Ardent proponent and dancer of Odissi(1926-2004)
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, the Indian classical dancer, choreographer, guru, and proponent of Odissi dance, was born on 8 January 1926. He redefined the dance style with his creativity. As he put it, ‘Dance has not only made my life purposeful, it has been my whole life…’
Born into a family of painters at Raghurajpur, as a child, he loved the jatras (open air roving theatres) of Orissa (now Odisha). His father, Chintamani Mohapatra, a painter and a khola (drum) player, instilled in him the love of rhythm. The sound of the drums, along with nature’s music captivated the child. Eventually, he got involved in the effeminate art of gotipua dancing and trained under Balabhadra Sahu and then with Guru Sri Mohan Sundar Goswami and his Rasa, a theatre troupe. He learnt not only the arts of acting, singing, and dancing, but also the intricate requirements of stagecraft, make-up, and choreography as well as training in both the mardala and the tabla, under masters. The group shows were an amalgam of song and histrionics, woven around the theme of Krishna-Leela or episodes gathered from the Puranas.
He then joined Kavichandra Kali Chandra Pattnaik’s Annapurna Theatre in Cuttack, and earned seven rupees a month for setting the stage, acting occasionally and playing percussion, under Harihar Rao. He also received training in khola, tabla, and learnt Uday Shankar’s dance techniques and the use of hand gestures from Guru Dayal Saran.
The real break was his solo piece in a dance-drama Devi Bhasmasura. He brilliantly performed as Nataraja. Playing the role of Mohini was Laxmipriya who later became his wife. They became famous for their performances of the Dashavtaara dance. After practicing and researching in Puri, the couple returned to Cuttack and Kelucharan, then 30, became a dance teacher at Kala Vikash Kendra. For 15 years, he laid the foundation of Odissi dance, imparted lessons privately to some disciples like Sanjukta Panigrahi etc., and also choreographed a series of popular dance-dramas in Odissi style, including Krushna Gatha, Panchapuspa, Geeta Govinda, etc.
He researched various folk and tribal dances and enriched his foundation of Odissi dance poses through further study of temple sculptures like the Parshurameswara, Bramheswara, and Konark temples. He also provided brilliant percussion accompaniment for many musical broadcasts by A.I.R., Cuttack. In the eighties, Guruji travelled to different Indian cities spreading the charm of Odissi dance. He became a visiting teacher at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Delhi; the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai, and the Padatik Dance Centre in Kolkata.
Eventually, he began appearing on stage as a solo performer, and left the audience spellbound by the corporeal beauty and naturalness of his interpretations of the character of Radha from the Geeta Govinda, of the fisherman Kaibarta from the Ramayan and of Krushna from countless Oriya songs.
He participated in the Festivals of India world-wide. His famous compositions in raga Khamaj, Bagesri and Kirwani are striking for their intricate rhythmic structures, which speak expressively of his choreographic ability as well as his expertise over Pakhawaj playing.
For 10 long years, he was closely associated with the Odissi Research Centre. In 1995, Guruji fully concentrated on developing ‘Srjan’- the dance academy (established by him and his wife and directed by his son Ratikant). Honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1966; Padmashree in January 1972; honorary doctorate in January 1982; the Kalidas Samman, awarded by the Madhya Pradesh government in 1987; Padma Bhushan in March 1988, he also got the Padma Vibhushan in 2000. He passed away on 7 April 2004 in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. Thanks to him, Odissi dance became a universally admired art form. A noted Indian Sanskrit poet described the Guruji: ‘Each fraction of his dancing body leads to paramount sweetness through the miraculous pose and postures. In fact, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra crossed the ocean of style.’