Gangadhar Pradhan
| Guru Gangadhar Pradhan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
10 July 1948 Parikula, Brahmagiri Orissa |
| Died | 10 October 2010 (aged 62) |
| Occupation | Classical Dancer, actor, Mardal Player, Choreographer, Festival Organiser |
| Spouse(s) | Sulochana Pradhan |
| Children |
|
| Parent(s) |
Muralidhara Pradhan Dutika Pradhan |
| Awards | Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Padma Shri, Doctorate |
| Website | odissidance |
Gangadhar Pradhan (10 July 1948 – 10 October 2010) was an eminent Odissi (Orissi) exponent and teacher, who founded the Konark Natya Mandap in Konark Puri in 1986 and organised dance festivals in the temple city. Born on 10 July 1948 in Parikula in Puri in the Indian state of Orissa, he died in Bhubaneswar on 11 October 2010. He had several leading dancer-disciples, besides earning top national and international honours.
Pradhan was born on 10 July 1948 to Muralidahr Pradhan and Dwitika Devi, of Parikul. Initially, he neither cried nor moved, giving the impression that he was stillborn. The father vowed that if the child survived, he would send him to serve their deity Lord Balunkeshwar for 5 years. At age 3, while travelling in a bullock cart, the boy fell and was injured severely. The father vowed to send him for 10 years instead of 5. From age 5 to 15, the boy worked in a temple as a devotee of Lord Shiva.
While there he did chores, help and obey the seniors, look after the harvest, study and take lessons of dance as a Gotipua dancer. In this dance form, boys dress like girls to perform. The boy was fair in colour. He had handsome features and grew his hair long. He was a quick learner. Though only senior boys were allowed to learn Mardal, a musical instrument, he furtively taught himself to play the instrument while the older boys worked at the paddy fields.
In July 1966, he arrived in Bhubaneswar and entered Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya. His talent as a Mardal player made his teachers depend on him as an accompanist. Parents of female students started inviting him for accompanying their daughters for practice. Gradually he started teaching students privately. In his third year, he played Mardal for noted dancer Rita Devi and went to Mumbai. There, he started participating in many programmes. He won 1st prize in all Orissa Dance Competition held at Puri. Then came opportunities in Oriya films, opera and theatres where he directed dance sequences in their plays and productions. He completed his Nrityacharya degree course in 1971.
He received a National Scholarship from 1971 to 1973 under Padmabibhusan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. He got extensive theory from Dhirendranath Pattnaik. Pradhan married Smt. Sulochana Pradhan in 1972. By the time he had finished college, he had established himself among the art lovers of Bhubaneswar. After the scholarship he took two years additional training in Odissi dance and trained himself in mastering the Mardal. He was actively associated with many organisations such as Bhubaneswar Kalakendra, Sangeeta of Jatni, Chilika Sangeet Parishad and Balugaon. He directed and choreographed many dance items for the annual day events of schools and colleges. He got involved in Ekamra theatres from 1969. He found a patron in Kamala Lochana Mohanty of Ekamra theatres. From 1979–96 he travelled with Padmashree Late Sanjukta Panigrahi.
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