In one of his performances late Odissi Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra wore a costume designed by Bhagirathi Das (below). Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 25: The late Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and almost all his famous disciples, starting from the late Sanjukta Panigrahi to Kumkum Mohanty and Illeana Citaristi have been draped by costume designer Bhagirathi Das.

The sexagenarian was the first to design the readymade attire for Odissi dancers and even after four decades, he remains very much in demand when it comes to big performances of Odissi dance.

The Kelucharan Mohapatra Award for this year has been announced for Bhagirathi Das for his lifetime contribution to Odissi dance through his costumes.

In 1965 Bhagirathi Das of Cuttack was a young carpenter who had gone to Kumkum Mohnaty’s residence to design furniture. That is when Mohanty introduced him to Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, who at that time was looking for a creative person to design readymade costumes for the Odissi dancers.

“Odissi was its growing phase then. Setting the saris firmly with perfect pleats for the dancer to move freely used to take a very long time. But Kelu babu wanted something instant and readymade,” reminisces Das.

After Mohapatra discovered the latent talent in Das, he took three days to explain minute details of the costume of the male and female dancers to Das.

When Das started creating the Khandua Paatta saris as readymade Odissi costumes, the dancers seemed to love it.

“Guruji (Kelucharan Mohapatra) used to take hours before the programme to explain us the dressing style, especially the arrangement of pleats on the costume.

“But finally when we saw these costumes, we just loved them. Das’s hands are skilled in this art,” says danseuse Mohanty.

When Odissi was not as popular as it is at present, Das received only two to three orders per day. But today his work has transformed into a family business with huge orders from all over the country.

“My sons have joined this profession a few years ago. We get bulk orders from Calcutta, Delhi and other places in India and America and Canada too,” he says adding the orders go up to at least 70 pieces every month.

However his shop Odissi Tailor at Chandni Chowk in Cuttack, is still there.

“I have never expanded my store or opened branches although the demand is increasing in Bhubaneswar,” Das says.

Over the years, the patterns have changed he observes. “The odhni designs have changed and have the patterns on the borders. The kuchha (pleats) have also become more circular,” says Das.

The price for each costume is Rs 1,500 at Das’ store. “It’s a lot of hard work and not many of my artisans have picked it up fully yet. People think it’s easy but the specifications and details are too many for one to gain mastery in the work,” he says.

The list of his clientele includes Hema Malini and her daughters Esha and Ahana Deol, renowned names such as Sonal Mansingh, Dona Ganguly and many other Odissi dancers of national and international repute.

Speaking of the award that was given to him by the Srjan dance academy run by Ratikanta Mohaptra, Kelucharan Mohaptra’s son, Das says, “It is Kelu babu’s blessing for me. My family and I will always miss him.”