Padmashree Pushpa Bhuyan

🪔 About

Padmashree Pushpa Bhuyan (c. 1946 – October 7, 2015) was a distinguished Indian classical dancer, celebrated for her mastery of Bharatanatyam and Sattriya, and also proficient in Kathak, Kuchipudi, Mohini Attam, and Manipuri. Born in Jorhat, Assam, she was a pioneering figure, notably the first Assamese to formally study Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra in Chennai. Her extensive training included Sattriya under Bhabananda Barbayan and Tankeshwar Hazarika Barbayan, Bharatanatyam under Guru Mangudi Dorairaja Iyer, Kubernath Tanjorkar, and Muthaiah Pillai, and Kathak under Vishnu Vaishalkar. Bhuyan dedicated her life to promoting Indian classical dance, particularly playing a pivotal role in elevating Sattriya Nritya to its rightful status as one of India's classical dance forms. Alongside her husband, Naba Kamal Bhuyan, she conducted extensive research into Sattriya, producing papers and a documentary that brought the ancient dance form to national and international attention. She performed widely across India and internationally, including in the USA, France, UK, Belgium, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and Australia. Bhuyan founded the Pushpanjali Cultural Academy in Guwahati, a highly reputed institution for classical dance in Northeast India, which has been instrumental in training numerous dancers and popularizing classical forms in Assam. She also established the annual Pushpanjali Dance Festival in 1987 to provide a platform for emerging talents. Her contributions were recognized with numerous accolades, including the prestigious Padma Shri in 2002. Awards & Honours: Padma Shri (2002), North East Television Lifetime Achievement Award, AICA (All India Critics Association) Award for Best Classical Dancer, Great Indian Women Achievers Award, Silpi Divas Award, Ambikagiri Award, Kamal Kumari National Award.