The famous Indian dancer Sharmila Mukherjee presents the ancient classical Odissi style in Plovdiv.

The performance is part of the Days of Indian Culture in Bulgaria - August 15-24

On 24 August at 7 pm at the City Gallery of Fine Arts, 2019 Exhibition Hall, fans of Indian culture will have the opportunity to enjoy the performances of Sharmila Mukherjee.  Sharmila Mukherjee, one of the most renowned and acclaimed dancers of the classical Odissi style, is in Bulgaria to take part in the Days of Indian Culture, which spans five Bulgarian cities - Veliko Tarnovo, Varna, Burgas, Sofia and Plovdiv, where the last performance of the event will take place.

The organisers of the performance in Plovdiv are: the Indological Foundation "East-West", the City Gallery of Fine Arts, the Embassy of India in Bulgaria, with the assistance of the Municipality of Plovdiv.

Odissi is an Indian classical dance form that originated in the temples of Odisha, Eastern India. Women dancers, called mahari (meaning great woman), prayed to the deity of Odisha - god Jagannath - through dance in the temples. This type of dance is characterized by lyricism, sensuality and an emphasis on bhakti bhava (an attitude of devotional love). Odissi dance performers recreate mythical stories of Hindu gods and spiritual messages using intricate body movements, rich costumes, ornaments and makeup. Odissi dance is known for its unique three-curve pose called tribhangi.

Sharmila Mukherjee dedicated herself to her one passion, dance, from an early age. She started learning Odissi under the guidance of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. Later she taught Odissi in Kolkata and in 2004 she founded the Odissi Dance Centre called Sanjali in Bangalore, of which she is the Artistic Director till date. In 2016, she was honoured with the prestigious Mahari and Kalashreshtha awards. Sharmila has performed on some of the most prestigious stages in India, Fiji, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, USA, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia and Seychelles.