Columnist

Srjan’s grand silver jubilee celebrations

The Odissi colossus who remains a benchmark for the art form, the late guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, will always be revered as much for his contribution to the fashioning of Odissi, as also for the indelible images he leaves behind as a performer. Ever in pursuit of excellence, he was a phenomenally exacting example for disciples to follow. A genius whose life-breath was Odissi, the toil and sweat he went through before attaining the fame he did, made him ever conscious of the struggle involved in an artist’s life no matter how talented, and he acknowledged with generosity all outstanding achievements of colleagues in other fields. This sensitivity made him initiate an Annual Awards Festival on 3 September 1995 mounted by his organisation Srjan, in recognition of talent in dance and the disciplines inspiring it like music, poetry, theatre and literature. 

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