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| | {{Short description|Indian dancer (1948–2010)}} |
| | {{EngvarB|date=July 2016}} |
| | {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} |
| {{Infobox person | | {{Infobox person |
| | image = | | | image = |
| | image_size = | | | image_size = |
| | name = Guru Dr. Gangadhar Pradhan | | | name = Gangadhar Pradhan |
| | caption = Guruji in 2007 | | | caption = |
| | birth_date = {{Birth date |df=yes|1948|07|10}} | | | birth_date = {{Birth date |df=yes|1948|07|10}} |
| | birth_place = Parikula, [[Brahmagiri, Orissa|Brahmagiri]] [[Orissa, India|Orissa]] | | | birth_place = Parikula, [[Puri district]], [[Odisha]] |
| | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2010|10|10|1948|07|10}} | | | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2010|10|10|1948|07|10}} |
| | occupation = Classical Dancer, actor, Mardal Player, Choreographer, Festival Organiser | | | occupation = Classical Dancer |
| | party = | | | party = |
| | spouse = Sulochana Pradhan | | | spouse = |
| | children = {{unbulleted list|Sibashis Pradhan| Sanjibani Pradhan |Sudeshna Pradhan | Sasmita Pradhan}} | | | children = 4 |
| | parents = Muralidhara Pradhan <br/> Dutika Pradhan | | | parents = |
| | awards = [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]], [[Padma Shri]], Doctorate | | | awards = [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]], [[Padma Shri]] |
| | website = {{URL|konarkfestival.com}} | | | website = {{URL|konarkfestival.com}} |
| }} | | }} |
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| '''Gangadhar Pradhan''' (10 July 1948 – 10 October 2010) was an eminent [[Odissi dance|Odissi]] (Orissi) exponent and teacher, who founded the Konark Natya Mandap in Konark [[Puri]] in 1986 and organised dance festivals in the temple city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-60414.html|title=World News Headlines|publisher=Newkerela.com|access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref> Born on 10 July 1948 in Parikula in [[Puri]] in the Indian state of [[Odisha, India|Odisha]], he died in [[Bhubaneswar]] on 11 October 2010. He had several leading dancer-disciples, besides earning top national and international honours. | | '''Gangadhar Pradhan''' (10 July 1948 – 10 October 2010) was an Indian [[Odissi]] dancer. |
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| ==Early life== | | ==Life and career== |
| Pradhan was born on 10 July 1948 to Muralidhar Pradhan and Dwitika Devi, of Parikul. Initially, he neither cried nor moved, giving the impression that he was stillborn. The father vowed that if the child survived, he would send him to serve their deity Lord Balunkeshwar for 5 years. At age 3, while travelling in a bullock cart, the boy fell and was injured severely. The father vowed to send him for 10 years instead of 5. From age 5 to 15, the boy worked in a temple as a devotee of Lord [[Shiva]]. | | Pradhan was born in Parikula, a village in [[Puri district]], [[Odisha]].<ref name=Express>{{cite news |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2010/oct/12/guru-gangadhar-pradhan-dead-194671.html |title=Guru Gangadhar Pradhan dead |newspaper=[[The New Indian Express]] |date=16 May 2012 |orig-date=12 October 2010 }}</ref><ref name=Narthaki>{{cite web |author=Kedar Mishra |url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/profiles/profl146.html |title=Living a dream and dreaming a life; Remembering Guru Gangadhar Pradhan |website=Narthaki |date=8 October 2012 }}</ref> He was a sickly baby; his father, Muralidhar Pradhan, a farmer, and mother, Dwitika Devi, whose previous children had died, dedicated him to Balunkeshwar, the presiding deity of the temple in the nearby village of Dimirisena.<ref name=IE>{{cite news |author=Debabrata Mohanty |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/end-of-a-dance-odyssey/698852/0 |title=End of a dance odyssey |newspaper=[[The Indian Express]] |date=18 October 2010 }}</ref> When he was six, he became a [[Gotipua]] dancer at the temple and discovered a vocation for dance. He later trained at [[Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya]]<ref name=IE/> in Odissi and in playing the [[mardala]], and accompanied [[Sanjukta Panigrahi]] as her co-dancer and percussionist.<ref name=Express/><ref name=Narthaki/> He was an accomplished choreographer.<ref name=Narthaki/><ref name=IE/> |
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| While there he did chores, help and obey the seniors, look after the harvest, study and take lessons of dance as a [[Gotipua]] dancer. In this dance form, boys dress like girls to perform. The boy was fair in colour. He had handsome features and grew his hair long. He was a quick learner. Though only senior boys were allowed to learn Mardal, a musical instrument, he furtively taught himself to play the instrument while the older boys worked at the paddy fields.
