Gangadhar Pradhan Biography 
Gangadhar Pradhan was an Odissi exponent and guru from Orissa. He was the founder of Konark Natya Mandap in Konark Puri in 1986. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1998 and the Padma Shri in 2008 for his contributions to Indian art. He received first prize in Odissi Dance Competition organized by Odissi Bikasha Pratisthana in 1969. Bhubaneswar Bishesh Samman by Sulekha Sahitya Sanskruti Parishad -2002, Sanskrooti Bharati Award by National Council of Asian India Association, Rajiv Gandhi Sanjukta Panigrahi National Award – 2002, State Level Sadbhabana Award in 2002, Pratibha Samman – 2006 by Awahan, Puri Udra Pankaj Samman – 2006, Salimar Omptwa -2006 and BBSR Doctorate in Odissi Dance by Utkal University 2010 are among the recent honours received by him.
Gangadhar was born on July 10, 1948 in an agriculture family of Parikula, Brahmagiri Orissa. His parents were Muralidhar Pradhan and Dwitika Devi. Due to ill health of Gangadhar as a child, his father took vow that if this child survives, he would send the boy to serve Lord Balukeshwar at Dimirisena for five years. He survived and at the age of 5 he was sent to Dimirisena, where he spent till 10 years old worshipping Lord Siva at temple. He was trained in the Gotipua form of art and he was a quick learner too. At age 15, when Gotipua completed, his family wanted him to join agriculture. But he chose art and got support from parents also. Pandit Chandrasekhar Patnaik, landlord of Dimirisena encouraged him to go learn mardal from Guru Singhari Shyamsundar Kar at Puri.
While he was training, his teachers - Guru Singhari Shyamasundar Kar and Guru Mahadev Rout promoted him to join college and study art forms seriously. He got admission to Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Bhubaneswar in the year 1965. He completed the 6 years course and received the Nrutya Acharya. Later he got associated with many organizations like Bhubaneswar kalakendra, Sangeeta of Jatni, Chilika Sangeet Parishad in Balugaon and Pranoti Kalamandir at Puri and started choreographing annual day events of schools and colleges. He established Konark Natya Mandap in Konark Puri in 1986 through which hundreds of students learnt classic art forms.
Published: N/A
Updated: January 27, 2014
