BARGARH : At 85, Bhagbat Padhan is not just a custodian of Sabda Nrutya, an ancient dance form, but he’s a living legend. For over five decades, he has gracefully wielded the essence of folk art, dedicating his life to its preservation and global promotion. Pradhan has single-handedly preserved and popularised the folk dance form which is considered as the dance of ‘Mahadev’.
Born in Kumbhari village under Barpali in Bargarh district in 1938, Padhan belongs to a family of farmers. Despite a weak financial background, his father late Bansidhar Padhan himself practiced Sabda Nrutya and was among the custodians of the age-old dance form. When Pradhan lost his mother at a tender age of four years, his father introduced him to Sabda Nrutya to help him cope up with the loss. With the guidance of his father and other gurus at the Brajeswari Nrutya Kala Sansad in Kumbhari, he emerged as a polished artiste within a few years by excelling in three spheres of dancing, acting and vocals.
Sabda Nrutya existed since 1850 in Brajeswari Nrutya Kala Sansad and followed the Guru Shisya Parampara. As it was confined to Brajeswari temple and no outsiders were allowed to learn this dance, it remained out of sight for people beyond Kumbhari. Only male children were allowed to learn the dance, as the old gurus believed that girls would not be able to perform the vigorous moves.
Padhan brought about a major reform by teaching the folk dance to girls. Eventually, he added many nuances to make the dance form more attractive and impactful. He was known everywhere for his role as Purusottam Ram which was praised not only in Western Odisha but also in the eastern part of Chhattisgarh. He is today, one of the only surviving gurus of the vigorous dance form. His lifelong efforts have contributed significantly in sustaining the dance form including training more than 600 dancers.
Apart from teaching Sabda Nrutya, Padhan at one point was an opera director who organised opera groups and exhibited plays outside Kumbhari to raise funds for the Nrutya Kala Sansad. He also helped his co-artistes and students with their medical and study expenses as he considered them to be the flag-bearers of the Sabda Nrutya tradition.
Although he got the job of a primary teacher in his village, he quit within four years out of his passion for Sabda Nrutya and dedicated his life to the dance form. He was nominated as the member of the general council of Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi between 1981 and 1987 for two terms by the state government.
Scholars and researchers from Italy, Germany, Japan, Srilanka and many other countries have visited the Nrutya Kala Sansad over the years to learn about the dance form from him.
For his efforts, Padhan has been felicitated with several awards by many organisations including Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi and Council for Social Development, Hyderabad besides by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
