Posted on 6 September 2026:

2nd Pragati Festival 2026: Kolkata to Honour Odissi Legend Guru Poushali Mukherjee with an Evening of Kathak and Odissi

Sriradha Dance Foundation, in collaboration with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Kolkata and with the support of Lexus Motors, presents the 2nd Pragati Festival — a commemorative evening of classical dance dedicated to the memory and artistic legacy of the late Guru Poushali Mukherjee, at Gyanmanch Auditorium on Wednesday, 9th September 2026.

This year’s Pragati Festival unfolds as a heartfelt tribute to the late Guru Poushali Mukherjee — an Odissi exponent whose grace on stage was matched only by her generosity as a teacher and mentor. The evening also carries the continued support of Surajit Kala & Associates (Wealth Architects) and Sprish, whose backing has helped sustain this platform for classical dance.

Set against the timeless elegance of Gyanmanch Auditorium, the festival will unfold on Wednesday, 9th September 2026, from 6:30 PM onwards, open to all who cherish the depth and discipline of India’s classical dance traditions. It promises to be an evening where memory and movement meet — where every gesture on stage becomes, in some quiet way, a homage.

A Festival Born from Devotion

The Pragati Festival was instituted in loving memory of Guru Poushali Mukherjee, whose decades of dedication to Odissi shaped not just performances but entire generations of dancers. As a performer, she brought to the stage the lyrical strength and sculpturesque poise that define Odissi at its finest; as a teacher and mentor, she poured that same devotion into her students, nurturing artistry with patience and unwavering discipline.

The festival exists to carry that vision forward — building a stage where seasoned practitioners and emerging talent can share space, learn from one another, and keep the classical tradition breathing and evolving. It is, in essence, less an event than an inheritance: a way of ensuring that a guru’s teachings continue to move, quite literally, through the bodies of those she inspired.

Featured Performances

The evening has been thoughtfully curated to showcase the distinct vocabularies of Kathak and Odissi, each performance a study in tradition rendered with contemporary sensitivity:

Kathak Duet — Debashree Bhattacharya & Sohini Debnath
Odissi Group Performance — Poushali Mukherjee Dance Academy
Odissi Duet — Bichitra Behera & Sriradha Paul

Together, these performances trace a graceful arc across two of India’s most revered classical dance forms — the rhythmic storytelling and swirling footwork of Kathak alongside the sculptural lyricism of Odissi — offering the audience a rare, intimate glimpse into the artistry that Guru Poushali Mukherjee herself embodied.

Distinguished Presence

The evening will be graced by an eminent gathering of chief guests, including Padmashri Niranjan Goswami , Smt. Alokananda Roy, SNA Awardee Sri Bichitrananda Swain, Sri Mrityunjay Kumar Singh, SNA Awardee Smt. Aloka Kanungo, Smt. Urmila Bhaumik, and Smt. Kakali Bose — voices from the world of art and culture whose presence lends further weight and warmth to this commemorative occasion.

More Than a Tribute — A Continuation

The 2nd Pragati Festival is envisioned as something larger than remembrance alone. It is a celebration of continuity — of how classical dance survives and flourishes precisely because it is passed, hand to hand and generation to generation, from guru to disciple. By bringing together artists across different stages of their journeys, the festival keeps alive the very values Guru Poushali Mukherjee held dear: discipline, humility, and an unrelenting pursuit of artistic excellence.

Speaking ahead of the festival, the Organizing Committee shared: “Guru Poushali Mukherjee’s devotion to Odissi continues to inspire generations of dancers. The Pragati Festival was instituted to honour her lasting artistic contributions and nurture the classical dance traditions she cherished.”

For Kolkata’s cultural community, the evening offers a rare convergence — of grief transformed into grace, of legacy expressed through movement, and of a guru’s spirit dancing on, quite literally, in the students she once taught.