Deba Prasad Das, Pankaj Charan Das and Gangadhar Pradhan are associated with which dance?

Explanation

Guru Deba Prasad Das, Guru Pankaj Charan Das and Guru Gangadhar Pradhan were among the great gurus who revived and developed Odissi, the classical dance of Odisha, in the 20th century.

In the first half of the 20th century, the temple and court dance traditions of Odisha had declined, and the dance had almost disappeared. In the late 1950s, a group of gurus and scholars came together, especially through an association called Jayantika, to study the old traditions, the temple sculptures and texts such as the Abhinaya Chandrika, and to give Odissi a clear structure and grammar. The four most important gurus of this revival were Kelucharan Mohapatra, Pankaj Charan Das, Deba Prasad Das and Mayadhar Raut. Guru Pankaj Charan Das, who came from a family linked with the mahari (temple dancer) tradition, is often called the "Adi Guru" (first teacher) of Odissi. Guru Deba Prasad Das was known for his vigorous style, which drew on folk and tribal traditions. Guru Gangadhar Pradhan founded the Orissa Dance Academy in Bhubaneswar and the Konark Natya Mandap, and he played an important role in starting the Konark Dance Festival. He received the Padma Shri (2008).

Odissi is known for its two basic postures, the chauka and the tribhanga, its sculptural poses and its link with Lord Jagannath and the Gita Govinda.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Kathak is associated with gurus such as Birju Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj.
• ✗Manipuri is associated with gurus such as Bipin Singh and Amubi Singh.
• ✗Kathakali is associated with gurus such as Kunchu Kurup and Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair.