Dhamnagar: At a time when the ‘Satyapeer Pala’ folk art is struggling hard to remain afloat amongst scores of other mediums of entertainment, Dhani Shah, an octogenarian, is still presenting it with enthusiasm.
Dhani hails from the Sayadjafar (Godiapokhari) village of Bayangdihi panchayat in this block in Bhadrak district.
Legend has it that Hussain Shah started this tradition to maintain harmony between two communities -Hindu and Muslim – during the time when Mughals were in power.
This art was at that time used to spread the message of brotherhood with Muslim ‘fakirs’ going from village to village carrying the message of peace.
It is believed that some of those families of the ‘fakir’ community of the Mughal era were left behind at Godiapokhari. Dhani’s forefathers used to perform ‘Satyapeer Pala’ at villages.
Now, it is Dhani who is carrying the struggling-for-survival legacy. Even at the age of 82 he is performing the art without changing its style and spirit.
Dhani says he has been performing ‘Satyapeer Pala’, also known as ‘Fakir Pala’, since he was 15, and over the years he has managed to create a name for himself in this art form.
Apart from his own group, his two sons – Ajmer Shah and Tajmer Shah – and three Hindus – Hrushikesh Nath, Indramani Majhi and Kushashan Sutar – trained by him as ‘palias’ (assistants), he has formed three new groups to propagate the art and get back its lost sheen.
For his untiring efforts towards keeping an ancient folk art alive, Dhani has won many awards. Apart from being felicitated by the Bhadrak district administration, he has received the Guru Surendra Jena Samman at a function in Bhubaneswar.
He was also honoured at Bhadrak Mahotsav and Dhamnagar Mahotsav. Some cultural organisations like the Shree Shree Utkal Bharati Nikhilotkal Adivasi Harijan Pala Parishad, Neelachal Nikhilotkal Pala Gayak Parishad and Utkal Keshari Regional Pala Parishad have also felicitated him.
Dhani says, “Satyanarayan Puja and Pala are still performed in most parts of Bhadrak district on the occasion of the 21st day ceremony of a child in Hindu families.”
He says that lack of government patronage spells doom for this art and it’s high time the government took steps for reviving folk arts.
Echoing Dhani’s feelings, folk art researcher Subhas Chandra Mallick, who has done research on ‘Satyapeer Pala’, demanded help from the government for its survival.
PNN