Tableau on freedom fighter Rajguru wins 1st prize at California event

Bhubaneswar: A tableau modelled on freedom fighter and martyr Jayee Rajguru won the first prize at the India Day parade in Fremont, California, recently from among 40 tableaus showcased by different Indian states. The 24-ft long, 8-ft wide and 10-ft high tableau was built by volunteers of Festival of Globe (FOG), Odisha wing, Odia community in Bay Area and Cupertino, the ‘sister city' of Bhubaneswar. The group put together the float over a month with most of the planning and execution being done over Zoom calls and on weekends.The tableau was built by Mahesh Pakalu, Debashis Patnala Rao, Bhabani Nayak, Sitakanta Hota and Alok Prusty, paintings and direction were done by Pratibha Nayak, and the cultural presentation accompanying it was co-ordinated by Reena Patnaik, among others. Around 40 people accompanied the tableau during the parade, singing ‘Vande Mataram' and ‘Bande Utkala Janani'. The role of Rajguru was played by Jagadish Sabat. The team has been showcasing Odisha at the parade since 2012. The festival was organised by FOG and Federation of Indo-American Associations.At Atlanta, the Georgia Odia Society (GOS) and Odisha Society of the Americas, Georgia chapter (OSA-GA), celebrated Odisha's cultural richness with three different presentations at the annual Festival of India event at Gas South Arena, organised by Indian American Cultural Association (IACA). They presented ‘Shakti — The Wings of Courage', a semi-classical and fusion dance, choreographed by Abhipsa Behura, which was a tribute to the strength and resilience of women. It featured dancers Manaswini Sabat, Lopamudra Routray and Madhusmita Panda, who portrayed the journey of women overcoming social challenges. The choreography earned the GOS team third prize in the contemporary dance category. OSA-GA) also presented a traditional folk dance titled ‘Sambalpuri Beats', choreographed by second-generation Odia, Ananya Buxi. It highlighted the community's commitment to preserving its culture. Dancers Abhiksha Behera, Ipsita Priyadarshini and Pallavi Mohanty, all either working professionals or students, donned Sambalpuri saris and traditional jewellery during the performance. There was also a performance by GOS band, ‘The Rhythmic Bliss', founded in Atlanta in 2022. Led by Jeevan Kanungo and Sushant Maharana, the band members, mostly middle and high school students, performed a high-energy set that delighted the audience.