Naman Kathak Festival Draws 150 Artists to Kolkata

Two-day Classical Dance Event Honors Three Departed Maestros at Gyan Manch Auditorium

Key Points:

• Naman festival featured nearly 150 Kathak performers from across India
• Event paid tribute to Pt. Pratip Banerjee, Bishwajit Ghosh, Vijay Mishra
• California Television Global broadcasts highlights in 15 countries

KOLKATA – The two-day Naman Kathak festival concluded at Gyan Manch in Kolkata with nearly 150 classical dancers performing in tribute to three departed music legends.

The cultural extravaganza took place on January 31 and February 1, 2026. Renowned Kathak exponent and tabla player Subir Thakur provided artistic guidance. Moreover, Nitisha Banerjee, Director of the Naad institution, organized the event.

Prasanta Banerjee and Meenakshi Banerjee served as patrons and coordinators. The festival in Kolkata honored three late classical music stalwarts. They were vocalist Pt. Pratip Banerjee, vocalist Bishwajit Ghosh, and sarangi maestro Vijay Mishra.

All participating artists paid floral tributes to their portraits. Dr. Malabika Mitra, Rama Prasad Chattopadhyay, and Chinmay Das inaugurated the event. Furthermore, Amita Dutta, Guru Maa Sushmita Mishra, and Kajal Mishra attended the ceremony.

The first day witnessed group, duet, solo, and trio presentations. Nritya Nityam led by Nandini Chakraborty opened with a group performance. In addition, Damru Dhwani under Sourav Roy and Nritya Niketan presented acts.

Kushal Bhattacharjee guided the Nritya Niketan group performance. Deshapriya Kolkata Cultural Center, led by Sushmita Banerjee, also participated. Meanwhile, Ujjayini Chattopadhyay delivered a solo Kathak presentation.

Sonarpur Nadam’s artistes performed a duet piece. Sandeep Mallick is the director of Sonarpur Nadam. Nritya Malancha group under Sangita Chaki presented their act. On the other hand, Sandeep Sarkar partnered with Bipasha Sen for a duet.

Srishti group led by Saheli Bose showcased their talent. Trina Roy and Nirmalya Sharma also performed a duet number. Additionally, Sudha Smriti Art Centre presented under Ramaprasad Chattopadhyay’s guidance.

The first day concluded with a trio by three artists. Rajeev Ghosh, Debangshu Mondal, and Manab Parai performed together. However, the second day featured equally captivating acts.

Natamandir under Anurekha Ghosh opened the second day. Nimagna Cultural Association led by Sayani Chavda followed next. Moreover, Makhla Shinjini group performed under Dr. Keya Chanda.

Sushmita Chatterjee and Baidurjya Chatterjee presented a duet. Bapi Dey partnered with Navarup Bhattacharyya for another duet. In contrast, Pushpak Dance Academy showcased group talent under Alokparna Guha.

Nitisha Banerjee herself presented a solo performance. Ghungroo Dance Academy under Vidushi Madhumita Roy participated too. Furthermore, a quartet featured Nandini Chakraborty, Sourav Roy, Souvik Chakraborty, and Dr. Debasmita Mukherjee.

Dheerendra Tiwari delivered a solo presentation on day two. The dance festival concluded with a Dashavatar performance. Ashimbandhu Bhattacharyya performed this finale piece.

“The event brought together India’s finest Kathak practitioners,” said an organizer. “We wanted to honor our departed gurus through dance.”

Eminent musicians accompanied the performances throughout the festival. Tabla accompanists included Subir Thakur, Biswajit Pal, and Siddhartha Bhattacharya. Amitangshu Brahma also provided tabla support for the classical performances.

Sandeep Neogi and Chandrachur Bhattacharya played the sitar. Sunando Mukherjee performed on the sarod instrument. Besides, Umesh Mishra and Kamalesh Mishra accompanied on sarangi.

Vocal support came from Shubhashish Bhattacharya and Dr. Arindam Bhattacharya. Jaydeep Sinha and Sourav Chakravarti also provided vocals. Meanwhile, Nandini Chakravarti and Trina Roy conducted stage proceedings.

California Television Global is broadcasting festival highlights in 15 countries. Prasanta Banerjee, Founder of Naad, delivered the vote of thanks. The event has become a significant platform for classical dance practitioners from across India.