Guwahati: Renowned Sattriya and Odhissi dancer from Assam, Gorima Hazarika breathed her last at the age of 83 in Guwahati on Friday.
Hazarika was a superb Sattriya dancer of her era. She was a skilled Kathak dancer and performer who was also interested in painting, set designing, and choreography. Her writings conveyed societal messages and deep issues.
Hazarika was born on April 27, 1939 to Lokbandhu Dr. Bhubaneshwar Barua and Indraprabha Barua in Assam’s Guwahati. She was the youngest of five siblings.
She started taking dance training at an early age and grew to be a master in Sattriya and Kathak. In 1962, she enrolled at the Delhi School of Art. She was instantly captivated to it when she discovered connections between Odissi and Sattriya.
She put in a lot of effort alongside Pt. Dr. Maheswar Neog to popularise Sattriya during a time when women were not allowed to. Additionally, she is recognised with replacing the basic white fabric with paat and buta motifs in the Sattriya dance outfit.
She is known to have had a performance at the inaugural SAARC South Asian Festival in 1992. She performed in the Unity Concert in 1998.
Her other notable appearances include those at the Republic Day Celebration hosted by the Sangeet Natak Academy in Shillong, Meghalaya, in 2000 and the 15th Konark Dance Music Festival in Orissa, in 2001.
Hazarika is also well-known for her work in Assamese film. She had worked as a dance director on as many as 16 Assamese movies, with her first being in Pulok Gogoi’s “Srimoti Mohimamoyi.”
Gorima had been involved in the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship’s (IIE) cluster development projects for the previous ten years.
She has received quite a few accolades over the years in recognition of all her accomplishments. The All-Assam Music College Competition was won by her. Hazarika received the Assam Natya Sanmilan Award in 1996 and the Assam Silpi Divas Award in 1976.
She received the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 2006. Hazarika also received the Assam Nritya Samiti Award for Best Dance Director for 1996–1997.