Dikhyaa Mohanty 
This year, four Odisha residents will be awarded the Padma Shri in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their fields. Gopinath Swain, a Krishna Leela artist from Ganjam district; Bhagabat Padhan, a Sabda Nrutya folk dance exponent from Bargarh; Binod Maharana, a renowned “Pattachitra” artist from Khurda; and Binod Kumar Pasayat, a lyricist and dramatist from Sambalpur, were among the names on the list of Padma Award winners released by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday.
Gopinath Swain has dedicated his life to upholding and advancing the Krishna Leela singing tradition. Gopinath has sung and taught five ancient ragas, including Dakhinasri, Chinta Desakhya, Todi Bhatiari, Kumbha Kamodi, and Bhatari. He comes from a family of Krishna Leela performers. In addition, Gopinath (105) founded Akhadas and trained hundreds of followers.
For more than fifty years, Bhagabat Padhan has devoted his life to popularizing the folk dance known as Sabda Nrutya, also known as the Mahadev dance. Additionally, Bhagabat (85 years old) has taught Sabda Nrutya to over 600 dancers. The Odia Language Literature and Culture Department presented Binod Maharana with the Dharmapada Award in 2019. He uses tempera as a traditional painting medium.
Sambalpur is where Binod Kumar Pasayat, a hairdresser by trade, began his writing career. With the well-known Sambalpuri play “Mui Nai Mare” (I will never die), he became well-known. In addition, he is the author of numerous popular Sambalpuri songs, such as those for the Odia movies Samarpan, Adivasi, and Para Stri.
