kelucharan mohapatra

7/25/2019 kelucharan mohapatra

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KELUCHARANMAHAPATRA

Gouri R.

When I saw Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra on the stae !or the !irst ti"e# I was$isappointe$. To "% callow "in$ he see"e$ a wi&ene$ ol$ "an. Two 'ea$% e%es

lea"e$ un$er a 'al$ hea$# a s"ile crease$ his !ace as he reete$ the au$ience. His $ress

was si"ple(a 'rown $hoti with a 'lac) 'or$er.

*Wh%# he loo)s li)e a pi+ie,- I thouht. *How can he 'e a reat $ancer He has neither

the !ace nor the !iure !or it. No charis"a.-

/ut when he 'ean to $ance# all !eelins !le$ e+cept !or won$er(won$er at the "aic

he "a$e so e!!ortlessl%. Hispallavi 0a nu"'er o! pure $ance1 was ra$iant. /ut there wereno wor$s at all to $escri'e his abhinaya 0$epiction throuh e+pressions o! the !ace an$

'o$%1.

I was use$ to %oun "en an$ wo"en han$lin the Ra$ha(Krishna the"e. /utKelu'a'u-s Ra$ha was altoether $i!!erent. 2h% an$ tre"ulous# she shone with a 'eaut%

!ro" within an$ without. How $eep her sihs as she waite$ !or Krishna un$er the !rarant

trees, How anr% the li!t o! her e%e'rows when she saw hi" !lirt with other wo"en,

An$ Krishna ... shi""erin in e3er% li"'# e3er% son# an$ e3er% "o3e"ent,

With other $ancers sringara 0the"e o! lo3e1 was oo$ actin. With Kelu'a'u# %ou

coul$ not 'elie3e he was conscious o! what he was $oin. When I rew ol$er I reali&e$

that such spontaneit% co"es not !ro" instinct alone# 'ut !ro" pro!oun$ re!lection(an$

the co""it"ent o! a li!eti"e.

*M% $ancin an$ teachin are 'ase$ on $eep thin)in#- sa%s Kelu'a'u. *Not onl%

thin)in a'out what I learnt !ro" "% urus# 'ut also '% lin)in it to paintin# sculpture#"usic an$ poetr%. M% wor) alwa%s !alls short o! what I see in "% "in$. /ut I a" 3er%

conscious o! the nee$ to pass on to others what I see an$ what I )now.-

To$a% the ter" *4$issi nrit%a- e3o)es 3isions o! a classical $ance !or" per!or"e$ in

prestiious 3enues across the worl$. Artists# connoisseurs an$ critics ha3e acclai"e$ its

eleance an$ precision# an$ its capacit% to e+plore e"otions 'oth $eepl% an$ $elicatel%.

/ut as recentl% as !i!t% to si+t% %ears ao# 4$issi $ance was shunne$ e3en in 4rissa#

where the art ha$ rown aroun$ te"ples# especiall% at the 5aannath Man$ir in Puri. An

4ri%a sa%in $enounce$ "usic as the pursuit o! the sha"eless. 6ance was worse(it waspractise$ '% the $eca$ent. The ancient $ance !or" calle$ 4$hra7Maa$ha in the

Natyasastra (circa !irst centur% A61# an$ painte$ in the Rani Gu"pha ca3es 0secon$

centur% /C1 # was sti"ati&e$ as lew$ an$ lowl%.True# the !ire ha$ $ie$. /ut the e"'ers lowe$ in two li3in !or"s(the $ance o! the

Maharis an$ the Gotipuas. The Maharis were wo"en $ancers attache$ to the te"ples.Their $ance was part o! ritual worship('oth 'e!ore the sanctu" an$ in the !esti3al

procession o! the o$s roun$ the streets. The Gotipuas were %oun 'o%s who $resse$ as

irls to enact throuh $ance the stories o! Krishna. The% represente$ the gopis o!

8rin$a3an.


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/oth the Mahari an$ the Gotipua tra$itions ha$ their roots in the centuries7ol$ /ha)ti

cult. The reat poets an$ sonsters o! 4rissa(the 'irthplace o! Chaitan%a Mahapra'hu

an$ 5a%a$e3a(were )e% !iures in this pan7In$ian "o3e"ent o! sel!7surren$erin$e3otion.

Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra inherite$ this "ulti!acete$ tra$ition. Traine$ in chil$hoo$

in the Gotipua an$Raas st%les# he 'eca"e the sinle "ost i"portant contri'utor to therenaissance o! 4$issi nrit%a. In the process he 'eca"e the !ore"ost artist an$ uru in that

enre.

