Ramachandra Pratihari and Birabara Sahoo. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 30: Two stalwarts of art will be awarded the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award this year for their contribution to their respective fields. Birabara Sahoo is a legendary dance guru whose relentless efforts have preserved the ancient Gotipua dance, while Ramachandra Pratihari has been an inspiration to many in the field of theatre.

Both veterans feel the art forms have declined over the years, yet both are hopeful of their revival.

“I have seen many generations of artistes. There have definitely been downfalls, but there have also been pioneers who have been active in resurrecting Gotipua,” says Sahoo, who is in his 80s.

Sahoo, who hails from a village near Bhubaneswar, had started his training in Gotipua at the age of five.

“Gotipua is a centuries-old form of spiritual dance. Since it was performed during religious rituals, young boys were trained to dress up as women and dance to literary classics such as poems based on Chhanda and Champu or even folk dialects. As a kid, I remember dancing at innumerable royal events for kings and zamindars. We were invited during festivals such as chandan yatra, dola yatra, jhulan and so on to enact episodes revolving around Lord Jagannath and his devotees,” says Sahoo, whose disciples include the eminent Odissi guru Gangadhar Pradhan and noted dancer Bichitrananda Swain.

“The zamindars and royal families used to promote Gotipua by inviting us to perform regularly. But ever since women started performing Odissi on stage, Gotipua slowly started declining. However, activists such as Gangadhar Pradhan had made a difference and I am happy to see more and more events and festivals dedicated to the traditional dance form today,” he says.

Talking about the award, Sahoo says it will be very dear to him for it carries the name of his dear friend.

“Kelu babu and I used to perform together. He used to be Radha in Odissi and I used to dance Gotipua as Krishna in the 1950s,” says Sahoo.

Theatre legend Ramachandra Pratihari feels there is a long way to go for the stage to revive in Odisha. “But I still hope the golden days of theatre will be back some day,” he says.

Pratihari was one of the most prominent names that emerged from the Annapurna Theatre A in Puri. But the plight of both the Annapurna theatres in Puri and Cuttack hurts him deeply, says the versatile theatre personality who is also known for his excellence as an actor, playwright and director.

“These two centres had once turned into the two main cultural hubs of the state. Talents from all over the state used to gather here. But they are now deteriorating with every passing day. However, it is good to see the enthusiasm among dramatists of new generation. I hope Odia theatre will touch new heights in a few years,” he says.