Sanjukta Panigrahi
| Sanjukta Panigrahi | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
24 August 1944 Berhampur, Ganjam District, Odisha |
| Died | 24 June 1997 (aged 52) Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. |
| Occupation | Indian classical dancer, choreographer |
| Years active | 1950s- 1997 |
| Spouse(s) | Raghunath Panigrahi |
| Awards | 1975: Padma Shri 1976:Sangeet Natak Akademi Award |
Sanjukta Panigrahi (24 August 1944 – 24 June 1997) was a dancer from India, who was the foremost exponent of Indian classical dance Odissi. Sanjukta was the first Odia woman to embrace this ancient classical dance at an early age and ensure its grand revival.
In recognition of her contribution to dancing and associated activities, she was honoured with one of India's highest civilian awards the, Padma Shri (1975). She is also recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1976.
Apart from presenting Odissi performances in different parts of India, Sanjukta Panigrahi has been a part of Government's cultural delegation to different countries, including to the US and the Philippines (1969), United Kingdom (1983), Israel, Delphi International Festival in Greece (1989). She has also performed in France for eleven weeks, and participated there in the International Music Festival at Paris.
She was born in Berhampur, Ganjam District, Odisha state, to a traditional Brahmin family of Abhiram Mishra and Shakuntala Mishra.
When she was a small child, she would start dancing intuitively to any rhythmic sound like the sound of chopping of vegetable or cutting of firewood. Her mother was from Baripada and belonged to a family, which had been patronising chhau folk dance for long. She recognised the talent in her daughter, and encouraged her despite some initial resistance from Abhiram Misra, Sanjukta's father. The reason for the resistance was the fact that in those days this form of dance was performed generally by temple dancing girls, called Maharis. Male dancers are called Gotipuas. These girls were like Devadasis in the temples of South India.
At the initiative of her mother, she started to learn dance from Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra at age of 4. She was assessed to be the best child artist by the Bisuba Milan consecutively for three years during 1950–1953.
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