Every year, in the month of February, Art Vision, in collaboration with Orissa Tourism and Nalco, organises the Kalinga Mahotsav, a festival exclusively dedicated to martial dances. The Festival takes place at the footstep of the Dhauli stupa, the Japanese Buddist Temple situated on a hill at the outskirts of modern Bhubaneswar. This is the place where Emperor Ashok is believed to have fought the last battle of the great Kalinga war before surrendering the sword and embracing Buddism.

The calm and solemn statue of Buddha overlooking the entire stage from the top of the stupa and the tranquil expanse of the countryside populated by paddy fields and cashew plantations provides the peaceful background to the outburst of movements and sounds which accompanied the performance of the martial artists. The aim of the organisers is to ‘harmonise the vigour of martial tradition with the sublimity of peace through dance performances’.
 

Dhauli Kalinga Mahotsav

On December 10th to 14th Art vision in collaboration with Odisha Dance Academy and Odisha Tourism organized the 9th Dhauli Kalinga Mahotsav. Participating groupes were:

• 10th December - Samudra Centre for Indian Contemporary Performing Arts , Trivandrum (Kalaripayattu)
• 11th December - Santali Danta, Rairangpur
• 12th December - Shaheed Baba Deep Singh ji Gartka Academi, Chandigarh ( Gatka dance)
• 13th December - Attakallari Centre for Movement Arts, Bengaluru, (contemporary)
• 14th December - Samara Taranga (Chhau-Paik)Laudi Loka Nrutya, Bhadrak
   

The 10th Kalinga Mahotsav was organized by Orissa Tourism in collaboration with Art Vision and Orissa Dance Academi at Dhauli hill on the 13th and 14th of December 2011. The participating groups were:

• - Dewandaru Dance Company from Japan directed by Rianto presenting Shadowing the Body inspired by the shapes and Martial Arts movements, characters and motifs found in traditional Javanese shadow puppets and Martial arts. The work discovers freedom within the very constraints of the puppet and Silat (Indonesia Martial arts)movements. It includes opposite qualities of movement like alus (lasya - refined) and keras (tandava – vigorous)
   

• - Mayurbhanji Chhau Dance from Rairangpur, directed by Trilochan Mohanty -Sapphire Creations from Kolkata, directed by Sudarshan Chakravarty, performing PANCHA-PRANA, a contemporary choreography based martial art movements, western ballet and classical Indian dances.
   

• - Huyen Lallong Tang-Ta Cultural Associatios, from Manipur, directed by Gourakishor Sharma, presenting traditional items of Manipur martial art Thang-Ta.
   

9th Kalinga Mahotsav

The 9th Kalinga Mahotsav a National Festival of Martial Arts was held at the historically significant Dhauli hills on the bank of River Daya near Bhubaneswar, on the 10th and 11th of January 2011. The program of the festival was as follows:......

• 10th January - Stem Dance Company, Bangalore, directed by Madhu Nataraj, presents Vajra, contemporary choreography based on martial art, The production is a mixed media collaboration which encompasses original music, literature (ancient ,esoteric and modern) and Martial arts with Dance.
   

• 10th January - Chhau Dance of Mayurbhanji, by Mayurbhanji Chhau Nrutya Prathisthan, a project supported by Central Sangeet Natak Academi, New Delhi. The Chhau dance troupe presents items from the traditional repertoire which have preserved the martial derivation of the style such as War Dance, Ranga panda and Abhimanyu.
   

• 11th January - Manipuri Martial Art by Chandramani and party, Manipur. The performance is derived from the ritual festival of Manipur known as Kwak Tanba representing the victory of righteousness over evil. The troupe is composed by all female dancers.
   

• 11th January - Paika dance by Somnath Singh and party from Budha Panka (Angul) and Rani Sukadei Akhada directed by Sobhagini Devi (Talcher). Paik dance is the martial art from Orissa practised in the villages of Khurdha and Dencanal district. The Rani Sukadei Akhada is the only Paik troupe composed exclusively by female dancers
   

• 10th January - Natyaloka presents Tagore's play KSHYAMANYA KHYATI a contemporary drama which uses the old traditional martial arts from Kerala (Kalarippayattu, Koodiyattam and Teyyam) and West Bengal (Riabense). Directed by Kalamandala Piyal and Kalamandalal Gautam.
   
• 10th January - The Paik group from Rebana Nuaagaon, under the leadership of Sushil Kumar Mangaraj presents different khela pertaining to the traditional martial art of Orissa, such as ‘pata paso’, ‘bana badi’, ‘badi khela’ and ‘nijham’.
   
• 11th January - ECHO, Educational and Cultural Harmony Organisation, from Imphal, Manipur, presents a variety of acrobatic and exhilarating formations accompanied by traditional percussions of Manipur, such as dhol, dholak, khol, dhampat, khanchuri and many others.
   
• 11th January - Gagan Bagh and group from Titilagarh presents ABHIMANYU BADHA, a specially choreographed dance item utilising martial art movements and folk forms of western Orissa.
   

