Guwahati, Jan 26: Sattriya dance maestro Jatin Goswami from Assam was named for Padma Bhushan on Saturday.
A former recipient of Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi awards, Goswami was trained in the classical Sattriya dance form, which forms a core component of the Viashnavite culture of the state.
He has also trained in folk dance forms and ‘Ankia Naat’, a traditional one-act play created by the Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva.
The 92-year-old Goswami has travelled widely and performed ‘Ankia Naat’, Sattriya and other traditional dance forms in different parts of the country and abroad.
Joynacharan Bathari has been awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to Dimasa folk traditions. He is known as the flagbearer of the art form of the Dimasa community, known for its rich oral music, songs and cultural expressions.
Over the past six decades, he popularised the art form across the country through his performances.
Proficient in playing ‘khram’ (drum) and ‘muri’ (flute) and having given new dimension to Dimasa dances, Bathari has also authored two books on folk tales — ‘The Monkey and the Tortoise’ and ‘Tale of an Elderly Dimasa Couple’.
Reba Kanta Mahanta was named for the Padma Shri award for his contribution to traditional mask-making.
The 89-year-old native of Sivasagar district was presented with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2014.
The other two recipients of Padma Shri awards from the state are Anil Kumar Boro and Gita Upadhyay, both in the literature and education category.
Boro has been associated with the Department of Folklore Studies of Gauhati University, while Upadhyay, a retired academician, is a well-known writer and translator.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “On behalf of the people of Assam, I congratulate Shri Jatin Goswami dangariya for being awarded the Padma Bhushan and Shri Anil Kumar Boro, Smt. Gita Upadhyay, Shri Joynacharan Bathari & Shri Reba Kanta Mahanta for being conferred with Padma Shri.”
“We cherish their rich contribution and thank them for their exceptional work which has inspired our society,” he added. (PTI)