| | He founded Orissa Dance Academy in [[Bhubaneswar]] in 1975, and Konark Natya Mandap in [[Konark]] in 1986, and also established both the [[Konark Dance Festival]] (also in 1986) and the [[Dhauli]] dance festival (in 2001),<ref name=Express/><ref name=IE/> as well as several smaller dance festivals, and ran the Chitralekha Dance Academy Festival in Canada.<ref name=IE/> He was a past president of the Orissa [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]].<ref name=Express/> In his later years, he organised a project to document the folk dance styles of the state.<ref name=Narthaki/> |
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| In July 1966, he arrived in [[Bhubaneswar]] and entered Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya. His talent as a Mardal player made his teachers depend on him as an accompanist. Parents of female students started inviting him for accompanying their daughters for practice. Gradually he started teaching students privately. In his third year, he played Mardal for noted dancer Rita Devi and went to Mumbai. There, he started participating in many programmes. He won 1st prize in all Orissa Dance Competition held at Puri. Then came opportunities in Oriya films, opera and theatres where he directed dance sequences in their plays and productions. He completed his Nrityacharya degree course in 1971.
| | ==Personal life and death== |
| | | Pradhan had a son and three daughters. In early 2010 he underwent an [[angioplasty]] at an [[Apollo Hospitals|Apollo hospital]] in Bhubaneswar, but he died on 10 October at the age of 62 after a [[cerebral haemorrhage]].<ref name=Express/> |
| == Career == | |
| He received a National Scholarship from 1971 to 1973 under Padmabibhusan Guru [[Kelucharan Mohapatra]]. He got extensive theory from [[\|Dhirendranath Pattnaik]]. Pradhan married Smt. Sulochana Pradhan in 1972. By the time he had finished college, he had established himself among the art lovers of Bhubaneswar. After the scholarship he took two years additional training in Odissi dance and trained himself in mastering the Mardal. He was actively associated with many organisations such as Bhubaneswar Kalakendra, Sangeeta of Jatni, Chilika Sangeet Parishad and Balugaon. He directed and choreographed many dance items for the annual day events of schools and colleges. He got involved in Ekamra theatres from 1969. He found a patron in Kamala Lochana Mohanty of Ekamra theatres. From 1979 to 1996 he travelled with Padmashree Late Sanjukta Panigrahi.
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| === Orissa Dance Academy ===
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| In 1973, he started an organisation called Natyaloka, drawing help and inspiration from Pt. [[Raghunath Panigrahi]] and Late Smt [[Sanjukta Panigrahi]]. He renamed it Sunati and in 1975 renamed it again, to Orissa Dance Academy. The initial 35 students included Krushnapriya Pattjoshi, Saratpriya Pattjoshi, Susmita Mitra, Dipti Sahoo, Digbala Sahoo, Aruna Mohanty, Archana Mohanty, Annapurna Panda, Jaba Dey and Ananya Das. Classes were held three times a week. | |
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| With the help of journalist B.K. Kanungo, he held classes at Sambadika Bhawan, which belonged to the Journalist Association. Another early supporter was Dhiren Pattnaik, Secretary of Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi. Orissa Dance Academy was formally registered with Pattnaik as president, Bhabani Biswal as Secretary and Guruji as Principal. In 1978, the golden era of Orissa Dance Academy began with Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and Aruna Mohanty participating in the India festivals held in Germany and Belgium.
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| In 1980, students of Orissa Dance Academy, Dipti Sahoo, Saratpriya Pattajoshi, Pagala Swain, Nandita Patnaik and Aruna Mohanty joined a cultural delegation by ICCR managed by Pattnaik that travelled to Portugal, Spain, Holland and Italy. By this time, students such as Minakshi Behera, Chapala Mishra and Mamata Nayak had started performing. The Academy relocated and became one of the premier cultural institutions of India. It has about 300 students and a 30 dancer performance unit.
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| The school acts as an umbrella organisation for some 33 other cultural organisations both in India and abroad, including Chitralekha Dance Academy Toronto, Centre for World Music San Diego, an institution in Amsterdam, Holland, Sangeeta Nritya Academy-Assam and Purva-Baroda.
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| Apart from choreography, composing dance dramas and ballets, he composed in the genre of regional folk dance. The Academy has performed for national and international audiences.
