Krishna Leela Guru Gopinath Swain passes away

BHUBANESWAR: Guru Gopinath Swain, one of the last Gurus of the near-extinct folk dance tradition of Krishna Leela, passed away on Thursday. He was 107. A native of Govindapur village in Sheragada block of Ganjam, Swain was suffering from age-related ailments and was bedridden since last few months. For close to nice decades, Swain documented, preserved, promoted and performed Krishna Leela and in recognition of his efforts in propagating the cultural tradition, Centre had conferred on him the Padmashree Award in 2024. Born on February 15, 1918, Swain began learning Krishna Leela from the young age of 10 years from his father's elder brother. He then began singing the songs and playing the role of Krishna, learning them from Guru Choudhury Behera. Specialising in the Krishna Leela authored by 18th-century saint Babaji Dukhisyama Dasa in Odia language and based on Odissi music, Swain widely performed and trained hundreds of students in this form through several traditional akhada schools. People from different walks of life paid their tributes. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his condolences. Guru Gopinath Swain will remain eternally memorable for his contributions to the folk art world of Odisha. I convey my condolences to the bereaved family and pray to Lord Shri Jagannath for the peace of the departed soul, he wrote on X. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik said Guru Swain dedicated his life in enriching Odisha's folk art of Krishna Leela and is a source of inspiration for all. Swains mortal remains were consigned to flames at his native village.