Tijan Bai bags Bharatmuni Award-2016

Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: Renowned Pandavani folk singer
Padmabhushan Tijan Bai will be conferred with the prestigious Bharatmuni Samman
2016 on Friday at the Bhanja Kala Mandap.

Bai will be the eighth cultural cult figure to receive this
coveted national honour. Instituted by Bhubaneswar-based cultural Organisation
Kalingayana Touryatrikam, the award is presented annually to a nationally
acclaimed artiste as a tribute to Sage Bharatmuni, whose magnum opus
Natyashastra is treated as 5th Veda.

Bai has been chosen for this award for her contribution to
project, propagate, promote and popularize Indian Folk music across the Globe.

Earlier, Thankamani Kutty, Pandit Birju Mahara, Pandit
Jasraj, Sj. Ratan Thiyam, Hema Malini, Hariprasad Chaurasia and Raghunath
Mohapatra were conferred with the prestigious award.

Bai will be presented the award during the valedictory
function of a two-day Bharatmuni Festival to be held at the Bhanja Kala Mandap
in Bhubaneswar on Friday and Saturday.

This year the Festival will showcase the scintillating
performances of renowned artistes from both Dance and Music field. The first
evening pf will feature Odissi Vocal by celebrated singer Sangita Gosain,
Odissi Dance Jugalbandi by Purnashree Rout and Lucky Mohanty, Odissi Dance by Pushpa
Ranjan Mangaraj and Sattriya Dance by Lima Das.

During the second evening the audience will be enthralled by
the prolific performances of recently Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Winner Odissi
Danseuse Aloka Kanungo, Odissi exponent Dipti Mishra and Bharatnatyam Dancer
Ranjani Ganesan Ramesh, said trustee of the host Kalingayana Touryatrikam and
eminent Odissi dancer Puspita Mishra.