Bhubaneswar: An artiste may die, but art never truly dies. A gifted Odissi dancer and an accomplished performer of Bandha Nrutya, Mrs Bijayalaxmi Mohanty may have taken her final bow, but she will be admired for her powerful expressive dance.
Had she been alive, she would have celebrated her birthday on September 25.
Born in Puri on September 25, 1957, to Nabakishore Mohanty and Charubala Mohanty, Bijayalaxmi developed an early fascination with dance. She was a young girl when she began her rigorous training. She initially trained under Guru Sudhakar Sahu and later honed her skills under the watchful eyes of legendary Odissi exponent Dr. Debaprasad Das.
Under Guru Debaprasad Das’s distinctive dance tradition, she enriched and refined her artistic practice and went on to carve out a distinctive identity in the world of Odissi. While ‘Bandha Nrutya’ was one of the defining features of her performances, her abhinaya, too, was particularly powerful and evocative.
Through facial expressions, hand gestures and body movements, she had a rare ability to communicate the subtlest emotions directly to her audience.
Her contribution extended beyond the stage to the field of education. She served as a teacher at a Kendriya Vidyalaya, leaving her mark in both education and the arts.
Her artistic journey also took her out of Odisha and India. As a cultural representative of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), she performed Odissi in several countries, including Nepal, France, Hungary, Bulgaria and the United Kingdom. Her performances in Kathmandu, Paris, Edinburgh and other international venues helped further strengthen the footing of Odissi dance on the world map.
In recognition of her contribution to the art form, she received the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2009–10. During her distinguished career, she also earned several other awards and honours at the state, national and international levels.
Her lifelong devotion to the dance tradition of legendary guru Dr Debaprasad Das, and her exceptional work in Bandha Nrutya and abhinaya, will continue to inspire generations of dancers and artists.
Bijayalaxmi may have taken her final bow, but the sound of her ghungroo, the striking formations of her ‘Bandha Nrutya’, and her expressive abhinaya will continue to resonate through the history of Odissi for generations to come.
She passed away at around 2.30 AM on September 3 at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and her last rites were later performed at Swargadwar in Puri.
Kalasanskruti Pariwar deeply mourns her on her 11th day today and prays for her noble soul to attain eternal peace.
A condolence meeting in memory of Smt Bijayalaxmi Mohanty is set to be held at Buddha Mandir, Unit IX, Bhubaneswar, on September 16 at 10.30 AM.