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| === Konark Natya Mandap ===
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| [[File:Konark Natya Mandap, Konark, Puri district, Odisha, India.jpg|thumb|Konark Natya Mandap in a non performing day.]] | |
| Pradhan established Konark Natya Mandap in 1986. It hosts classes on Gotipua, Odissi dance, [[Mardala]], Tabla and Odissi vocals.
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| On its three stages students and others present art forms such as Sankirtan, Paika akhada, Pala, Daskathia, Ramalila on occasions such as Basant Panchami and Jhulan Purnima.
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| === Kala Mandir ===
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| To promote Orissan art and culture, he established Chandrasekhar Kala Mandir in 1992, at Parikul, Puri. Training is imparted in both Odissi and Gotipua facilities
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| === Festivals ===
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| The Konark Dance and Music Festival was first held in 1986, at Arkavihar, Konark, becoming an International fete, presenting dancers, musicians, artists and scholars from across the globe. It is held every year from 19th – 23 February.
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| \The Kalinga Kala utsav began from the inception of the Chandrasekhar KalaMandir, Parikul, Puri about 11 years ago. It is held every year in April. Pradhan acquired a plot of land, near Dhauligiri, Bhubaneswar.
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| The 1st Dhauli Mahotsavas was held from 27 to 29 March. For this effort towards promotion of culture, Pradhan was awarded the State Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. The nation awarded him the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, by the President of India.
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| ==Gurus under whom Gangadhar trained==
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| === Gotipua Gurus ===
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| Banchhandihi Pradhan<br />Birabara Sahu<br />Mayadhar Rout<br />Chandrasekhar Pattanaik
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| === Odissi Dance Gurus ===
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| Pankaj Charan Das<br />Ddba Prasad Das<br />Dhirendranath Patnaik
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| === [[Mardala]] Gurus ===
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| Singhari Shyam Sundar Kar<br />Banamali Moharana
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| ==Awards and honours== | | ==Awards and honours== |
| Guruji was awarded the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] in 1998<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm |title=Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar (Akademi Awards) |work=[[Sangeet Natak Akademi]] |access-date=21 April 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217185616/http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm |archive-date=17 February 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref> and the [[Padma Shri]] (Indian's fourth highest civilian award) in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/myindia/advsearch_awards.php |title=Padmashri Awardees list |work=[[Government of India]] |access-date=21 April 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131221505/http://india.gov.in/myindia/advsearch_awards.php |archive-date=31 January 2009 |df=dmy }}</ref>
| | Pradhan was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from [[Utkal University]].<ref name=Express/> He was awarded the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] in 1998<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm |title=Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar (Akademi Awards) |work=[[Sangeet Natak Akademi]] |access-date=21 April 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217185616/http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm |archive-date=17 February 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref> and the [[Padma Shri]] (Indian's fourth highest civilian award) in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/myindia/advsearch_awards.php |title=Padmashri Awardees list |publisher=[[Government of India]] |access-date=21 April 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131221505/http://india.gov.in/myindia/advsearch_awards.php |archive-date=31 January 2009 |df=dmy }}</ref> |
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| Guruji received honours and awards for his contributions. Notable among them are State Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Central Sangeet Natak Award 1997, the International School of Theatre, Denmark, Canada, and the US. He was awarded the Sanjukta Panigrahi National Award on 25 August 2002 and the Sanskruti Bharatee Award from National Council of Asian Indian Association on 26 September 2002 at the [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts|John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts]]. Pradhan was the first Orissan artist to receive teach at [[Cornell University]]. He was the President of Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi from 2006 to 2007. He was designated the "Padmashree" by the government of India in 2008. Other honours include:
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| * First prize in Odissi Dance Competition organised by Odissi Bikasha Pratisthana in 1969
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| * Honorary Citizenship from the Mayor, City of Baltimore in 1988
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| * Chilika Ratna by Brahmagiri Yubajyoti Sahitya Sansad in 1990
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| * Honorary citizenship from the Mayor of the City of Memphis in 1990
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| * Shruti, the India Music & Dance Society in 1990
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| * State Sangeet Natak Akademi Award – 1993
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| * Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1997
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| * Outstanding contribution by Orissa Society of America, New Jersey Chapter in 1998
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| * Ganakabi Sambardhana – 1999
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| * Shree Nilachala Nikhilotkala Pala Gayaka Parishad in 2000
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| * Nimain Samman by Natua, Nimapara in 2000
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| * Nrutya Chudamani by Bharata Sevashram Sangha, Puri in 2001
