History Of Pushpanjali

Pushpa Bhuyan (Padmashree) is a Legend in the field of Indian Classical Dance and a household name in her home state of Assam. Pushpa Bhuyan was the FIRST ASSAMESE CLASSICAL DANSEUSE to receive this prestigious Award in the field of Classical Dance in the year 2002. This Landmark achievement thus paved the way for recognition of SATTRIYA and Assam’s Sattriya Dancers consequently.

This Stalwart Icon from Jorhat, Assam spent her Lifetime as a Maestro dedicated to Indian Classical Dances like Bharat Natyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Mohini Attam, Manipuri and Assam's own Sattriya Nritya. She was the very FIRST ASSAMESE to learn mainstream Bharat Natyam in Kalakshetra, Chennai. As the crowning glory of her career she was honoured with one of the highest national civilian honours, the PADMASHREE Award by the President of India in 2002.

Born to Shri Thanuram Niamkora Bora a renowned cultural artiste of his time who was also the earliest Guru of Pushpa, she was deeply inspired and encouraged by her illustrious father to be a famous Classical Dance Artiste.

 

Pushpa Bhuyan and her 3 daughters performed extensively all over the world in U.S.A. ,France , U.K. , Belgium, Singapore , Thailand , Japan , Australia , and all the major places of India. She also ran a Dance School in Melbourne, Australia and Lille, France.

 

During the celebration of the Fifty Years of Indian Independence, I.C.C.R invited Pushpa and her troupe to be a part of a cultural delegation to U.S.A. where she performed in cities like Los Angeles, Salt Lake City etc. 

 

Pushpa's dance recitals in India had been covered by the national media like the Hindu, Indian Express, Times Of India, Hindustan Times, The Stateman etc. She had appeared on the cover page of Femina, Kumudam ( the largest circulated magazine in Tamil language). She had also appeared in the Centre page of the erstwhile Illustrated Weekly of India.

​

In Australia, she was extensively covered by the internationally famous dance critic Ellin Glick with two dozen photographs of her in different dance poses. Ellen Glick was assigned to cover her by the largest circulated, most prestigious English family magazine, "The Family circle".

Pushpa was also classified as a Top Grade artiste by Doordarshan and gave some well admired performances in the prestigious National Programme of music and Dance on Doordarshan. She had the privilege of being made a member of Doordarshan’s Central Audition Committee.

She was the founder-director of "PUSHPANJALI CULTURAL ACADEMY " which is regarded as a highly reputed institution of Classical Dance in the North-East. As such she sky rocketed the popularity of Indian Classical Dances in Guwahati and other places in Assam.

Pushpa Bhuyan had actively promoted Cultural exchanges thereby propagating and enhancing National Integration by inviting famous Indian Performing Artistes such as Smt. Hema Malini; Smt. Yamini Krishnamurthy; Shri Balagopal of Kalakshetra, Chennai, etc to participate in the ‘Pushpanjali Dance Festivals' in Guwahati.

 

Her most notable achievement was in the upgradation of Assam's "SATTRIYA" dance from a 'traditional' dance form to the status of 'Classical ' Dance'. She and her husband, Naba Kamal Bhuyan took up the noble cause of Upgrading the 500 year old dance form of Sattriya Nritya created by Sri Sri Sankar Dev and thereby giving it it's rightful status of ' ONE of the Classical Dances of India'. Doordarshan had engaged her and team to produce this Documentary

 

Pushpa Bhuyan and her Dance team comprising her 3 daughters and her students exposed the Sattriya Nritya to the world with their performances abroad and in India. Her performances of Sattriya Dance in the National Programme of Music and Dance, Doordarshan were telecasted many times on National TV in the 1990s .

 

Pushpa's Sattriya Dances at Delhi's packed Kamani auditorium was covered by all the national newspapers. All these efforts by her made it possible for a large section of dance enthusiasts and critics to bring this dance form under a scanner.

 

Thus the Sattriya Nritya got it's much deserved facelift and was declared as the 8th Classical Dance of India. Indeed Assam has much to be grateful for, towards this patriotic daughter of their soil!

 

Pushpa was the recipient of many awards and laurels both within her home state Assam and Nationally.

Awards :- 

• AICA ( All India Critics Association ) Award for Best Classical Dancer;

• Lifetime Achievement Award by the television channel - N.E. TV.

• "Great Indian Women Achievers Award" bestowed by the Indian Television Academy, Mumbai.

• Silpi Divas Award from Assam.

• Ambikagiri Award from Barpeta Sahitya Sabha.

• Kamal Kumari National Award.

Pushpa Bhuyan attained the Lotus Feet of the Lord on 7th October 2015.

​

Naba Kamal Bhuyan, hailing from a Rai Bahadur family, is a prominent Sports personality of Assam. He has many ‘FIRSTS’ to his credit, the most prominent one being the FIRST ASSAMESE TO PLAY IN THE RANJI TROPHY CRICKET TEAM.

 

During his youth, he was a University athletic champion. And in recent years as a senior chess enthusiast, he won a chess championship in Delhi in the senior citizen category. 

​

As a Connoisseur of Performing Art he is the President and Cornerstone of the prestigious Pushpanjali Cultural Academy founded by him and his wife. His exhaustive and intensive research on Sattriya dance contributed to the upliftment of the 500 year old dance form.

 

Adding feathers yet to his gainful life, at 83 years of age he became an Author having written a much admired book on the Democratic Condition of India titled “An Immature Democracy Through the eyes of an AAM ADMI”. Unstoppable, in his 90s, he is now writing his second book on the Indian economy.