Women of mettle: Meet the Aurangabadkars
by femina | September 6, 2018
The city of Aurangabad has produced many women of mettle who have made a mark in their fields. From social work to mountaineers, to educationists... we bring you some dashing ladies who lead by example.
Intellectual dancer
Meet Odissi and Kathak danseuse Parwati Dutta, director of Mahagami Gurukul.
Though having got a scholarship for studying Computer Engineering in USA post her 12th, Parwati Dutta wasn't excited, “I thought the only thing that I found satisfying was dancing. So I decided to make it my full-time career.” Kolkata-born Dutta has been deeply rooted in cultural values and academics since childhood. At the age of three years, she and her parents, writer-author Bengali father and an engineer Punjabi mother shifted to Bhopal. She started training in Kathak from various gurus including Pandit Kartik Ram, among the last artists of the ‘Darbar kaal’ at the Raigarh court. Her inclination towards art made her learn singing along with musical instruments like tabla, sitar, mridangam and more.
Her love for dancing had her move to New Delhi in 1988 where she took further training in Kathak from Padmavibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj, Odissi from Guru Madhavi Mudgal and later from Padmavibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. She joined the prestigious Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts for research, during which she took several workshops and presented stage performances of classical dance in about 25 countries around the globe.
Just when her career as a successful and world-renowned classical dancer was taking off, she received a call from MGM Trust Aurangabad for establishing a classical dance art organisation under her guidance and active participation. She decided to leave her well-settled career and shifted to Aurangabad in 1996, “I always wanted to do something meaningful for others. So I decided to take this challenge to sow the seeds of Indian classical dance and music in Marathwada especially Aurangabad with its rich history and heritage.” Mahatma Gandhi Mission Sangeet Academy (Mahagami) was founded.
Started with 20 students, Mahagami has now taught more than 2000 artists. As the world’s first art organisation with ISO 9001:2000 certification, Mahagami has been intensely involved with the dissemination and research in the field of arts along with teaching. It has organised around 1000 arts events including International Dance Day celebrations over the years involving talented promising artists, internationally renowned artists and gurus.
Dutta has authored the bestselling book on Indian Classical dances named ‘Nritya-Gatha’ published in five languages. Her work as an artist was filmed in a documentary by BBC in 1999. While she has been conferred the UNESCO cultural award along with Devadasi National Award, Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Parishad Award, Nritya Bhushan, Bharat Kala Ratna and many more coveted awards and recognitions, she also possesses degrees like MSc mathematics, degrees in arts management, journalism and naturopathy.
She has started an innovative school named ‘Vidya Aranyam’ where value-based knowledge and innovative skills will be imparted in a holistic manner.
Link : https://www.femina.in/achievers/women-of-mettle-meet-the-aurangabadkars-104417-3.html
by femina | September 6, 2018
The city of Aurangabad has produced many women of mettle who have made a mark in their fields. From social work to mountaineers, to educationists... we bring you some dashing ladies who lead by example.
Intellectual dancer
Meet Odissi and Kathak danseuse Parwati Dutta, director of Mahagami Gurukul.
Though having got a scholarship for studying Computer Engineering in USA post her 12th, Parwati Dutta wasn't excited, “I thought the only thing that I found satisfying was dancing. So I decided to make it my full-time career.” Kolkata-born Dutta has been deeply rooted in cultural values and academics since childhood. At the age of three years, she and her parents, writer-author Bengali father and an engineer Punjabi mother shifted to Bhopal. She started training in Kathak from various gurus including Pandit Kartik Ram, among the last artists of the ‘Darbar kaal’ at the Raigarh court. Her inclination towards art made her learn singing along with musical instruments like tabla, sitar, mridangam and more.
Her love for dancing had her move to New Delhi in 1988 where she took further training in Kathak from Padmavibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj, Odissi from Guru Madhavi Mudgal and later from Padmavibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. She joined the prestigious Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts for research, during which she took several workshops and presented stage performances of classical dance in about 25 countries around the globe.
Just when her career as a successful and world-renowned classical dancer was taking off, she received a call from MGM Trust Aurangabad for establishing a classical dance art organisation under her guidance and active participation. She decided to leave her well-settled career and shifted to Aurangabad in 1996, “I always wanted to do something meaningful for others. So I decided to take this challenge to sow the seeds of Indian classical dance and music in Marathwada especially Aurangabad with its rich history and heritage.” Mahatma Gandhi Mission Sangeet Academy (Mahagami) was founded.
Started with 20 students, Mahagami has now taught more than 2000 artists. As the world’s first art organisation with ISO 9001:2000 certification, Mahagami has been intensely involved with the dissemination and research in the field of arts along with teaching. It has organised around 1000 arts events including International Dance Day celebrations over the years involving talented promising artists, internationally renowned artists and gurus.
Dutta has authored the bestselling book on Indian Classical dances named ‘Nritya-Gatha’ published in five languages. Her work as an artist was filmed in a documentary by BBC in 1999. While she has been conferred the UNESCO cultural award along with Devadasi National Award, Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Parishad Award, Nritya Bhushan, Bharat Kala Ratna and many more coveted awards and recognitions, she also possesses degrees like MSc mathematics, degrees in arts management, journalism and naturopathy.
She has started an innovative school named ‘Vidya Aranyam’ where value-based knowledge and innovative skills will be imparted in a holistic manner.
Link : https://www.femina.in/achievers/women-of-mettle-meet-the-aurangabadkars-104417-3.html
No comments:
Post a Comment