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.