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 Grand centenary function for Prof. Mohan Khokar and silver jubilee of yearbook attenDance- Bibin Balane-mail: punarjjaniculturalcentre@gmail.com Photos courtesy: IGNCA October 4, 2025 On 18th September, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Delhi, hosted the conclusion of the yearlong centenary celebration of Prof. Mohan Khokar - the scholar and pioneer of Indian dance history. Popularly known as Mr. Dance of India, Prof. Khokar significantly enriched the Indian dance scene through his scholarly discourses and his immense personal collection of materials on Indian classical dance. He authored seven definitive volumes on dance and numerous scholarly articles, while his collection, The Mohan Khokar Dance Collection, remains the largest of its kind in the world, comprising 1 lakh plus photos, 50,000 plus press clippings, 5,000 books, and more.  Prof Mohan Khokar The centenary celebration had started a year ago in Prof. Khokar's alma mater, Kalakshetra, where a grand function took place with Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam giving the Second Memorial Lecture (the first lecture was given by Dr. Sonal Mansingh at Delhi's Habitat at Sarojamohanam event). The event had 95-year-old veteran Guru Kalyanasundaram Pillai of Sri Rajarajeshwari Bharatanatya Kala Mandir, Mumbai, doing the honours and was attended by many senior dancers of Chennai and Puducherry. The second honorary celebration was held in Mumbai at Shanmukhananda with SNA chairperson Dr. Sandhya Purecha doing the honours. It was attended by senior Gurus like Darshana Jhaveri, Uma Dogra, Uttara Coorlawala, Sunaina Hazarilal and many others. These celebrations followed in Baroda MSU, Ahmedabad JG College, Naadroop Pune, Amritsar Majha House, Jalandhar Hansraj University Chandigarh, BIC Bangalore and Bhubaneswar at ORC. Ashish Khokar, art historian and son of Prof. Mohan Khokar who is one of the most respected names today in dance documentation, writing and archiving, ideated and curated these ceremonies in all the aforementioned cities under the aegis of the IGNCA. The yearlong celebrations were put together beautifully, reviving the memories of Prof. Mohan Khokar. While talking about the centenary celebrations, Dr. Karan Singh said, "Millennials and Gen Z, impervious to history and historical figures were introduced to the first family of Indian dance through these events." Curated by Ashish Khokar, the ceremony was graced by Padma awardees, Sangeet Natak Akademi awardees, other distinguished artistes, scholars and a huge audience. Thoughtfully choreographed, every aspect of the program served as a befitting tribute to Prof. Khokar. The guests entered from the main entrance of IGNCA which has a beautiful installation of a Theyyam Bhadrakali face and were welcomed with a performance by 25 dancers which featured Bharatanatyam by the students of Yamini Krishnamurti, Marie Elangovan, Odissi by the disciples of Rahul Varshney, and Rabindra Natyam by Guru Valmiki Banerjee's team led by Nancy Sahu.  Exhibition inauguration The inaugural ceremony was unique. Veterans collectively tinkled the antique ghungroos of Guru Kundanlal Gangani, which had been tied like a ceremonial ribbon. An antique Shiva Nataraja lock was then unlocked to open the exhibition, making the proceedings both interactive and memorable. The Deepprajvalanam ceremony followed near the Bharatamuni idol, where eminent guests including Sonal Mansingh, Shovana Narayan, Prathibha Prahlad, Madhavi Mudgal, Rajendra Gangani, Ranjana Gauhar, Malati Shyam, Geetha Mahalik, Nalini Asthana and Ambika Panikar lit the auspicious lamp. The exhibition, titled The A-Z of Indian Dance - Vignettes of Veterans, was led by 12-year-old flautist Pratham Rajbhatt, shishya of Pt. Kailash Sharma, who guided the audience through the panels while playing the flute. This was followed by Saraswati Vandana and Vande Mataram performances at the Samvet Hall by young dancers: Rahul Varshney (Odissi), Proma Mukherjee (Modern), Rashmi Khanna (Bharatanatyam), and Rohan Bhutaiya (Kathak). Dr. Karan Singh, all of 95, who has seen it all, said in his address that he had never seen a Saraswati Vandana like this and the ICCR should send it abroad as an example of different forms coming together in under five minutes.  Rohan Bhutaiya, Rahul Varshney, Rashmi Singh Khanna, Proma Mukherjee The well-curated ceremony showcased not only the genius of Prof. Khokar but also the dedication of Ashish Khokar in preserving and presenting this legacy. The premiere of the film Mr. Dance of India by Film Karigar and Jaimini Roy further enriched the celebrations. Delivering the 3rd Prof. Mohan Khokar Memorial Lecture, veteran scholar Dr. Karan Singh praised Prof. Khokar's monumental efforts, remarking, "What Mohan ji achieved single-handedly to preserve our heritage and culture is commendable." Dr. Sachhidanand Joshi, Member Secretary of IGNCA, noted that the Mohan Khokar Dance Collection is among the largest in the world and a matter of great national pride, emphasizing that it deserves recognition on UNESCO's heritage list. Chief Guest Dr. Sonal Mansingh reflected that the occasion was not merely one of remembrance but of celebration. She fondly talked about some of her memorable interactions with Prof. Mohan Khokar and his wife, M.K. Saroja, highlighting his simplicity and unwavering dedication to Indian dance. She recounted his extraordinary passion for collecting every object - even the seemingly trivial - related to dance, always without commercial intent. Dr. Mansingh suggested that a film should be dedicated solely to this priceless collection so it may reach audiences worldwide. She also highlighted his remarkable life journey - born into a Punjabi family, later training at Kalakshetra, and ultimately leaving an indelible mark on Indian classical dance - calling it a subject worthy of further study.  Launch of AttenDance in Delhi Ashish Khokar remarked that the occasion was not just to remember his father but to celebrate the rich history of Indian classical dance, to which Prof. Khokar had dedicated his entire life. The evening culminated with the launch of the 25th edition of attendance, a yearly dance book founded by Ashish Khokar with his father. The Silver Jubilee edition, themed Indian Dance in France, was released by the chief guests alongside K. Nandini Singla (DG, ICCR), Prof. Bharat Gupt (Trustee, IGNCA), Dr. Achal Pandya (HoD, Archives, IGNCA), and Mr. Aman Nath (Chairman, Neemrana Group). The evening was a truly fulfilling celebration of the work, memories, and vision of a great scholar.  Bibin Balan, Managing Editor of Punarjjani Bharat, is working on cultural advancement based on digital media platforms. His area of focus is on promotion of performing arts and digital contents under this category. He is a Yoga Educator based in New Delhi since 2008. |
