Is Odissi music receiving stepmotherly treatment in the matter of being considered as a classical art form? Exponents of the music believe so. They aver that Odissi music, which is influenced by both Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a distinct identity of its own even while sharing with the others the quality of Indianness, and insist that this deserves to be recognised. And seminars held in the capital have sought to draw attention to a quirk in logic which concedes classical status to Odissi dance but denies the same to the music which sustains this danceform. The latest of a trio of seminars on Odissi music held in the recent past was organised by Sonal Mansingh's Centre for Classical Dance, 10 December, 1988, as a precursor to a three-day festival (11-13 December) featuring performing art traditions of Orissa. The seminar, as made clear by Sonal Mansingh at the start, was not intended to arrive at conclusions or statements, but merely to 'have a good look' at Odissi music as it has evolved over time.