The doyen of odissi dance

GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA

It was due to the efforts of Guru Kelucharan mohapatra,the exponent of odissi dance,that this dance became popular in the northern region.

Sometime in the early seventies it was an exiting  moment for me and some of the students of the class to meet guru  Kelucharan  mohapatra, the odissi exponent.He was coming to Delhi for a short course of three months.I was basically a kathak student but got interested in odissi  too after seeing  an odissi dance performance. We had been preparing for this moment ,practising some items to present before guruji (as he was affectionately called). Guru Harekrishna behra had already taught us a few steps and items and prepared us to go to the higher level and do the short term course with the exponent.

Suddenly there was some commotion and some people entered the class room. We were introduced to guruji who was amongst them totally covered in cardigan,shawl and a monkey cap,since he was not accoustomed to the Delhi cold.All of us presented our items one by one and guruji. Patiently saw all the numbers and instructed us to come the next day.

Then started the rigourous training and i realised that guruji was a hard task master who could not tolerate any mistake or lapse as far as dance was concerned. If he was strict in his training and made sure that all the students maintained a particular standard, he was also a very humble,sweet and concerned person. This we realised when we all went to cuttak to learn from him. Many times he would be waiting in the office of the girls hostel with a big tiffin box with delicious food cooked by Guruma (his wife).

Once when guruji stayed at our residence in Delhi for around a month, i realised why he was such a great artist. His humility, his greatness,his adjusting nature and his dignity, all reflected in his art and made him the kind of person that he was.

I particularly remember when he was honoured with padmashri and myself and my parents went to meet him with a box of sweets. He was there in the little room at triveni kala sangam not at all excited about honour.As always with humility  he said,  he was happy  his work was being recognised.  

 

 

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