By Purushottam Nayak
Balasore: A three-decade old cultural center in Odisha’s Balasore diocese is on a revival mode on its founder’s return after 15 years.
“I am planning to revive the activities of Utkal Vani and look after the academic studies also,” says Father Chacko Vaniyampurayidathil of Balasore diocese.
The priest, who is now 69, started “Utkal Vani’ (Voice of Utkal) in 1992 to aid evangelization through music, dance and drama. It promoted classical and folk dances of Odisha, an eastern Indian state. It used the Odissi classical dance form to explain biblical themes and stories. It also promoted folk dances of Odisha such as Sambalpuri, Chhou, and Jhumor.
“It is certainly evangelization through cultural media,” asserted Vaniyampurayidathil.
He said his troupe had performed in all the dioceses in Odisha and neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.
“We have also performed in Varanasi and Kerala. We had been to German, Belgium and Holland two times for dance performance,” he told Matters India on June 30.
However, the center’s activities slumped after the founder was in 2006 transferred to Nuapadhi in Balasore district where he founded Vikas Sadan and a science residential college for poor Catholic students and served as its principal for 15 years.
On his return to the center on June 1, the priest decided to revamp the center with additional courses.
The institute now plans to launch distance classes in various art forms. After training, the students will be ready for stage performance.
“It may take six months to form a dance group. The students will stay with me for two or three years until their academic studies are over. All their expenses will be met by Utkal Vani,” Father Vaniyapurayidathil explained.
The priest, a native of the southern Indian state of Kerala, says he was inspired by the late Father George Proksch (1904 – 1986), a Divine Word missionary who had served India for 53 years.
After a “hypnotizing” meeting with Mahatma Gandhi, the German Catholic priest strove to propagate and promote Indian culture, and provide facilities for the study of Indian languages, literature, music and dance. He founded Gnana Ashram in Mumbai.
Father Proksch made a mark at the Marian Congress in 1956 when he presented Christian themes in Indian art forms using folk as well as temple dances and Hindustani classical ragas to express Marian concepts. He hit international headlines at the 1964 the Eucharistic Congress in Bombay when his 300 dancers and 1,000 singers presented “Anant Prem’” (eternal love), the manifestation of God’s love for mankind as seen in the Old and New Testament.
Utkal was an ancient kingdom located in the northern and eastern parts of Odisha and Bankura, Purulia and Midnapore districts of West Bengal. The kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata, with the names Utkala, Utpala, and Okkal. It is also mentioned in India’s national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
Father Vaniyampurayidathil says he wants his center to recapture Odisha’s ancient art forms.
The center admits students after tenth and twelfth grades. Those interested to join the center for dance and academic studies have to undergo one month intensive dance training.
Tenth graders will be taught the arts branch of the higher secondary course.
“The classes will be conducted in Utkal Vani and students will write examination as correspondence students,” the priest explained.
The twelfth graders will study Bachelor of Arts course along with training in classical dances and music.
“Their certificates are also equally valid as regular certificates,” the priest asserted.
Paras Singh, a former student, says Utkal Vani has shaped him as singer, music composer. “My source of income is from composing Christian devotional songs. I also preach the Word of God through music and songs,” the 28-year-old Catholic youth from Kotamaha in Gajapati district told Matters India.