Congratulations to Mohanty Babu..
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One thing that Mangala Prasad Mohanty has in common with Madhuri Dixit and
Manoj Night Shyamalan is that he too is a Padma Shri awardee this year.
What distinguishes this 77-year-old from them is his wish to open a Chhau
dance academy to help take the tradition forward.
An exponent in the Seraikela form of the masked dance, Mohanty is the only
person from Jharkhand to receive the award this year.
?I was speechless when I received the news that I have got it. This is
something I had never even imagined in my wildest dreams,? said Mohanty, who
now leads a retired life in the steel city.
His name as the recipient of the award was announced on Friday. ?I have been
performing since 1942. It gives me immense pleasure that even if it is after 60
years, my work has at last been recognised,? said Mohanty.
With one of the Union government civilian awards in his kitty, Mohanty?s next
mission is to set up a national-level Chhau dance academy either in Jamshedpur
or Seraikela. ?Chhau is no more of what we had learnt. So, I want the whole
world to know what the essence and importance of Chhau, as a classical form of
art, is. This can only be done by making the next generation learn the dance,?
said Mohanty, a former student of Jamshedpur Co-operative College and XLRI.
Though final plans are yet to be chalked out, the proposed centre would be a
full-fledged institute with a residential capacity for at least 100 students.
?There will be a fixed curriculum on Chhau which will be taught at the academy.
Moreover, there will also be timely examinations and Chhau will be included in
the syllabus at both the school and college levels,? he said.
Mohanty, born and brought up in Seraikela, started learning Chhau when he was
just 11 years old. From being appointed a member of the standing committee of
Chhau of Bihar education department in 1960 to getting the Jharkhand Ratna
award in 2004, he has indeed come a long way.
?I am one of the very few living students of Vijay Pratap Singh, the former
prince of Seraikela who gave Chhau its present form. I have also worked as a
Chhau teacher for several years in Jamshedpur and its surrounding areas,? said
this former employee of Telco.
On when he would leave for Delhi to receive the award, Mohanty said: ?I am
not too sure. The other recipients are big names. Therefore, I guess it will
all depend on their convenience.?
Mohanty has composed about 17 dance dramas and in 1994 opened the Seraikela
Natraj Kalamandir to teach Chhau to local youths.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080128/jsp/jharkhand/story_8833399.jsp
