Sradhananda Behera’s hands move rhythmically, as he mixes cement and sand at a construction site in Odisha’s coastal district of Puri. Now in his early 20s, Sradhananda’s thoughts flash back to the days he danced in France, Morocco, and Portugal – a journey unimaginable to most in his village.
His brother, Gadadhar Behera, now 27, is also enjoying international applause and buzz at foreign airports. Today, he drives a tractor, transporting construction materials across his village in Piteipur, just 20 kilometers from Puri town.
“The guru (who is also the troupe manager) will organize performances in India and abroad,” says Gadadhar, who currently earns Rs. 300 days.
In a dance form revered only for boys, a child’s journey as an artist often ends at puberty, leaving him without the education needed for an office job or the skills for a trade.
Today, akhadas , where boys are trained to become graceful dancers, find it difficult to attract students.
A young Gotipua dancer is seen practicing Gotipua Dance at Gurukul in Khajuria village of Odishas Puri district. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout
There are about 10 to 15 akhadas in Odisha where Gotipua is taught in the traditional gurukul style, though most of them are not homes. Each had four to five students, all under the age of 14. About 30 years ago, there were about 20 students in each akhada.
The journey for Gotipua dancers includes more than 20,000 hours of rigorous training over 10 years, dressing as girls on stage, sacrificing education, and being away from their families.
Children start in practice from the age of five. When you turn 16 and your body changes, complex hand and body movements that require flexibility become difficult. The ‘retirement’ age.
Some parents, who send their children to study, do so for reasons other than cultural upholding. Sushant Kumar Behera, a daily bettor in Puri district, is happy to send his fourth-grader son Sudhir to study Gotipua.
“It’s been hard for my son to pay for school, the teacher is responsible,” he said.
The problem of tradition
A young Gotipua dancer is being massaged with oil, regularly, at a Gurukul in Khajuria village in Odisha’s Puri district. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout
Gotipua, which translates to ‘one man,’ has children trained in singing, dancing, yoga, and acrobatics in gurukul or akhadas. They dress like girls and perform at temple festivals, social gatherings, and religious ceremonies. Originating in the 16th century, Gotipua is celebrated as a precursor to the classical Odissi dance form.
At an art exhibition titled ‘Boy Dancer’ organized by New Bridge India, a non-profit cultural initiative, and the Odisha State Museum in Bhubaneswar in the past, Gotipua fans wondered about the future of dance and dancers.
Birendra Pani, a contemporary visual artist, draws attention to Gotipua dancers in his artwork, presenting images framed with knives.
“The blade shows the risk of being a Gotipua dancer,” Pani said. “These young players are constantly on the sidelines, facing the harsh reality that at the age of 16, finding a source of livelihood is a challenge,” he said.
A young Gotipua dancer is seen practicing Gotipua Dance at Gurukul in Khajuria village of Odishas Puri district. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout
In the past, parents would entrust their sons to the akhadas so that they could learn dance and be fed. It is also common for parents to dedicate their sons and daughters to the gods, hoping to receive blessings for the health and well-being of their children. In addition, teachers will travel to different villages in search of talented children. He would persuade parents to allow their children to join and train at Gotipua.
Chitta Ranjan Malia, who holds a PhD in Gotipua, says, “After the arrival of Sri Chaitanya (considered a Hindu saint and Krishna devotee), Vaishnavism was in full swing in Odisha in the 16th century. The Vaishnavites (Krishna is considered an avatar of Vishnu), but was not approved for dancing by women. However, he preached and practiced the cult of Sakhi Bhava or offered himself as a female servant. The dance then developed its technique, style, and presentation.
Temple dances performed by devadasis or maharis (women dedicated as children to the deity) are carried outside the temple by male dancers dressed as women, Malia said.
He added that initially Gotiupa was performed in the temple area and only during festivals, but soon the dance became a popular pastime outside the temple, especially in rural areas.
The Gotipua gurukul
About 80 km from Odisha’s capital city of Bhubaneswar lies Khajuria, a village in Brahmagiri block of Puri district. Khajuria hosts a gurukul, an asbestos roof covering a bleak hall built of laterite stone.
A young Gotipua dancer is seen practicing Gotipua Dance at Gurukul in Khajuria village of Odishas Puri district. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout
Despite the dimness, the hall was alive in the morning. Om Sai Prasad Behera, an 11-year-old boy, was dropped off by his father, as other children like Dipti Ranjan Behera came. At 4:30 a.m., 15 children, all 14 years old, began the day by rehearsing worship songs. It is considered a thriving akhara, due to the number of children.