The participating troupes were:

1- Kalamandala Pyal and troupe from Kolkatta with Tagore’ play Kshyamanya Khyati

2- Rebona Nuagoan Paik Akhada directed by Sushil Kumar Mangaraja with Paika Khela (Orissa)

3- ECHO group directed by M.Mariton from Imphal, Manipur with Dhol Dholak Cholom

4- Gagan Bagh and Sathi from Titlagarh with ‘Abhimanyu Badha”, (Orissa)
 

The 7th Kalinga Mahotsav a national Festival of Martial Arts was held at Dhauli Shanti Stupa, Bhubaneswar, on the 10th and 11th of January 2009. The program of the festival was as follows:......

• 10th January - Attakalari Center for Movement Arts, Bangalore (Attakalari)
• 10th January - New Artists Forum, Khurda (Paika)
• 10th January - Chatrasal Bunderlkhand Akhada, Bundelkhand (Martial Akhada)
• 11th January - Hula Sindamsang Imphal (Thang Ta)
• 11th January - Bamanghati Chhau Nrutya Pratisthan, Rairangpur (Phari Khanda)

23rd February

1. Martial dance based choreography by South Korea troupe. 'Rodugak' (The delivered) is a performance about human life cycle structured in 6 brief scenes, each dealing roughly with confusion, birth, passion, ordeal, Nirvana, and so forth. A variety of martial arts such as Taeguk, Sunmudo, acrobatics, Bongsul (Chinese stick techniques), sword dance & technique, etc. are extensively used in this piece.

2. Tatteta gullu, acrobatic and drum dance from Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh by Sri Rama Tatteta Gullu group directed by P. Adinarayanan.
 
3. Lok Kala Alha (Heroic ballads) from Uttar Pradesh by Fouzdar Singh Alhasamrat and party –'Bunderkhan raja'

24th February

1. Topa Todhung, Tibetan martial dance by Tibetan Indian Foundation, NewDelhi.

2. Paik dance by Bira Surendra Martial Art Troupe, Talcher Group leader: Gandharva Devata.

3. Lok Kala Alha (Heroic ballads) from Uttar Pradesh by Fouzdar Singh Alhasamrat and party –'Marwar ki lorhei'

 

The 5th Kalinga Mahotsav – a national festival of Martial dances,was held at Dheuli stupa, on the 4th and 5th of February 2007 jointly organized by Art Vision and Orissa Tourism. The festival was opened by the Sapphire Creations Dance Workshop from Kolkatta presenting 'Adhyashakti', directed by Sudarshan Chakravarty. The production used elements of several Indian martial art traditions to explore the ritualistic culture of Shakti worship. Sharabhuji from Paschim Midnapur, West Bengal presents 'Dhali' and 'Raibenshee' forms of martial dances from West Bengal. Kalashrama presents 'Laudi Khela a martial dance practiced in different parts of coastal Orissa. Sri Karumaji Apparao and his team presented 'Karra Samu' ( stick play) and 'Katti Samu' (sword play), ancient martial art forms from Andhra Pradesh and Udayan Academi presents Sahi Jatra from Puri. This was one of the 'seva' rendered to Sri jagannatha and it was developed in the 'Jaga' or 'akhada' (small forts) constructed around Puri for the development of physical culture aimed at the defense of the Temple.

The 4th Kalinga Mahotsav was organized by Art Vision in collaboration with Orissa Tourism and Nalco at Dhauli, Bhubaneswar, on the 4th and 5th of February 2006.The following troupes participated.On the first day:'Surya Devata', choreographic composition based on Mayurbhanji Chhau, performed by Chhau artists from Baripada, Kalaippayattu by Maruthi Marma Chikilsa & Kalari Sangham, Thiruvanthapuram and Thang Ta by Guru Devabrata Siman and party, Imphal

On the second day:'Keibul Lanjav' choreographic composition based on martial art of Manipur, performed by Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academi, Imphal, Kathakali by Natyasala Kathakali Sangram, Thiruvantapuram and Perini Shiva Tandava by Dr Natarajan Radhakrishna and party, Hyderabad

 

The 3rd Kalinga Mahotsav took place at Dhauli Stupa on the 4th and 5th of February2005. The following troupes participated on the first day: Calcutta based group Anjika directed by Priti Patel, presented ''Agni' a creative choreography based on the martial art form from Manipur, Shree Samartha Vyayam Mandir troupe from Dadar, Mumbai, presented a demonstration of Mallakhamb and Yogasanas and Mahavir Sanskrutik Anusthan from Kalahandi, Orissa, presented a demonstration of 'banabadi', a tribal martial art. On the second day Pandit Ananda Rao and troupe from Kolhapur presented 'mardani khel' , the Royal Chhou Academi from Purulia displayed items from the Purulia Chhou repertoire and Mohamed Mustafa Silambam school of martial arts from Tamil Nadu presented a demonstration of Silambam.

The 2nd Kalinga Mahotsav, which took place on the on the 13th and 14th of February 2004, opened with an item of Mayurbhanji Chhau followed by 'Sound of Silence' a creative choreography based on martial art and by a performance of Ghatka, the martial art form from Punjab. The other forms presented were Kalaripayattu from Kerala and Phari Khanda and Seraikella Chhau from Jharkhand.

1st Kalinga Mahotsav

Every year the Festival opens with a modern choreography based on martial art and then showcases traditional martial dance forms from different parts of India. During the 1st Kalinga Mahotsav, which took place on the 1st and 2nd of February 2003 a creative choreography 'Jarjara' was presented as the opening item followed by Paika Dance from Orissa, Kalarippayattu from Kerala, Thang Ta from Manipur and Chhau from Mayurbhanji.