Bhubaneswar, Nov. 15: The ancient dance form of Gotipua, which has slowly been fading away because of lack of patronage, has got a fillip from the state tourism department and the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre.

The two bodies have organised a first-of-its-kind three-day Gotipua Dance Festival at Rabindra Mandap. The festival was inaugurated this evening.

The dance festival will have performances from eight troupes that continue to keep the tradition of Gotipua alive. The dance is performed by boys dressed in traditional attire.

The first day began with a performance by artistes of Konark Natya Mandap and from Chandrasekhar Gotipua Kalasansad based in Dimirisena, Puri.

The next two days will see performances by troupes from Balipatna in Khurda, Dhauli, Brahmagiri and Raghurajpur.

“Gotipua is a unique art form of Odisha and has to be preserved. Showcasing Gotipua in festivals dedicated to the dance form would encourage artistes,” said Odissi musician Guru Ramahari Das from Odissi Research Centre.

Seminars will be held on Wednesday and Thursday with veteran artistes discussing the future of Gotipua dance and the methods of promoting it.

“It is a wonderful opportunity for all Gotipua teachers and artistes to put across the problems they are facing in front of the people of the state and the authorities. We are delighted that our young disciples are getting the chance to be a part of the first edition of this festival,” said Guru Birabar Sahoo of Konark Natya Mandap.