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| * Nrutya Pratibha Samman – 2001
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| * 1st Basanta Mahotsava Sammana −2001
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| * Padma Keshari Award, 2001 by Chinta ‘O’ Chetna, Bhubaneswar
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| * Bishesh Samman by Sulekha Sahitya Sanskruti Parishad −2002
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| * State Level Sadbhabana Award in 2002 Rajiv Gandhi
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| * Sanjukta Panigrahi National Award – 2002
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| * Sanskrooti Bharati Award by National Council of Asian India Association,
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| * Parala Nrutya Utsav Samman by Gajapati Natya Mandap
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| * Pride of India in 2003 by Asha Memorial Trust
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| * Guru Pratibha Sanskruti Samman – 2003 by Niramana Paribara
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| * Nataraj Samman – 2004 by Denkhnal Sambadik Sangha
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| * Desharatna Samman by Bharati Foundation Trust – 2004
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| * Bibiddha Barna Cultural Award – 2005
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| * Nrutyamani Award – 2005
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| * Music Achievement Award by OSA Southwest Chapter in 2005
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| * Gundicha Samman – 2005
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| * Mayadhar Mansingh Centenary Award, 2006
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| * Shishu Bharati Samman-2006 by Shishu Bharati, Gop, Puri
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| * Udra Pankaj Samman – 2006
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| * Salimar Omptwa −2006 Award
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| * Pratibha Samman – 2006 by Awahan
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| * Rajdhani Gaurab Samman – 2007
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| * Sanskruti Pratibha Samman – 2008 by Sanskruti, Talcher
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| * Kalu Nanda Memorial Award, BBSR – 2008
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| * Krupajal Samman, BBSR – 2008
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| * Ghungur Samman, BBSR −2008
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| * Aame Odiya Samman, I & PR Dept. Orissa – 2008 ( Delhi Hat )
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| * Chira Sandhhan Samman, – 2008
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| * Padmashree, Govt. of India – 2008
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| * Basanta Utasav, Music Circle, Rourkela – 2009
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| * Gurupranam, Swami Dayananda Service Mission, BBSR – 2009
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| * Srividya Samman, Agragami Odissi Nrutya Pratisthan – 2009
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| * Dhara Sriradha Samman, Dhara Sriradha, BBSR – 2009
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| * Banichitra Samman (Lifitime Achievement), Banichitra, BBSR
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| * Doctorate from Utkal University, Odisha in 2010
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| ==Positions held==
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| * National Scholarship from Deptt. Of Culture, Govt. of Inda for higher training and research in Odissi Dance
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| * Member, General Council, Sangeet Natak Akademi
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| * Member- Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre
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| * Founder-Director – Orissa Dance Academy
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| * Founder-Director – Konark Natya Mandap
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| * Founder- President Anchalika Chandrasekhara Kala Sansada
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| * Founder Member – Nimapara Mahotsav
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| * President – Basanta Utsava, Raghuraj Pur
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| * President – Utkala Atma
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| * President – State Sangeet NatakAkademi – 2006–07
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| * President – Rotary Club, Konark
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| * Advisor – Bibiddhabarna
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| * Senior Fellowship from the Ministry of HRD, Govt of India
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| * Chief Advisor – Dibakara Sangeeta Kala Niketan
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| * Founder-Director – Bhauri Utsav – 2006
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| * Dance Teacher at Odissi Research Centre
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| * Member, Selection Board of the Pension to Artistes, Orissa
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| ==References== | | ==References== |
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Pradhan, Gangadhar}} | | {{DEFAULTSORT:Pradhan, Gangadhar}} |
| [[Category:1941 births]] | | [[Category:1948 births]] |
| [[Category:2010 deaths]] | | [[Category:2010 deaths]] |
| [[Category:Indian dance teachers]] | | [[Category:Indian dance teachers]] |
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| [[Category:Odissi dancers]] | | [[Category:Odissi dancers]] |
| [[Category:People from Puri district]] | | [[Category:People from Puri district]] |
| [[Category:Performers of Indian classical dance]]
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| [[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]] | | [[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]] |
| [[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] | | [[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] |
| [[Category:Indian choreographers]]
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| [[Category:Dancers from Odisha]] | | [[Category:Dancers from Odisha]] |
| [[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]] | | [[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]] |
| [[Category:Teachers of Indian classical dance]] | | [[Category:Teachers of Indian classical dance]] |
