Posted on 24 September 2026:
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#YathraRhythm — Poetry in Motion
Parampara 2026: Kolkata’s Kathak-Bharatanatyam Festival Returns This Devi Paksha
Kolkata’s classical dance calendar lights up on 10 October 2026 as Nritya Dhrupadi Music and Dance Research Centre presents “Parampara 2026,” the festival’s fourth edition, at Gyan Manch, 11 Pretoria Street, from 5:00 PM.
Conceived and directed by Dr. Sucharita Datta Ghata—a Doordarshan Top‑Grade Kathak artiste trained under legends including Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj—the festival unfolds across generations. Her artistry, shaped by Kathak training under Vidushi Amita Dutta, Vidushi Susmita Mishra, Vidushi Shaswati Sen, and enriched by Bharatanatyam studies with Vidushi Thankumani Kutty at Kalamandalam, Kolkata and Guru V. R. Kalamandalam Venkit, reflects a rare confluence of discipline and grace.
Evocative production “Devi”—a luminous tribute to the Goddess’s arrival on Mahalaya
The evening opens with invocations to the Divine Mother by the Junior Group students, through Kathak and Bharatanatyam, celebrating Shakti in its purest form. A felicitation ceremony follows, before the stage is graced by Dr. Sucharita Datta Ghata herself in a solo Kathak recital. Senior students then carry forward the tradition with refined Kathak and Bharatanatyam, culminating in Devi—a special production heralding the Goddess’s arrival on Mahalaya.
Adding grandeur are distinguished guest artists:
- Dr. Mahua Mukherjee & Shri Ayan Mukherjee — Gaudiya Nritya
- Dr. Arpita Venkatesh — Odissi
- Shri Amrit Khatua, Smt. Madhumita Khatua & Smt. Soumanti Khatua — Kathakali
- Shri Souvik Chakraborty — Kathak
- Dr. Sucharita Datta Ghata — Kathak
Their diverse traditions converge into a single tapestry of rhythm, expression and devotion.
The performances will be enriched by the artistry of musicians — Shri Biswajit Pal (Tabla), Shri Jaydeep Sinha (Vocal), Shri Sunando Mukherjee (Sarod), Shri Purbayan Das (Tabla) — with lighting by Shri Nitya Naskar and sound by Shri Hashi Panchal.
With eminent dancers and gurus from Kolkata’s cultural fraternity in attendance, Parampara 2026 becomes more than a festival: it is a luminous platform where heritage breathes, discipline blossoms, and the eternal journey of Indian classical dance flows from one generation to the next.
The stage will host guest traditions rarely seen together: Gaudiya Nritya, Odissi, Kathakali and Kathak.
For two decades, Nritya Dhrupadi has quietly kept the Guru-Shishya Parampara alive — and this October, that legacy takes centre stage once again.
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#YathraRhythm