Kelu'a'u is )nown 'oth as tra$itionalist an$ inno3ator. His researches into art !or"s

relate$ to $ance ha3e enriche$ the repertoire o! 4$issi in "usic an$ poetr%. His intuiti3e

response to te"ple sculpture an$ to the pata chitra art ha3e a$$e$ new $i"ensions to hischoreoraph%.

A'o3e all# Kelu'a'u has 'een an inspirin an$ $e"an$in uru to a lare nu"'er o!$isciples !ro" all o3er In$ia an$ "an% parts o! the worl$.

To$a% 4$issi has per!or"in artists o! 9ualit%. /ut there is no other uru o!

Kelucharan Mahapatra-s stature to perpetuate the tra$ition.I! %ou as) hi" a'out this Kelu'a'u will sa%# *6on-t i"aine that a reat art !or"

$epen$s on a !ew in$i3i$uals here an$ there. As lon as the o$s in our te"ples stan$#

our arts will $raw their li!e !orce !ro" the". As !or 4$issi# it has sur3i3e$ reater perio$s

o! $ecline. I $on-t thin) we nee$ to worr% a'out its !uture. I! a sinle uru appears in a

hun$re$ %ears# it "eans all the "asters are ali3e in hi".-

Who can 9uestion the !aith o! a "aster

:R4M THE EARTH T4 THE 2TAR2

M% earliest "e"ories are o! a "err% an$ care!ree chil$hoo$ a"on the trees an$ the

reen !iel$s o! "% little 3illae. This was Rahura;pur near the te"ple7town o! Puri in4rissa.


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is the roup7sinin o! $e3otional sons. 2o"eti"es# as he sat an$ painte$ 9uietl%# I

woul$ re"e"'er the thrill o! the $ru"s. He ha$ a s"all 'o+ !or paint 'rushes. That 'o+

ha$ resonant si$es. 2lowl% I woul$ start tappin upon it. M% !ather woul$ loo) up# s"ilein$ulentl% an$ sa%#-Co"e on# I-ll teach %ou (6hir)itata)a# $hir)itata)a# )hi"ri)ita#

)hi"ri)ita,-

I woul$ pla% those soun$s on "% 'o+ $ru". The roo" woul$ resoun$ with ourenthusiastic7$ru""in(-$hir)u$# $hir)u$# $hir)u$...-

4rissa is a lan$ !ull o! "usic an$ $ance. 4ur 3illae too ha$ its $ance troupes# two o!

the". The% per!or"e$ a tra$itional $ance calle$ Gotipua nrit%a in which %oun 'o%s too)

part. The% were $resse$ up as opis# or the cowher$ irls o! 8rin$a3an. 4ur 3illae ha$ a

!a"ousjatrapart% or !ol) theatre as well.

I rew up in this worl$ !ull o! son an$ $ance# $ru"s an$ 'ells. M% heart echoe$ to

the *tha" ta$ina"ta- !ro" the san)irtan# the *tha7thai7thai- o! the otipua roups an$ thepopular sons o! the ;atra. Within the house there was o! course !ather-s "ri$an. I was

alwa%s $ancin an$ i"itatin the $ancers I saw.

M% ran$"other lo3e$ "e $earl%. 2he woul$ encourae "e '% as)in "e to $ance !orher. At once I woul$ leap an$ twist an$ prance. 2he woul$ 'e $oin so"e househol$

wor)(cleanin rice# strinin !lowers# or e3en pra%in(an$ woul$ $rop her wor) an$watch "% antics with $eliht. When I stoppe$ to catch "% 'reath she woul$ 'urst out#

*This 'o% "ust certainl% 'eco"e a $ancer. He is a 'orn artist,-

2o"eti"es I woul$ i"itate the sinin an$ the actin I saw in the ;atra pla%s at the3illae. I har$l% un$erstoo$ the "eanin o! what I $i$# 'ut "% i"itation was 3er% oo$#

!ull o! "% own en;o%"ent o! what I was $oin. M% !ather saw "% capers an$ reali&e$

that I ha$ a )een sense o! rh%th". He woul$ sa%# *At this %oun ae he learns 9uic)l%. Hehas no inhi'itions. Perhaps I shoul$ sen$ hi" to 'e traine$ properl% '% so"e reat $ance

teacher in Puri.- /ut "% "other woul$ not aree to sen$ "e awa% so !ar !ro" her. I was

too %oun an$ too precious,

4ur 3illae ha$ its little school. There the $a% 'ean with a lon recitation o! shlo)as.

