Poushali Mukherjee

🪔 About

Poushali Mukherjee was a distinguished Indian classical Odissi dancer, teacher, guru, choreographer, and institution head, primarily based in Kolkata, India. She received her initial dance training from Shree Muralidhar Majhi in Calcutta, and later honed her skills under the tutelage of the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. Mukherjee also took lessons from esteemed dancers Shrimati Sanjukta Panigrahi and Shrimati Kalanidhi Narayan. An accomplished performer, Mukherjee began performing in various cultural centers and dance festivals across India since the early 1980s. She was also proficient in playing the Pakhawaj, an Indian percussion instrument. Beyond her performance career, she was a dedicated educator, serving as a lecturer in dance at Rabindra Bharati University in Calcutta. For many years, she assisted Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra in his teaching and choreography work in Calcutta before establishing herself independently. Mukherjee founded and led the Poushali Mukherjee Dance Academy, an Odissi dance institution dedicated to preserving and promoting the art form. Her teaching legacy is evident through her numerous students who have gone on to become performers and teachers themselves. Poushali Mukherjee recently passed away, and her contributions to Odissi dance continue to be honored through various tributes and events organized by her disciples and the wider dance community. Awards & Honours: Empanelled Doordarshan Odissi Dancer, Graded Artiste, The Doverlane Award, The Sanjukta Panigrahi Memorial Award, 1st runner up in Pashchim Banga Rajya Sangeet State Level Competition, Jugal Srimal Scholarship (2013), Jugal Srimal Scholarship (2014), Gopikrishna Award, Naveen Prativa Award, Odissi Prativa Award.