The 25th edition of the National Art Exhibition began on Sunday at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA)’s National Art Gallery, returning to its full normalcy after being held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
A cluster of potters in Patuakhali’s Bauphal upazila, some 240 kilometres south of capital Dhaka, say they have made sales of around Tk 1 crore of earthen products, including some abroad, centring Pahela Baishakh.
Dance like a boy
Updated:
Updated:
April 22, 2021 20:14 IST
Traditionally performed by young men, Gotipua, the precursorof Odissi, is being modernised and gentrified, losing the raw energy that is its essence
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Gotipua performers during a rehearsal
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Traditionally performed by young men, Gotipua, the precursorof Odissi, is being modernised and gentrified, losing the raw energy that is its essence
They are known as Gotipuas (‘goti’ means single and ‘pua’ is boy in Odia), but they have to dance dressed as girls and in groups. Born out of the tradition of devotion, the struggle for survival over the years has reduced them to mere entertainers. A precursor of Odissi, Gotipua is now facing the biggest threat from Odissi itself.