Bhubaneswar: Padma Shri awardee and one of the last remaining Gurus of the near-extinct folk dance tradition of Krishna Leela, Gopinath Swain, passed away on Thursday. He was 107.

Swain breathed his last at 6.40 am today at his residence in Govindapur village under Sheragada block in Ganjam district. He had been under treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar and was recently brought back home and he succumbed to age-related ailments.

A doyen of Krishna Leela, Swain dedicated over nine decades to the documentation, preservation, and performance of the ancient art form. He began his journey at the age of 10, portraying the role of Krishna and learning traditional songs under the tutelage of Guru Choudhury Behera. Over time, he also played the role of ‘Yashoda’ and rose to become the lead singer, di

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