Sujata Mohapatra selected for Sangeet Natak Akademi award

KalingaTV News Network

Bhubaneswar: Renowned Odissi exponent Sujata Mohapatra has been selected for the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2017, for her outstanding contribution to Odissi. She is the only one from the state to receive the award for the year.

She will be conferred the award by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind at a function in New Delhi.

A meeting of the General Council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi held on June 8 at Imphal, Manipur, selected the Odissi dancer and 41 other artistes across the country.

Born in Balasore, Sujata Mohapatra learnt Odissi from Guru Sudhakar Sahu and later from Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. She is married to Guru Kelucharan’s son Ratikant Mohapatra.

Other artistes who have been selected to receive the award include Janmajay Saibabu (Chhau), Shobha Koser (Kathak), LN Oinam Ongbi Dhoni Devi (Manipuri), Rama Vaidyanathan (Bharatnatyam), Madambi Subramaniam (Kathakali), Deepika Reddy (Kuchipudi), Ramkrishna Talukdar (Sattriya), and Ashit Desai (music for dance), Anwar Khan Manganiyar (Folk Music, Rajasthan), Abhiram Bhadkamkar (Playwriting).