Ambassador Of The Folk Culture

Ambassador Of The Folk Culture

There are a few people who can convincingly play the life roles and folk artist Padmini Panigrahi of Rourkela is one among them. From the promotion of Odisha’s folk culture to the upliftment of the underprivileged, the renowned artiste has effortlessly carried out her responsibilities with much success.

For Padmini, Odisha’s folk dances are a reflection of our rich culture and tradition which should be preserved and promoted. "In the face of modernity, we have moved away from our roots. We will lose out identity if our folk culture is lost. The need of the hour is to preserve and promote the priceless treasure trove of our folk culture,” said the danseuse.

The artiste now devotes all her time to promote the State’s folk culture on different national and international platforms. Through her NGO 'Koshal Darpana', Padmini picks budding talents from economically-weaker sections and provides them platforms to showcase their skills.

Art has always been an integral part of Padmini's life. During childhood, she took lessons in Sambalpuri, Gitinatya, classical singing and Odissi. "But I couldn't continue for a long time. Being the elder daughter of the family, there were many restrictions for me. Besides, social media was not there and the only means of publicity was the radio. After a long hiatus, I made a comeback after my marriage," she says.

Padmini also excelled in studies. She holds Master's degrees in Marketing and HR from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, Science and Performing Arts from Sambalpur University. These apart, she is a qualified Hindustani classical vocalist with Visharad title from Gandharva University, Mumbai, and a trained Odissi dancer from Chandigarh University as well. Padmini is a recipient of several prestigious recognitions.

"Odisha is a cultural hub. The dance forms that have originated from here are unique as each body movement involved in them is cosmic as well as scientific. The classical moves narrate the story of the artist and instantly connect to the emotions of the audience. It has got all the answers for the artificial chaos we are living in. Hence, these dance forms need to be preserved and propagated,” opines Padmini.

She further says many people are not aware of the difference between folk and classical. Classical dance forms involve more rules and discipline while folk is performed for entertainment.

Apart from grooming young kids, her NGO feeds the poor and underprivileged people under an initiative 'Purnanjali'. "Our team collects leftover food from parties, events and social gatherings and distributes it among poor people. We had carried out a food distribution drive in collaboration with Rourkela Municipal Corporation last year. Our NGO is also distributing food packets in different slums and other areas in Rourkela during the current coronavirus crisis,” informs Padmini.

“Dreaming and living the dream have a very thin line difference. In order to make the latter happen, one needs to have a strong determination,” says Padmini who became the first TedX speaker from Odisha to talk about folk culture, its relevance and importance in life in 2019. 

"A woman's life is way more difficult than a man's. Despite all the adversities, we always manage to make a comeback in life. It means women are more powerful than we think,” she adds.