Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2016 awarded to Jharana Das

Renowned Odia cine actress Jharana Das and renowned Odishi dance guru Kishore Kumar Mohanty were honored with the prestigious Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2016 for lifetime achievement.

About Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra :-

GuruKelucharan Mohapatra was an Indian classical dancer, guru, and proponent of Odissi dance, who is credited for the revival of the classical dance form in the 20th century.

• He is the first person to get Padma Vibhushan from Odisha.
• A noted Sanskrit poet of India writes on this Guru ‘that Saango-paanga-subhangi-laasa-madhuram samteerna-nrutyaarnavam‘ which means – Each fraction of his dancing body leads to paramount sweetness through the miraculous pose and postures. In fact, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra crossed the ocean of styles.
• He won several prizes include Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 1966, Padma Shri, 1972, Padma Bhushan, 1989, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, 1991, Padma Vibhushan, 2000, Kalidas Sammanfrom Madhya Pradesh

Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra 2016 :

The annual awards were presented by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaikon the concluding evening of the 5-day 22nd Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra Award Festival. The Award was instituted by Srjan in 1995 to generate a feeling of cultural amity among performing arts fraternity and acknowledging the excellence and contribution of great artists in the field of dance, music, theatre and cinema.

• Odia cine actress Jharana Das and renowned Odishi dance guru Kishore Kumar Mohanty were honored with the prestigious Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2016 for lifetime achievement. 
• Jharana Das – Major 60s Oriya actress in melodramas like Amada Bata, Abhinetri and esp. the classic Malajanha. Born in a Christian family; a noted child artist on AIR, Cuttack. Learnt dance from Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra, the main dance teacher in the classical form of Odissi. Returned to radio work and achieved immense popularity in radio plays before joining films with Amada Bata. Appointed assistant station director for Cuttack Doordarshan and acted in TV programmes.
• The award, given in memory of the revered Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, carries a cash prize of Rs one lakh and a citation.
  
• Guru Kelucharan Mohaptra Yuva Prativa Samman 2016 for exceptional diligence and accomplishment was presented to Rajib Bhattacharya (Odissi-Dance), Madhusmita Mohanty (Odissi-Dance), P Praveen Kumar (Bharatnatyam-Dance) and Rupak Kumar Parida (Odissi-Vocal).
  
  Guru Kelucharan Mohaptra Nrutya Kala Samman 2016 for exemplary commitment to the practice and performance of Odissi Dance was given to Madhubrata Satapathy.