Odisha Artistes Shine in Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for 2022 and 2023
Feature: Six accomplished artistes from Odisha have been recognized for their exceptional contributions to the performing arts, as they are set to receive prestigious awards from the Sangeet Natak Akademi for the years 2022 and 2023.
Among the distinguished awardees is Sangita Gosain, a renowned scholar-vocalist and Associate Professor at Utkal University of Culture. Gosain’s dedication to Odissi music has earned her the esteemed Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Akademi Puruskar) for 2023. Another luminary in the Odissi tradition, Snehaprava Samantaray, a distinguished dancer and former lecturer at Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, is also slated to receive the Akademi award for 2023 for her outstanding contributions to the art form.
In a nod to the promising talent emerging from Odisha, Odissi dancer Debasish Pattnaik and folk dancer/musician Alok Bishoyi have been selected for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar-2023. This prestigious accolade acknowledges their promising endeavors as young artistes, reaffirming Odisha’s rich cultural heritage.
Turning the spotlight to the previous year, guru Niranjan Rout has been honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Akademi Puruskar) for 2022, while Arupa Gayatri Panda has been recognized with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar in the dance category for Odissi. These accolades underscore the profound impact of their artistic endeavors in enriching the cultural tapestry of Odisha.
The announcement of these awards came as part of the broader recognition bestowed by the general council of Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama, New Delhi. A total of 92 artistes from various disciplines within the performing arts were honored with Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar), alongside 80 young artists who received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the years 2022 and 2023.
Established in 1952, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards stand as the highest national recognition accorded to practising artistes, gurus, and scholars in the field of performing arts. Each award carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, along with a ‘tamrapatra’ and ‘angavastram’, and is presented in a special investiture ceremony by the President of India.
Similarly, the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, with a cash prize of Rs 25,000, in addition to a ‘tamrapatra’ and ‘angavastram’, will be conferred in a special ceremony by the Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi.
