Maguni Charan Das was an Indian traditional dancer of Gotipua, a traditional dance form of
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
.
Life
He was the founder of ''Dasabhuja Gotipua Odishi Nrutya Praishad'', a school for Gotipua dance where the art form is taught in the traditional
Gurukul
Education in India is primarily managed by state-run public education system, which fall under the command of the government at three levels: central, state and local. Under various articles of the Indian Constitution and the Right of Childre ...
way. Born in
Raghurajpur
Raghurajpur is a heritage crafts village out of Puri district, India, known for its master Pattachitra painters, an art form which dates back to 5 BC in the region and Gotipua dance troupes, the precursor to the Indian classical dance form of ...
, in
Puri district
Puri district is a coastal district of the Odisha state of India. It has one sub-division, 11 tahasils and 11 blocks and comprises 1722 revenue villages. Puri is the only municipality of the district. Konark, Pipili and Nimapara are the thre ...
of the Indian state of
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
, he is known to have contributed to the revival of Gotipua tradition, which is widely considered as the precursor of the classical dance form of
Odissi
Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the Hindu temple, temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India. His style of performance is known as the ''
Raghurajpur
Raghurajpur is a heritage crafts village out of Puri district, India, known for its master Pattachitra painters, an art form which dates back to 5 BC in the region and Gotipua dance troupes, the precursor to the Indian classical dance form of ...
Gharana'' of Gotipua and his school provides training in the dance discipline, while taking care of the academic education of the students. He was a recipient of Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Tulsi Award. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
, in 2004, for his contributions to Gotipua dance.
Das died on 5 December 2008.