Bhubaneswar, Jul 21: The devotional music programme ‘Guhari’, organised by the Guru Kelucharan Odissi Research Centre under the aegis of the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, concluded on Monday with a grand valedictory ceremony celebrating Odisha’s rich tradition of Bhakti music.

Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest. Addressing the gathering, he congratulated the Department of Culture, the Guru Kelucharan Odissi Research Centre, the participating vocalists, musicians, and music lovers for making the event a grand success.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that, with the blessings of Lord Jagannath, Guhari has once again successfully connected devotees through soulful devotional music and has earned a special place in the hearts of audiences across the state. He praised the annual programme for preserving and promoting Odisha’s rich spiritual and musical heritage.

The concluding evening featured captivating performances by several eminent Odissi and devotional singers. Veteran Odissi musician Guru Prof. Ramhari Das presented Chandana Lagi Samaye and Shyamala Rupa Banau Sundara. Other artists included Minakshi Rath, Sushanta Kumar Panda, Pragya Hota, Karunakar Sethi, Shraddhanjali Sahu, Ajay Kumar Satpathy, Soumya Samapta Mishra, and Asit Kumar Nanda, who performed a selection of popular Jagannath devotional compositions.

The vocalists were accompanied by Jagannath Das on tabla, Suresh Kumar Dalei on dholak, Abhiram Nanda on flute, Ghanshyam Prusti on octapad, Jagannath Mohanty on keyboard, and Batakrishna Das on harmonium.

The event was attended by noted musician Pandit Gopal Chandra Panda, Department of Culture Special Secretary Dev Prasad Dash, Deputy Director Dr Debayani Bhuyan, and several distinguished guests. Suchismita Mantri, Administrative Officer of the Guru Kelucharan Odissi Research Centre, conducted the programme.