When the lessons woul$ start. An$ to "e# the% see"e$ to o on !ore3er. M% heart was notin "% stu$ies at all. I was alwa%s lost in "% own worl$ o! *sa7ri7a7"a7pa- an$ *$hi" ta

$hi"-. I woul$ sit in the class an$ $rea" o! $ancin. How coul$ an% teacher 'e please$

with "e

4ne $a% I was $ancin as usual at ho"e# when /hala'ha$ra 2ahu# the 3illae $ance

"aster# $roppe$ in. He watche$ "% wil$ %rations !or a !ew "inutes. His e%es rew wi$e

in surprise an$ his e%e'rows rose. He turne$ to "% "other an$ e+clai"e$# *Are%, This iswon$er!ul,


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this Gotipua $ance. I )now %ou ha3e ta)en reat pains train to hi". /ut i! he $ances at

all# I want it to 'e oo$ an$ pure an$ no'le. Ne3er this,-

I was terri!ie$ '% that e+plosion. /ut I learnt later that what !ather sai$ was true. Well#

I ne3er went 'ac) to the 3illae $ance class aain.

/ut so"ethin oo$ $i$ co"e out o! that scene. :ather reali&e$ I ha$ set "% heart on

$ancin. He $eci$e$ to sen$ "e to the riht uru.

This was Mohanchan$ra 6e3oswa"i who was a learne$ an$ respecte$ teacher o!

Raas nrit%a in Puri.

Raas nrit%a is a roup $ance with so"e 'its o! $ra"a in7'etween. It $escri'es# with alot o! !eelin !or the characters# Krishna-s li!e !ro" his 'irth to the )illin o! Ka"sa.

Krishna-s pran)s in 8rin$a3an are $epicte$ in $etail. In other wor$s# %ou can sa% that

Raas nrit%a is another wa% o! worshippin Krishna(not with !lowers an$ lihts# 'ut withson an$ $ance an$ actin.

2oon I learnt all the roles that were to 'e pla%e$ on the stae. It was the stor% whichlin)e$ the $ance an$ "a$e it co"e ali3e. I was co"pletel% lost in it# lost in the lor% o!

Krishna. Li3in with Krishna all the ti"e(in rehearsals# per!or"ances an$ $rea"s(I'ean to 'elie3e that all the stories we acte$ out were true. I coul$ no loner separate thestor% !ro" "% li!e.

/ut Raas nrit%a is li)e that. It can arouse so "uch e"otion as to et the spectators into

a !ren&%. The% woul$ co"e an$ !all at the !eet o! the actors who pla%e$ Ra$ha an$Krishna,

43erwhel"e$ '% all these e+periences# one $a%# so"e o! the %oun 'o%s in the troupewent to the railwa% station to catch a train to 8rin$a3an. I was onl% thirteen. I thouht

that at the en$ o! the ;ourne%# I woul$ "eet Ra$ha an$ Krishna# i! not earlier on the

railwa% plat!or"# at least un$er so"e sha$% tree near the ri3er


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coul$# an$ was alwa%s '% his si$e. I was in chare o! "anain his househol$ an$

)eepin accounts. I slept near hi" so that I coul$ 'e on han$ i! he calle$ at niht. I woul$

"a)e his 'e$# wash his clothes# run erran$s# press his !eet($o an%thin he wante$. Itwas-Kelu7$o7this-#-Kelu7co"e7here- all the ti"e,

Meanwhile# "% !ather ha$ ha$ a heart attac) an$ $ie$. He le!t a "essae !or his

chil$ren. The% were sa$ wor$s !ro" a "an who owne$ up to his !ailures@ *I $ie in utterpo3ert%# lea3in onl% "% lo3e !or "% sons. Tell the" to 'e con!i$ent# ne3er o3er7

con!i$ent. I ha3e 'een $rowne$ in $e'ts. Tell the" the% "ust ne3er 'orrow "one%# thatour na"e shoul$ ne3er 'e $ishonoure$. *A!ter this "% uru tauht "e with reater lo3e.

Whate3er = a" to$a% is entirel% $ue to his 'lessins.


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:or %ears "% uru ha$ 'een a!!licte$ with lepros%. :or eiht %ears I ha$ nurse$ hi"#

cleane$ his woun$s# put "e$icine on the" an$ pra%e$ !or his wel!are.

*There is no one to ser3e "e as %ou ha3e $one#- "% uru sai$ to "e. *Are %ou reall%

oin to lea3e "e li)e this# sic) an$ !ull o! su!!erin-

M% silence "a$e hi" anr%. He curse$ "e# *

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kelucharan mohapatra