Map artistes, gurus and coaching centres: Director of Odia Language

By Express News Service

BARIPADA: To uphold the centuries previous Chhau dance custom and hold the martial artwork type alive, Director of Odia Language, Literature and Culture division of the State Ranjan Kumar Das, on Thursday, sought assist of the district administration to map manpower requirement and revive the coaching centres. 

Attending a evaluation assembly, Das urged the Mayurbhanj Collector Vineet Kumar Bhardwaj to ask the division officers to expedite the method of mapping assets, coaching centres and hint the age-old scripts of the dance type in order that the Chhau Academy, promised by the Chief Minister previous to 2019 normal elections, can take form.

“It is important to find out the existing Chhau gurus, artistes and accompanists and the number of Chhau dance troops besides the training centres,” Das stated. As per the district Culture wing, at the least 250 coaching centres and 210 Chhau dance troops existed earlier, of which solely 15 to twenty are presently purposeful within the district together with Uttar Sahi and Dakhin Sahi. 

“At least 50-60 types of the dance form were performed over the years but those have now reduced to 20-25 types that we perform during three-day spring festival every year,” said the artistes of Uttar Sahi and Dakhin Sahi Chhau dance troops.   

Das stated that the Chhau Academy will come up and dancers, gurus and musicians get help as per authorities guidelines as soon as these particulars are sorted. “The government has been prioritising preservation of art, culture and literature and wants to generate more dancers, gurus and musicians to boost the Project Chhauni. Besides, diploma and degrees in Chhau will be provided by the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi,” the director added.

Secretary of the Akademi Probodh Kumar Rath, Chhau dance troops,  govt director of Project Chhauni Subhasree Mukherjee and district administration officers had been current on the assembly.