Gotipua dancers of Konark Natya Mandap set the stage on fire at
Thripunithura. What makes Orissa's indigenous dance form Gotipua
so special is that it still retains an element of rawness,
distinguishing it from the more sophisticated Odissi. This
traditional dance form, believed to be the precursor of Odissi,
is free from refinement and restrictions of a ‘classical'
structure, thus remaining vibrant and full of energy. Eight boys
of the famed Konark Natya Mandap set the stage on fire with a
robust performance of Gotipua at Thripunithura. History has it
that Gotipua originated sometime during the end of the 15th
century and beginning of the 16th century. The ‘Devadasi' or
‘Mahari' tradition was in a state of decline and there was the
need to keep the dance tradition alive. So boys were trained for
this. Gotipua in Oriya means ‘single boy.' But, ironically, the
‘goti puas' always perform in pairs or groups. The structure of
the dance is such that the boys – dressed as girls – move
together in perfect sync. This