BHUBANESWAR,: Eminent Odissi dance exponent Guru Gangadhar Pradhan passed away here on Monday. was 62 and is survived by his wife, three daughters and a son. He was admitted to Apollo hospitals on October 2 after complaining of chest pain and breathlessness. underwent angioplasty but suffered a brain haemorrhage four days later. He was rendered comatose and the end came at 3.40 am. Born on 10 July, 1948 to a farmer’s family in Parikul village in Puri district, Gangadhar began his career as a Gotipua dancer at the tender age of six at the Balunkeswar temple in Dimirisena village. he later studied Odissi at Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in Bhubaneswar under great masters like Pankaj charan Das, Deba Prasad Das and Minati Mishra. He also came under the tutelage of legendary Kelucharan Mohapatra and acclaimed scholar Dhirendra Nath Patnaik. Groomed as one of the finest dancers, teachers and choreographers, young Gangadhar also excelled as an excellent mardal player being trained by stalwarts like Singhari Shyam Sundar Kar and Guru Banamali Moharana. He was a constant companion of late legendary globe trotter danseuse Sanjukta Panigrahi as her percussionist. Guru Gangadhar founded orissa Dance Academy in 1975 in Bhubaneswar and Konark Natya Mandap in 1985 at Konark where he established his gurukul and hosted his annual Konark Dance and Music Festival that celebrated its silver jubilee this year. He also launched the annual Dhauli dance festival nine years ago. A Padma Shri, he was conferred the coveted Sangeet Natak Akademi Award besides the Honorary Doctorate from Utkal University. also was the former president of Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi. His mortal remains were consigned to flames on Konark Natya Mandap premises after being taken in a procession in Konark. Culture Minister Debi Prasad Mishra and Commissioner-cum-Secretary S K Sarangi paid their homage on behalf of the State Government.