, Guru Ramli Ibrahim, and Guru Surupa Sen, among many others. By bringing different schools, styles and artistic approaches to one stage, Naman offers audiences an opportunity to experience the breadth and richness of Odissi and to encounter the work of artists who have shaped and continue to shape the tradition.

A Stage for Students

Naman is also an important annual milestone for Nrityantar’s students. Each year, students across levels come together to perform on stage, sharing their learning with their families, friends, and the wider arts community. The festival also provides a platform for senior dancers of the Nrityantar Dance Ensemble and for Madhulita Mohapatra’s original choreographic work. The coming together of students, emerging performers, and experienced artistes gives Naman a distinctive character – one that connects learning and performance, and allows each generation of dancers to experience the stage.

A Space for Dialogue

Naman extends beyond performance to create space for deeper conversations around the arts. Over the years, the festival has brought together critics, academics, art historians, and journalists for seminars, paper presentations, and panel discussions. These conversations allow practitioners and audiences to look beyond the stage – to explore the history, aesthetics, traditions, and changing contexts of Odissi, and to consider the place of classical dance within contemporary cultural life.For Nrityantar, Naman is ultimately a yearly coming together: of students and masters, performance and scholarship, tradition and new work, and artists and audiences. After more than fifteen years, it remains a space through which Odissi continues to be experienced, celebrated, and explored in Bengaluru.