Veteran dance guru P. Kamalaksha Acharya passes away

Team Udayavani, Jan 15, 2025, 8:46 AM IST

Belthangady: P. Kamalaksha Acharya, a renowned Bharatanatyam guru and recipient of the Rajyotsava Award, passed away in Mangaluru on January 14 at the age of 78.

Life and Legacy

Hailing from Paddire, Acharya founded the dance institute ‘Nritya Niketan’ in Belthangady in 1976, training thousands of students in Bharatanatyam. He served as a primary school teacher, headmaster, and resource person before retiring.

Acharya also contributed as a dance examiner and advisor for the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board since 1986. He received numerous accolades, including the Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy’s ‘Nritya Vidyanidhi,’ a district-level best teacher award, and the Dakshina Kannada district Rajyotsava Award.

Professional Contributions

As the founding president of the Karnataka Coastal Dance Arts Council, he led the organization since 2009. Trained under U.S. Krishnaraya at Kadri Dance Academy and later under V.S. Kaushik at Sanatana Kalakshetra, Acharya earned a diploma in dance.

He is survived by two daughters. His passing marks the end of an era for Bharatanatyam in Karnataka.