BHUBANESWAR : Guru kelucharan Mohapatra passed away on April 7, 2004 at the age of 78. What he left behind was his legacy in the form of hundreds of students who are spreading his art all over the world. Five years after his death, his memory is still alive in the hearts of millions. He used to say that even after his death his soul will continue dancing in each of his students. To commemorate his 5th death anniversary, some of his senior students will be presenting his most acclaimed compositions from Jayadev’s Geet Govind, which have become by now part of the history of Odissi dance. Each asthapadi has been crafted by him in the minutest details like paintings on canvas by the patachitra artists of his native village. Students who had the fortune to learn these compositions directly from him intend to preserve these for the future generations.
The dancers participating are Meera Das and Anil Lenka who have received training under him in the Odissi Research Centre, Itishri Dwibedi, Pranati Mohanty, Utkalika Pahadsingh and Ileana Citaristi who learnt from him in his Cuttack residence in the early eighties, Nandini Ghosal who had her training at Padatik Dance Centre in Kolkata, Minati Misra and Kumkum Mohanty, who are among the most senior exponents of the style. The dance presentation will be preceded by the projection of the film on Guruji’s life Bhavantaranam by Kumar Sahani. The function is being organised by Art Vision at Rabindra Mandap Bhubaneswar on April 7, 6.30 pm.