Xatriya and Odissi dancer Garima Hazarika is no more
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Noted Xatriya and Odissi dance exponent and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award winner of Assam, Garima Hazarika passed away in the city today. She was 83.
Garima Hazarika was an accomplished Odissi dancer and performer who gave importance to all forms – dance, painting, set designing and choreography. One could see her creativity in all her classical dance dramas, instilled with meaningful themes and social messages. Her recipe for success was hard work, determination, and inner strength.
She leaves behind a son, a daughter-in-law and a grandchild.
Her last rites were performed at the Nabagraha cremation ground here.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed grief at the demise of the renowned dance exponent. In a condolence message, the Chief Minister said, "Her contribution in the field of art will remain memorable. Her demise is an irreparable loss to the cultural field of Assam."
Culture Minister Bimal Borah said is his condolence message, "The cultural world will always remember her contributions to various dance forms, besides the Xatriya dance."
Born on April 27, 1939 to Lokbandhu Dr Bhubaneswar Borooah and Indraprastha Borooah, Gorima Hazarika completed her BA from Handique Girls' College here in 1961.
She started learning dance from a very young age, gaining expertise in Kathak from Guru Charu Bordoloi, related to the Lucknow Gharana, and learned Xatriya dance from Borbayan Sri Rosheswar Saikia and Borbayan Ghana Kanta Bora of Kamalabari Xatra. In 1962, she got admitted to the Delhi School of Art and stayed in Delhi till 1968. During her time in Delhi, she learnt Kathak under Guru Madhab Panikor at the Kathakali Nritya Kendra, Karol Bagh, painting from Silpi Aaideu, and mask-making, sculpture and art from Jugal Das. While in Delhi, she first saw Indrani Rehman performing Odissi and found similarities between the dance forms of Assam and Orissa. Garima started learning Odissi dance in 1963 from Guru Surendra Nath Jena. She became his first disciple from Assam.
Garima met her husband, Krishnamurti Hazarika, during her graduation days. He was her sister's brother-in-law. A dancer himself, he asked her to pursue future dance training in Delhi. Krishnamurti worked in the DAVP (Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity) and was her local guardian when she moved to Delhi. It was during that time her love for Krishnamurti Hazarika blossomed. They got married in 1964. After marriage, new vistas of opportunities opened up for Garima as her husband became one of her strongest pillars of support. He always encouraged her to dance and perform better. He introduced her to the circle of art and culture in Delhi.
At a time when it was forbidden for the females to dance Xatriya, with help from Dr Maheshwar Neog, Garima worked relentlessly towards putting the Xatriya dance form on the world map at par with dance forms like Odissi, Mohiniattam and Kuchipudi. In 1974, for the first time, she brought "abhinay" with "sanchari bhava" to the Xatriya dance. She is also the one who has changed the costume of the Xatriya dance. She did away with the plain white cloth and used paat with buta designs to make the costume far more appealing to the age.
Garima's contributions to the Assamese cinema and theatre have been noteworthy. She had been a dance director in 16 Assamese films, the first being Pulok Gogoi's film "Srimoti Mohimamoyi". She had first choreographed for the movie "Pita Putra", and the movie "Ubhola Sipa" saw her don the cap of Art Director for the first time.
Garima Hazarika received several awards during her lifetime. These include winning All Assam Music College Competition, the Assam Silpi Divas Award, 1976, the Assam Natya Sanmilan Award, 1996, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 2006 and the Best Dance Director Award 1996-97 of the Assam Nritya Samiti.
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