Berhampur, Oct 2: Padma Shri awardee Gopinath Swain, one of the last surviving Gurus of the nearly extinct folk dance tradition of Krishna Leela, passed away on Thursday at the age of 107.

As per reports, he breathed his last at 6.40 am today at his residence in Govindapur village under Sheragada block in Ganjam district.

He had been undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar and was recently brought back home, where he succumbed to age-related ailments.

It is worth noting that Gopinath Swain was a stalwart of Krishna Leela and devoted more than nine decades to the documentation, preservation, and performance of the ancient art form.

His journey began at the age of 10, when he took on the role of Krishna and learned traditional songs under the guidance of Guru Choudhury Behera. Over the years, he went on to portray the role of ‘Yashoda’ and eventually rose to prominence as the lead singer, director, and guru of the tradition.

Concerned by the gradual fading of original ragas and traditional performance styles, Gopinath Swain embarked on a lifelong mission to collect and revive ragas dating back 500 to 600 years. During the 1940s and 1950s, he deepened his knowledge under the tutelage of senior gurus such as Akula Padhi, Harihara, Bhabani Patra, and Tarini Chandra Patra.

In recognition of his tremendous contributions to preserving Krishna Leela, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honor.

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