At dawn, Gautam Kumar Mahapatra, a 47-year-old teacher, walks, wearing a training loincloth. After a brief session of sesame oil massage, the children prepare for a series of nine yoga and acrobatic exercises. This includes mastering balance on your toes and performing a headstand.
In the morning, Mahapatra instructed the children to move on to the next stage: the dance moves.
“The footwork required for Gotipua is very basic,” he said. “Dancers learn poise and poise.”
Students continue their regular schedule by attending tutoring sessions to fit in with the school’s curriculum. After school, the Gotipua dancers start practicing again, perfecting their singing and dancing skills in the evening.
“I watched Gotipua play when I was young. I was impressed, and my father didn’t hesitate to send me to gurukul,” said Dipti, a fourth-grade student whose father is a bus driver near Khajuria.
“Gotipua is a dance that each dancer sings while performing, demanding exceptional breath control. However, this is being lost as modern Gotipua performances increasingly rely on pre-recorded or live songs sung by others, with the dancers simply imitating the music,” says Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi, who has written Gotipuas: The Boy Dancers of Odisha.
While a traditional gurukul is usually a house, where students live and study under the direct supervision of a teacher, the one run by Mahapatra in Khajuria is a rare institution that tries to blend tradition with the demands of modern learning.
Mahapatra expressed her concern: “As a trained Gotipua dancer, I am committed to ensuring that this art is not lost forever, but my teacher is struggling to generate enough income to support the family, let alone support the Gotipua dancer’s parents. .”
A young Gotipua dancer is seen practicing Gotipua Dance at Gurukul in Khajuria village of Odishas Puri district. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout
He emphasized that the government has not made any plans or funds to maintain the dance. The teacher does not charge his students; what they earn from stage performances, and this includes training and tuition.
Then and now
Historically, Gotipua gurukul flourished under the patronage of kings and zamindars. In the 20th century, efforts were made to formalize and organize Gotipua, which led to the formation of Odissi as a distinct and systematic dance form.
However, few dancers have made the transition to Odissi, which is centered in urban areas and focuses on women.
When leaving Gotipua, finding a job based solely on academic performance became a challenge. “Throughout the school year, we go through intense training, making us tired and unable to focus on our studies,” Sradhananda said. “When stage performances conflict with school schedules, we are often required to prioritize dance over academics.”
Sanjay Jena, another Gotiupa dancer from Balipokhari village in Brahmagiri Puri block, describes his journey. “After 15 years of dancing and traveling to different countries, my career finally ended. I was left without hope. Now, I work as a driver, struggling to earn a decent living,” he said.
Rajashree Biswal, an art researcher who has been working with Gotipua dancers for the past two decades, talks about how it is depicted visually to “show the vulnerability of the dancers … the response of the audience”.
With boys who are more hesitant to pursue Gotipua, girls have begun to take up, causing objections from ‘purists’ who feel that this changes the essence of the dance, because traditionally, women in the menstrual cycle that do not belong to the temple and ritual.
Kaveri Palei, a 24-year-old Gotipua dancer from Puri district, said the dance was a natural dance for women. “Certain movements and poses of the eyebrows are suitable for girls,” he said, adding that there was resistance, but things were getting better over time.
What lies ahead
Gurupada Baliyarsingh, the secretary of the Gotipua Sangha, sought support from the government. “There is limited awareness about the dances and challenges of the Gotipua troupe, even in Odisha. The group is often scrutinized under the Juvenile Justice Act (2015) and is sometimes detained at railway stations and airports,” he said.
He said boys sometimes wait till they turn 50 to get their pension under the Mukhyamantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana (MKSY) which gives artists Rs. 2,000 per month. This delay left them vulnerable for decades, without a reliable safety net.
Malia, who was also the secretary of Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi from 2012-2014, suggested combining Gotipua with Odissi dance.
“If Gotipua is established as a basic Odissi course, it will help in a smooth transition from Gotipua dancers to the classical form,” he said.
Dilip Routrai, Director of Culture, said the government has created a Cultural Troupe Management System (CTMS) where dance troupes can seek help for stage performances.
“The government is ready to pay homecoming allowance and dearness allowance in addition to the stage fee. We want to promote the culture of Odisha,” said the Director. Meanwhile, in Khajuria, Mahapatra is desperate to find opportunities for stage performances, whether sponsored by the government or privately, to encourage young dancers and himself, in an effort to preserve the tradition.