Ancient Temple Dance from Eastern India

Odissi is an ancient temple dance form from Eastern India. Its great antiquity can be judged from sculptures in temples in the state of Odissa such as the famed sun temple of Konark and the Jagannath temple at Puri, where it used to be performed as an offering to the deity.

In modern times Odissi dance has undergone a great development as a performing art due to the work of Gurus like Kelucharan Mahapatra to whose tradition Bithika belongs, having learnt from Guru Arundhoti Roy - one of his senior disciples.

About Bithika