Sanchita Bhattacharya bags the Mahari Award

Kolkata: Sanchita Bhattacharya, the internationally acclaimed Odissi dancer from Kolkata, has bagged the coveted Mahari Award (2018), instituted by Adi Guru of Odissi-late Pankaj Charan Das. One of the leading Odissi soloists today in the global arena, Guru Sanchita Bhattacharya, has been taking Odissi to stratospheric heights the world over in all these years. 

She was earlier awarded “The Cultural Ambassador of India” by Senator John G Pappageorge, US, Shree Kshetra Mahari (Devadasi) by Shree Kshtra Hanuman Jayanti Committee of Shri Jagannath Temple Puri, Mashal Pratibha Samman by the ministry of culture and tourism, Odisha, among others, for her lyrically graceful presentations, spiritually charged and classically finessed body and foot work (with intricacies) and above all, her heavenly stage presence. This festival is one of the vital platforms for the solo dancers to exhibit their talent and skills and the Mahari Award is an exclusive award in the field of Odissi dance given to a dancer of national and international repute. 

Founder of Sanchita Dance Foundation in Kolkata with branches in the US and China, Ms Bhattacharya feels that the essence of Odissi dancing lies not only in the sculpture postures and the intricacies of body movement and foot work and lyrical grace, but also in the depiction of a higher spirituality making it a soul stirring and yogic experience.