How Guru Mayadhar Raut redefined Odissi
The Hindu
On Guru Purnima, recalling how Mayadhar Raut worked with a group of exponents to give Odissi its classical status
A guru is someone who dispels the darkness (‘gu’ in Sanskrit means darkness and ‘ru’ means dispeller) of ignorance and gives the light of knowledge. Since the day I began to learn the beautiful dance form of Odissi from my guru, Mayadhar Raut, he transfomed my life. In the 10 years I spent learning from him, I delved deeper into the art form and experienced it on my own terms. His teaching was not limited to technique and performance. He helped me understand the essence of Vaishnava philosophy that gave birth to this dance at the Jagannath temple in Puri. He brought a new dimension to learning, especially when explaining the verses of Jayadeva’s Gita Govind. Over the years, I realised how important it is go beyond theory and form and understand an art also from its socio-cultural and historical perspectives. I understood what is meant by a holistic approach to learning and teaching. Even today, every time I perform my guru’s compositions, I discover new meanings in the pieces.More Related News