Hembram Bakhul at 12:43, 5 July 2021

2021-07-05T12:43:36Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kelucharan Mohapatra
| image = Closeup of the temple at Nrityagram Dance Community.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|1|8|df=y}}

| birth_place = [[Raghurajpur]], [[Puri]], [[Odisha]], India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2004|4|7|1926|1|8|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Bhubaneswar]], Odisha, India
| occupation = [[Indian classical dance]]r, [[choreographer]]
| years_active = 1935–2004
| spouse = Laxmipriya Mohapatra<ref>[http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2005/04/15/stories/2005041501680200.htm Remembering the maestro] Leela Venkatraman, ''[[The Hindu]]'', 15 April 2005.</ref>
| children = [[Shekhar Mohapatra]]
| awards = [[Padma Vibhushan]]
}}

'''Kelucharan Mohapatra''' (8 January 1926 – 7 April 2004) was a legendary [[Indian classical dance]]r, [[guru]], and exponent of [[Odissi]] dance, who is credited with the revival and popularizing of this classical dance form in the 20th century.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E02E2DF153EF93AA25753C1A9669C8B63&&scp=1&sq=mad%20boy&st=cse DANCE REVIEW; Sculptural And Sensual, It's Odissi] by Anna Kisselgoff, ''[[New York Times]]'', 19 October 2000.</ref>
He is the first person to receive the [[Padma Vibhushan]] from Odisha.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130126/jsp/odisha/story_16487304.jsp#.URDi_GduBtY |title=Sun dreamer gets Padma|first=Shilpi|last=Sampad|work=telegraphindia.com|quote=after late Odissi dancer Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra|access-date=5 February 2013|location=Calcutta, India|date=26 January 2013}}</ref>

A noted Sanskrit poet of India writes on this ''Guru'': ''Saango-paanga-subhangi-laasya-madhuram samteerna-nrutyaarnavam'', which translates as - "Each fraction of his dancing body leads to paramount sweetness, through miraculous poses and postures. In fact, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra crossed the ocean of styles."<ref>{{cite web |author=Vanikavi Dr.Manmohan Acharya |url=http://www.srjan.com/guruji.aspx |title=SRJAN, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Nrityabasa |publisher=Srjan.com |date=1926-01-08 |access-date=2012-08-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910021257/http://www.srjan.com/GuruKelucharanMohapatra.php |archive-date=2012-09-10 }}</ref>

==Early life and History==
In his youth, Kelucharan Mohapatra performed [[Gotipua]] - a traditional dance form of [[Odisha]] where young boys dress up as woman to praise Lord [[Jagannath]]. Later in his life he did extensive research on [[Gotipua]] and [[Mahari dance]], which lead him to restructure [[Odissi]] dance. Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra was a master in Percussion instruments - [[Mardala]] and [[Tabla]], which clearly resonates in his dance compositions. He was also skilled in the traditional [[Pattachitra]] painting.

Kelucharan Mohapatra along with his wife, Laxmipriya, herself a dancer, and their son [[Ratikant Mohapatra]] built Srjan in 1993.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.srjan.com/history_srjan_odissinrityabasa.php | title=History Of Srjan | publisher=Srjan | access-date=3 June 2018 }}</ref>

==Awards==
[[File:Birthplace of Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Birthplace of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra at [[Raghurajpur]], [[Odisha]].]]
[[File:Statue_of_Padmabhushan_Guru_kelucharan_mohapatra_in_the_Odissi_research_centre,_Bhubaneswar.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Statue of Kelucharan Mohapatra in Bhubaneswar]]
* [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]], 1966
* [[Padma Shri]], 1974<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref>
* [[Padma Bhushan]], 1988<ref name="Padma Awards" />
* [[List of Sangeet Natak Akademi fellows|Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship]], 1991
* [[Padma Vibhushan]], 2000<ref name="Padma Awards" />
* [[Kalidas Samman]] from [[Madhya Pradesh]] government

==Quotes Made By Kelucharan Mohapatra ==
* "Odissi is not a mere dance form to entertain people but to inspire and elevate. I don't actually dance but pray in compassion and the spectators say that this `form' is dancing."<ref name=hi>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/04/07/stories/2006040701270300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430131308/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/04/07/stories/2006040701270300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 April 2008|title=Glimpses of eternity| location=Chennai, India|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=7 April 2006}}</ref>
* "The real dance must convey the feeling of undivided existence, that a spectator can feel that he is not different from the thing observed".<ref name=hi/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
8. His work was referred in the movie <ref>"Tribhanga"</ref> as being life-changing that forged the path for the protagonists love for the dance.<ref>Odissi</ref>

==Further reading==
[[File:Nrityagram Dance Community.jpg|right|250px|thumb|A temple dedicated to Kelucharan Mohapatra at [[Nrityagram]] Dance Community, near [[Bangalore]].]]
* ''The Making of a Guru: Kelucharan Mohapatra, His Life and Times'', by [[Ileana Citaristi]]. Published by Manohar, 2001. {{ISBN|81-7304-369-8}}.
* ''The Dancing Phenomenon: mad boy'', by Sharon Lowen, Kelucharan Mohapatra, Avinash Pasricha. Lustre Press, Roli Books, 2001. {{ISBN|81-7436-179-0}}.

==External links==
* [http://www.odissidance.com/Guruji/K_Mohapatra.htm mad boy profile from www.odissidance.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090901075356/http://www.srjan.com/about_guruji.aspx]
* [http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/apr/13sld1.htm Homage to a Guru] at ''[[Rediff.com]]''
;Video links
* {{YouTube|VjkeZVewEjc|mad boy — Orissi dance - ''Gita Govinda''}}
* {{YouTube|gk1bE4zWY2M|Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra — Geeta Govinda}}
* {{YouTube|_Vn42yt98cY|Dancer Madhavi Mudgal explains, a performance of Kelucharan Mohapatra}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120910021257/http://www.srjan.com/guruji.aspx]
* {{IMDb name|1445940}}

{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1980–89}}
{{SangeetNatakAkademiFellowship}}
{{Padma Award winners of Odisha}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mohapatra, Kelucharan}}
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian dance teachers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship]]
[[Category:People from Puri district]]
[[Category:Odissi dancers]]
[[Category:Performers of Indian classical dance]]
[[Category:Indian classical choreographers]]
[[Category:Dance education in India]]
[[Category:Teachers of Indian classical dance]]
[[Category:Indian choreographers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]]
[[Category:Dancers from Odisha]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:Educators from Odisha]]

Kelucharan Mohapatra - Revision history

Hembram Bakhul at 12:43, 5 July 2021