In a chat with SNA awardee Dr. Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi (dancer/art writer/biologist and a former Vice-Chancellor of Sambalpur University) at ICCR Kolkata, the scientist cum dance aficionado shared and revealed a lot of the Odissi story which roused the interest of this reviewer. She has been awarded the Padma Shri for her biological research studies by the government of India.
Read the interview in the site
It's interesting that Priyambada Hejmadi fails to mention who it was that sent her from Ravenshaw College to the Youth Festival in Delhi. That's well known. Not only did the then Vice President of the Ravenshaw Cultural Association send her, it was he who insisted that Odissi be entered as a classical dance, and not a folk dance, which is what the organizers wanted, thereby making history for Odissi and officially entering it into the roster of classical Indian dances. His contribution ito the making of Odissi as it is now known, is of utmost and pivotal importance.The same learned and most revered Professor subsequently sent Susama Tej, then known as Susama Misra, to the festival Hejmadi went to. Hejmadi was 18 or 19 and a student — she couldn't have sent herself: she had to be sent by the Ravenshaw College Cultural Association.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a good idea to check out the name of the legendary Ravenshaw College professor who sent Hejmadi, with Dr Susama Tej who resides in Bhubaneswar.