School of Performing Arts (SOPA), HSNC University, Mumbai organised ‘Puru Arpan’ – an artistic tribute to celebrate the 85th Birthday of Mahamahopadhyay Dr. Puru Dadheech on 26th September 2024. The event, which was held at the Hiro Sitaldas Punwani Convocation Hall at the Worli campus of HSNC University, featured captivating dance performances by the disciples of Mahamahopadhyay Padmashri Dr. Puru Dadheech.
There was a standing ovation from the audience as Col. Prof. Dr. Hemlata K. Bagla felicitated Dr.Puru Dadheech. Speaking on the ocassion, Col. Prof. Dr. Bagla said that School of Performing Arts and HSNC University are honoured to have the blessings of maestros such as Guru Puruji and Guruma Vibhaji. Col. Prof. Bagla added that “The coming together of so many dancers is an homage to the guru-shishya parampara which is the cornerstone of our cultural artistic heritage. Through Puruji’s legacy, we too want to strive to create artistes who will not only excel in the crafts but also represent our culture across the globe”. She also expressed her excitement and delight at seeing the faculty and student dancers performing and representing SOPA and HSNC University, Mumbai, at the esteemed event.
Mr. Sunil Sunkara, founder and director of NataRavi, then shared a short concept note. ‘Puru Arpan’ was conceptualised by NataRavi.
In his speech, Guruji (Dr. Puru Dadheech) expressed his gratitude to Col. Dr. Bagla and HSNC University for organising this ‘ Puru Arpan’ event. Further, he emphasised the importance of continuous persistence, resilienceand steadfast determination when pursuing the arts. Guruji also spoke about how academic inclination is of importance, especially while pursuing any art form.
The dance recitals started with Shiva Vandana and Ganesh Stuti by students of School of Performing Arts, HSNC University and Dr. Sandhya Purecha's Bharata College of Fine Arts & Culture. The evening saw presentations ranging from Abhangas to Thumris, Taal to Taranas, Dhrupad to Kathakathan presented by acclaimed artists from Mumbai along with their students. The featured artists were Vrushali Dabke, Pallavi Raisurana, Gayatri Bhat, Lakshya Sharma, Vaishali Dudhe, Manisha Jeet, Aditya Garud, Varsha Kolhatkar, Tina Tambe, Rupali Desai, Chetan Saraiya, Rajashree Oak, Pallavi Shome and Smriti Talpade. The stylised costumes were of special interest.
With 131 dancers participating in the event, it was an apt Guru Vandana (reverence for the teacher), which reflects the deep respect and bond between students and their mentors in the classical arts. The event’s repertoire included a diverse array of performances such as Devi Dhrupad Tarana, Ganesh Dhrupad And Taal Basant, Thumri, Shiv Gauri Dhrupad, Kalavati Tarana, Sa Tat & Sah, Sampradaya, Lalan Lalitya, Dashavatar, Shiv Sttuti, Shiv Vandana, Taal Ganesh, Krishna Janam, Chaturang, Parvati Tapasya, Thumri, Abhanga-Kanada Raja Pandharicha, each paying homage to the divine and the cultural significance embedded in Kathak.
‘Puru Arpan’ ended up being a fitting tribute to the revered legendary Dr. Puru Dadheech and was in consonance with the ancient and revered Guru-Shishya Parampara, celebrating the rich heritage of Kathak, one of India’s classical dance forms. Everyone who attended the event, including dance enthusiasts and cultural connoisseurs alike, enjoyed the performances. The event’s success was evident from the enthusiastic applause and the audience's overwhelming appreciation.
The event concluded with the gifting of ‘Sangana’- a book on the works, contribution and compositions of Guru Puru Dadheech published by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. As a special gift from the organisers, all participants were gifted with the book after their performance. The event ended with a vote of thanks from Dr. Krittika Mondal.
Mahamahopadhyay Dr Puru Dadheech, fondly called as ‘The Kathak Rishi’ is a renowned Kathak dancer and educationist known for his pioneering work in bringing Kathak to the mainstream formal education system. A prolific writer, his style of Kathak is replete with its creative and practical aspects.
Besides reviving many extinct traditions of Kathak dance, he has revived the Pracheen Angas of Kathak, like Urap, Tirap, Sanch etc. One of his biggest contributions is the revival of the ‘Katha Kathan’ style of Bhakti Nartan in Kathak- profound way to convey stories that resonate with audiences across generations. He creates his own Katha Kathan scripts with Sutradhars, taking forward the story with his signature, “Katha sunate hain, hum katha sunate hain”.
He is the recipient of first Sangeetacharya (then D.Mus.) in Kathak and also a Ph.D. in Sanskrit dramatics. Dr Dadheech is a erudite scholar and vidwan of Natya and Nritya Shastras, a recipent of Tagore National Fellowship, Indian Government’s highest research fellowship by Ministry of Culture. For his immense contribution to the field of Kathak, the Government of India has bestowed several awards on him such as the Padma Shri, Kalidas Sanman,Madhya Pradesh Government’s Shikhar Sanman, Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.