About Sakhi Nata dance

Sakhi Nata, boy dance of Ganjam is a regional dance form about 250 years old.its earlier version as Bhakti preaching is another 200 years earlier.It replates with Abhinaya based on Oriya Songs like Champu,Chaupadi,Chhanda & Janana ( Prayer songs) composed by eminent mediaeval poets like Upendra Bhanja, Baladeva Ratha, Banamali , Gopal Krushna Pattanayaka & others. Towords the end of 20th century,Sakhinat was branded as erotic with southern corrupting influences by a section of vested interest scholars and in the evolution of Odissi dance it was left out unceremoniously. The scholars pleaded that the neo-classical Odissi emerged from Mahari tradition & before reaching the present status took into consideration only Gotipua. The anti propaganda & the subsequent negligence marginalised Sakhinata and then it languished due to want of patronage. The Sakinata Akhadas ( The training centers) in the Ganjam district were slowly closed. Since Sakhinata was crucial for the development of the performing art forms like Krishna lila, Radha premalila, Bharata lila, Rama Natak, Prahallada Nataka & Osakothi Nata, thease suffered qualitatively,while their vitality declined, they were invaded & influenced by morden TV and cinema.

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