Bhubaneswar: The government is all set to roll out a special initiative titled ‘Gotipua Project’ to breathe new life into the century-old Gotipua dance.
Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj made the announcement at the closing ceremony of three-day State-level Gotipua Dance Festival held at Utkal Rangamanch here on Monday.
Attending as the Chief Guest, the Minister said, “I thank the gurus who have struggled to keep Gotipua alive and relevant in the modern age. This dance form has earned Odisha recognition both at home and abroad. To preserve its essence, the government will soon launch the Gotipua Project. The initiative will cover not only gurus but also young learners, ensuring that our tradition, history, and culture remain intact.”
The event was also graced by department Secretary Dr. Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya and Vice-Chancellor of the Utkal University of Culture Prof Prasan Kumar Swain.
On this occasion, Guru Gobind Chandra Pal, Dr ChittaranjN Mallia, Guru Dhaneswar Swain, Guru Satyapriya Pallai, Dr Snehaprava Samantaray and Guru Neelachala Mohapatra were felicitated. Later they took part in the panel discussion on the topic ‘The Uniqueness of Gotipua & Its Ancient Attires’.
After the felicitation ceremony, what came as a pleasant surprise was 83 years old Gotipua dancer Guru Bhagirathi Mohaptra’s performance. His agility at this age left the audience spellbound.
Then, the Gotipua dancers of Nakshatra Gurukula presented vibrant ‘Bandh Nrutya’ and captivated the audience with their acrobatic formations.
A visibly moved, the Minister expressed displeasure that the veteran artiste had not been included in the state’s monthly pension scheme for artistes and directed officials to look into the matter.
The three-day festival, organised with the support of the Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department in collaboration with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre, Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi and Lokakala Sangha, began on August 30 which witnessed participation of as many as 20 Gotipua dance troupes from across Odisha.
