Mayadhar Raut passed away at the age of 92, in Delhi | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
When appreciating an art, we often forget to acknowledge the contribution of those who strived hard to draw the world’s attention by giving it a form and structure. Odissi owes its existence to the now-fading Gotipua tradition, which is considered a precusor to the classical dance form. Most of Odissi’s celebrated gurus were once Gotipua performers. And Guru Mayadhar Raut, who passed away recently at the age of 92 in Delhi, was no exception. In fact, he was the first to present Gotipua on stage in the 1940s.
Mayadhar, Kelucharan Mohapatra, Debaprasad Das and Pankaj Charan Das are referred to as the architects of modern Odissi. They redefined and codified the dance for the proscenium. Jayantika, the association they formed along with well-known dance researchers, intellectuals and art lovers, could be termed as a revolutionary step. During its meetings, the dance form’s technique, repertoire, costume and music were discussed in detail. Litterateur and theatre personality Kalicharan Patnaik gave it the name Odissi. In 1966, all their efforts resulted in the dance form being recognised as a classical style by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Kamani Auditorium in Delhi was inaugurated in 1971 with Mayadhar Raut’s performance. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Mayadhar Raut moved to Delhi in the late 1960s to teach Odissi at Nritya Niketan, a dance school, before joining Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, where he taught for 25 years. Though not many then were aware about the dance form, he trained several students. Thus, he managed to popularise Odissi outside its home state.
Delhi’s famous Kamani Auditorium was inaugurated in 1971 with his performance. With his expertise on ancient treatises such as Natyashastra, Abhinaya Darpana and Abhinaya Chandrika, Mayadhar Raut drew immensely from them to enhance the appeal of the dance form. He is credited with introducing sanchari bhava in Odissi and choreographing the Gita Govinda ashtapadis for performances.
Ranjana Gauhar, one of the foremost disciple of Mayadhar Raut | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Ranjana Gauhar, an Odissi exponent and one of Mayadhar Raut’s foremost disciples, remembers him as an affectionate person who always welcomed his sishyas with a smile. “That image of guruji with a childlike smile will remain etched in my memory.”
Ranjana, who began learning from Mayadhar Raut in 1977, trained under him for almost 13 years. “He was so scholarly and creative that you could not merely stop with learning — you observed and imbibed. He was extremely spontaneous and versatile. The years he spent in Kalakshetra seemed to have lent a new dimension to his approach. He was trained in Kathakali and Bharatanatyam too. He insisted on perfection, be it pure dance (he introduced Mudra Viniyoga) or expression. The depth he brought to his abhinaya expositions by analysing the characters was unimaginable. He would often say ‘abhinaya is the ocean and sanchari bhava is the wave, which ultimately settles down in it’. For instance, while explaining to me the emotions in the Ashtapadi ‘Nindati Chandana’, he remembered the line ‘jal bin machali’ (fish out of water) from Meera’s poetry and used it as sanchari to depict Radha’s desolate state. As young learners, we were often awe-struck by his nuanced and refined choroegraphy.”
V.P and Shanta Dhananjayan with Mayadhar and his daughter Madhumita
Natyacharya V.P. Dhananjayan, paying tribute to his Mayadhar anna, says, “I knew him from the day he joined Kalakshetra in 1955. While teaching at the Kala Vikas Kendra in Cuttack as the first teacher of Odissi, he got a scholarship to pursue Bharatanatyam and Kathakali at Kalakshetra. Anna used to share his expertise in Odissi with us while we taught him the fundamentals of Kathakali and Bharatanatyam. He was part of the Kalakshetra productions such as the Ramayana series. The Kalakshetra training enabled him to choreograph dance-dramas such as Tapaswini, Meghdoot, Brij Leela, Singhala Kumari, Krishna Charitam, and Gita Govindam.
Mayadhar Raut had a wholesome approach to dance | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
According to Kiran Seth, the founder of SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth); “the one aspect I will never forget about guru Mayadhar Raut was his simplicity and the honesty he brought to his craft. His sessions for SPIC MACAY were enlightening. A guru in the real sense, he was always eager to share. The Odissi we see today on stage is thanks to gurus like him. The dance world will remain indebted to him.”
Published – February 28, 2025 03:10 pm IST
