‘Her loss is irreplaceable’: Dance fraternity pays tribute to Kathak guru

Kathak dancer and guru Mangala Bhatt (62) passed away on Monday. She died at 12 pm at a hospital in Hyderabad. The news came as a shock to her fans, fellow dancers, family, and friends, who expressed their grief and remembered her contributions to the world of dance.

Mangala, along with her husband Raghav Raj Bhatt, founded Aakruti KathakKendra in Hyderabad in 1990. The institute has trained thousands of students in Kathak over the years. In recognition of their contribution to Kathak, both were honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2019.

“It is a huge loss as she promoted Kathak in Hyderabad for so many years. We worked together on many collaborations and had met just last month at a dance workshop in IIT Hyderabad.

She was a strong lady. I pray that God gives strength to her family and students.” — Deepika Reddy, dancer“My deepest condolences. Mangala ji was a wonderful dancer and choreographer who took Kathak to new heights. Her passing is a great loss to the fraternity.”— Mamidi Harikrishna, Director of Language and Culture, Telangana“It is very sad. We grew up together and she was a good friend and a wonderful guru. Mangala passed away too early. She was one of the prominent figures who brought Kathak to Hyderabad and nurtured it with passion and dedication. Her loss is a big one for the dance community.” — Ananda Shankar Jayant, dancer